Career
Educated at Eton College and Trinity College, Cambridge, where he was awarded two blues, Allen played all of his cricket as an amateur. Between 1921 and 1950, he played for Middlesex and in 1930 was called to make his Test debut, in the second Test against Australia at Lord's. During the famous Bodyline series, Allen strongly disagreed with the controversial tactics of Douglas Jardine, the English captain, and refused to bowl leg theory; he still took 21 wickets in the series. The professionals on the tour, paid rather less money than the 'amateurs' received as 'expenses', did not have the luxury of the right to refuse.
Allen held the England Test record partnership for the 8th wicket, 246 against New Zealand in 1931, made with Leslie Ames, until this was broken by Jonathan Trott and Stuart Broad who put on 332 against Pakistan in August 2010. He also took all ten wickets in an innings for only 40 runs playing for Middlesex against Lancashire in 1929 in front of a crowd of 20,000 at Lord's. He took the last four wickets in just five balls, having taken the field twenty minutes late due to his working in the morning. Interestingly, reports suggest that, despite arriving twenty minutes late, he was put on to bowl 'immediately' - contravening the Laws of Cricket. He should not have been allowed to bowl until 20 minutes had elapsed. Indeed, had he been a professional, he would at the very least have been reprimanded, and possibly even sent home in disgrace. Due to his work commitments in the City, he made only 146 appearances for Middlesex in thirty years on the playing roster.
Read more about this topic: Gubby Allen
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