Harry Dean

Who was Harry Dean?

Harry Dean, born 13 August 1884, and died at Garstang, Lancashire, 12 March 1957, was a cricketer who played for Lancashire and England.

Dean was a left-arm bowler who could bowl fast-medium swing or slower spinners to suit the conditions. Joining Lancashire in 1906, he made an immediate impact with 60 wickets in his first season. He took 100 wickets in 1907 but was expensive given that virtually all pitches suited spin bowling. However, by developing fast-medium swingers of a similar style to George Hirst as a dry-weather alternative to his slow-medium spinners, Dean improved steadily to be by 1910 clearly the best bowler in the Lancashire eleven with 137 wickets. In 1911, although he was overworked when Walter Brearley was away on business, Dean went from strength to strength, taking 175 wickets in the County Championship and being by 23 wickets the leading bowler in first-class cricket.