David Allen 1935-2014
25 May 2014
Gloucestershire County Cricket Club is saddened to announce the death of former player and club president David Allen at the age of 78.
Bristol-born David played first class cricket for Gloucestershire between 1953 and 1972. He also played 39 Test Matches for England.
During his illustrious career, David scored more than 9,000 first class runs and claimed more than 1,200 wickets with his off-break bowling.
He took five wickets in an innings four times in Tests and 56 times altogether in first class cricket.
But he is perhaps best remembered for playing out the last over from Wes Hall in the 1963 Test against West Indies at Lord’s to earn a draw, protecting Colin Cowdrey at the other end, who had come in as last man with a broken arm in plaster.
David toured all the nations playing Test cricket at the time of his career and was a good enough batsman to average more than 25 at that level with a top score of 88.
He claimed 122 Test wickets, with a best of 5-30. In the 1965-66 Ashes Series, David made 50 not out in the Third Test at Sydney, helping to add 93 for the last two wickets and took 4-47 as England won by an innings and 93 runs.
For Gloucestershire, David played in 346 first class matches, scoring 7,506 runs, with a top score of 121 not out, and took 882 wickets at an average of 22.13.
In his later years, David served as a member of the club’s committee and was elected president in 2011.
Our sincere sympathy goes out to his family and friends.
