SEAXE MAN’S DID YOU KNOW?..............

PART TWO – BETWEEN THE WARS

 

Did you know that.... eleven Middlesex players have captained England since the 1st test match in 1876/77?  Seaxe Man has split these into three groups for a short series of articles:

¨       pre World War One;

¨       between the wars;

¨       post World War Two.

 

In the second of this three part series, Seaxe Man examines the Middlesex men who captained England between the wars.  In little over twenty years, there were four Middlesex players honoured to captain England

 

There were four Middlesex players who captained England between the wars:

¨       Frank Mann

¨       Greville Stevens

¨       Walter Robins

¨       Gubby Allen

 

The last of these, Gubby Allen, spanned WW2 as he was recalled for a West Indies tour when in the twilight of his career. There was some overlap in the careers of the last two, who on a number of occasions appeared in the same Test.

4. Frank Mann - born Winchmore Hill, Middlesex 1888 - died Wiltshire 1964.

F.T. (Frank) Mann played in one 5 test match series and captained in them all (numbers 148 -152). This was the 1922/3 series in South Africa. Like many of his day, he was an amateur and therefore could give up only so much of his time to full-time cricket. His test record was respectable and suggests that, had he played professionally, he would have played more test cricket. The series resulted in a 2-1 victory for England. So he left in triumph. He made his test debut on 23rd December 1922 at the Old Wanderers, Johannesburg. His highest score was in the 3rd Test at Kingsmead, Durban, scoring 84 in his single innings. The match was drawn.

 

His test record was:

Played              5

Innings              9

Not Out             1

Runs                 281

Highest             84

Average 35.12

100s                 0

50s                   2

Catches            4
                        
His first class record, mainly for Middlesex, was extensive but more modest on average:

Played              398

Innings              612

Not Out             47

Runs                 13235

Highest             194

Average 23.42

100s                 9

50s                   68

Catches            174

 

He is the only Middlesex and England Captain to date who has sired a Middlesex and England Captain, F.G. (George) Mann, whom we shall cover in Part Three.

 

Editor’s note. Another son, John, also played some matches for Middlesex.  The traditional Mann family business was brewing, but young John started a new family tradition of fishy business, developing Bird’s Eye as an international brand.  But now I digress.

 

5. Greville Stevens - born Hampstead, Middlesex 1901 - died Islington 1970.

G.T.S. (Greville) Stevens played in 10 tests but captained in only one. His captaincy appears to have occurred because the touring captain to South Africa, a certain RT Stanyforth, who was both wicketkeeper and captain, was dropped for the 5th test. Stanyforth had a disastrous tour, with a top score of 6* and never played in a test again. Stevens made his test debut in the same test as Frank Mann (test 148) at Johannesburg. His next appearance was in 1926, the 4th and 5th tests of the Ashes series which England won 1-0. The win coming at The Oval. He then toured South Africa in 1927/8 with modest personal results. As mentioned above, he captained in the last test at Kingsmead, Durban; that test was lost, enabling SA to draw the series 2-2, after England had led 2-0. His last 2 tests were in the 1929/30 tour of the West Indies. His batting record was modest, but he appears to have been a sharp fielder taking 9 catches.  Another of the gifted amateurs, he was a businessman during his playing career and might have done even better had he dedicated his time to cricket.

 

Editor’s note. Greville Stevens is the first of the Middlesex men who captained England who might properly be described as an all-rounder.  Indeed, his test bowling record is considerably more impressive than his batting record (he took 10/195 in the first of the West Indies tests).  His first class statistics for both disciplines are excellent.  He bowled leg breaks and googlies.  We therefore show both his batting and bowling stats.

 

His test batting record was:

Played              10

Innings              17

Not Out             0

Runs                 263

Highest             69

Average 15.47

100s                 0

50s                   1

Catches            9

His test bowling record was as follows:

Balls                 1186

Runs                 648

Wickets            20

BBI                   5/90

BBM                 10/195

Average 32.39

Econ                 3.27

SR                    59.29

5WI                  2

10WM               1

 

His first class batting record, mostly Middlesex, was as follows:

Played              243

Innings              387

Not Out             36

Runs                 10376

Highest             182

Average 29.56

100s                 12

50s                   55

Catches            213

His first class bowling record was as follows:

Balls                 32601

Runs                 18364

Wickets            684

BBI                   8/38

BBM                 ?

Average 26.84

Econ                 3.37

SR                    47.66

5WI                  29

10WM               5

 

 

 

6. Walter Robins born Stafford 1906 - died St John’s Wood, 1968

R.W.V. (Walter) Robins played in 19 tests, too numerous to list, and captained in three. He was a genuine all-rounder batting in the lower middle order and twirling his leggies. His test and first class records suggest he was pretty successful at both skills. He made his test debut in the South Africa series of 1929 debuting at Lord's. He made only 4 and 0 with the bat but match figures of 43-9-79-5 says he made a useful contribution with the ball. The match was drawn. His one test century came in the 4th Test at Old Trafford in the SA series of 1935 (Test 245). He captained in his final three tests (260-262) against NZ in the 1937 series. This was won 1-0. The winning test being the second at Old Trafford. His record says that Walter Robins was a very useful Middlesex and England cricketer.

 

His test batting record was:

Played              19

Innings              27

Not Out             4

Runs                 612

Highest             108

Average 26.60

100s                 1

50s                   4

Catches            12

His test bowling record was as follows:

Balls                 3318

Runs                 1758

Wickets            64

BBI                   6/32

BBM                 7/68

Average 27.46

Econ                 3.17

SR                    51.84

5WI                  2

10WM               0

 

His first class batting record, mostly Middlesex, was as follows:

Played              379

Innings              565

Not Out             39

Runs                 13884

Highest             140

Average 26.39

100s                 11

50s                   73

Catches            217

His first class bowling record was as follows:

Balls                 43215

Runs                 22580

Wickets            969

BBI                   8/69

BBM                 ?

Average 23.30

Econ                 3.13

SR                    44.59

5WI                  54

10WM               4

 

What would England give right now for a spin-bowling all-rounder who could deliver stats like these?

 

 

 

7. Gubby Allen. born Sydney, NSW, Australia in 1902 - died St John’s Wood, 1989.

G.O.B. (Gubby) Allen, was another all-rounder. He also batted in the middle order but unlike Robins he was a demon fast bowler in his youth. He played 25 tests too numerous to list and captained in eleven. He made his test debut in the 1930 Ashes series (2-1 to Australia) at Lord's. In his next test versus New Zealand in the 1931 series, again at Lord's batting at 9, he made his lone test century of 122. The match was drawn but the series went to England 1-0. He also played in the entire 1932/3 Bodyline series (tests 220-224) captained by D.R.Jardine and had no small success with the ball himself, in support of Larwood and Voce, taking 21 wickets. His first series as captain was the 1936 series against India. (tests 252-254) This was won by England 2-0. The following winter he captained England in the 1936/7 Ashes tour. (tests 255-259) This series was lost 3-2 after England had led 2-0. The Australian batting which failed in the first two tests, suddenly asserted itself in the last three, whereas England went in opposite direction. Gubby took 17 wickets in this series. His last three tests as captain and player were on the 1947/8 tour of the West Indies (tests 296-298). This series was lost 2-0. He was by now in his mid forties and in the twilight of his career.  After he died in 1989, the stand to the left of The Lord's Pavilion (as you face the Pavilion from the media centre) was named after him. The bottom half of which now houses The Middlesex Room. My best memory of this great Middlesex and England cricketer, was sharing a bench with him back in the eighties at Uxbridge, where we were both watching a Second XI match. This typified his dedication to the Middlesex cause. Unlike Stoddart, Warner, Brearley and Gatting. Gubby never succeeded in an Ashes series as captain. But despite that - he has got to be in the frame as one of the best Middlesex and England cricketers.

 

His test batting record was:

Played              25

Innings              33

Not Out             2

Runs                 750

Highest             122

Average 24.19

100s                 1

50s                   3

Catches            20

His test bowling record was as follows:

Balls                 4386

Runs                 2379

Wickets            81

BBI                   7/80

BBM                 10/78

Average 29.37

Econ                 3.25

SR                    54.14

5WI                  5

10WM               1

 

His first class batting record, mostly Middlesex, was as follows:

Played              265

Innings              376

Not Out             54

Runs                 9233

Highest             180

Average 28.67

100s                 11

50s                   47

Catches            131

His first class bowling record was as follows:

Balls                 36180

Runs                 17518

Wickets            788

BBI                   10/40

BBM                 ?

Average 22.23

Econ                 2.9

SR                    45.91

5WI                  48

10WM               9

 

Editor’s note.  Of the seven Middlesex men who captained England up to this time, three of them lived out their autumn years and died within striking distance of Lord’s and two of those still have Lord’s stands named after them.