Alec Bedser: 15 facts about the English bowling legend

Bedser was an influential medium-pacer for England after World War II and was at one time, Test cricket’s leading wicket-taker.

Alec Bedser, born on July 4, 1918, is one of the biggest figures in England cricket. Bedser was an influential medium-pacer for England after World War II and was at one time, Test cricket’s leading wicket-taker. After his career, he was an England selector for 24 years. Nishad Pai Vaidya picks 15 facts about one of the doyens of English cricket.

 

1.  The inseparable twins

Eric and Alec Bedser were born on July 4, 1918. The two lived almost all their lives together — sharing schools, an office, business and, of course, cricket. The only apparent diversion in their life is that Alec won the England Test cap, which entailed touring. Eric retired as one of the veterans at Surrey. Both men remained bachelors, shared the same house as long as they lived and also ran a business.

 

2.  Distinguishing the twins

When Alec and Eric played for Woking Cricket Club as teenagers, they needed a mark with which their teammates could distinguish them. Norman Preston noted in The Cricketer that Alec donned a black belt for that cause.

 

3.  Working for a lawyer and moving towards cricket

As young boys, the Bedser twins had worked numerous jobs to help their family. When they were 14, they started working with a lawyer in London. However, Alan Peach, who was Surrey’s coach saw them playing at the Woking Cricket Club and got them to move to The Oval, where they were inducted as members of the staff in the year 1938.

 

4.  Sharing trades and then moving into a niche

In their young days, the Bedser twins shared their trades on the cricket field as well. Both used to bowl medium-pace and bat. Wisden Almanac notes that Eric took up off-spin only when the twins realised that it would be difficult for both to play if they were seamers. A factor in their decision was also the numerous fast bowling options Surrey had.

 

5.  Minor counties and First-Class debut in tandem

Alec and Eric made their debut for Surrey Second XI against Kent Second XI in 1938. A year down the line, both made their debuts for Surrey in First-Class cricket against Oxford University.

 

6.  Serving the country in times of war

In 1939, the second World War broke out, as a result of which numerous cricketers and ordinary citizens joined the National Service. Both Alec and Eric were a part of the Royal Air Force (RAF) and had travelled to different parts of the globe for their service. They only resumed their cricket once the war was done.

 

7.  Test debut

Here is where Alec Bedser’s journey takes a detour from that of his twin’s. Bedser was picked to play for England when India toured in 1946. His debut at Lord’s was the stuff of dreams as he bowled a spell of seven for 49 with his medium pace. He followed that up with four for 96 in the second innings, taking his count to 11 for the game. He didn’t stop there as he picked 11 more wickets in the second Test at Manchester.

 

8.  Finest delivery to dismiss Bradman

Bedser added an important weapon to his armoury — the leg-cutter. During the 1946-47 Ashes Test at Adelaide, he bowled a delivery that foxed Donald Bradman. It’s a momentwhich magnified Bedser’s stature. Bradman was bowled for a duck by a delivery that pitched around leg-stump, but deviated enough to hit the off-stump. Ashley Mallet wrote in ESPNcricinfo that Bedser described that delivery in a private letter to him, “When I bowled Don at Adelaide, the ball swung in after pitching round leg stump, moved from leg to off and hit the off stump. Don must have missed it by six inches.” Bradman said, “The ball was, I think, the finest ever to take my wicket.”

 

9.  Winning the Urn

Following years of Australian dominance, thanks to Bradman’s presence, England won the Ashes in 1953. Bedser was a big factor in that victory as he accounted for 39 wickets at an astonishing average of 17.48. In that series, he took five fifers and one 10-wicket match-haul. England won the Ashes 1-0 after a gap of 20 years.

 

10.  Dismissing the best in business

During his 51 Test career, Bedser accounted for some of the finest batsmen numerous times. Arthur Morris, the Australian batsman, heads the list among Bedser’s victims as he fell prey to him 18 times in 21 Tests. Neil Harvey was dismissed by Bedser in 12 out of 13 Tests. Bradman fell to him six times in 10 matches. India’s Vijay Hazare was dismissed by Bedser six times in seven Tests.

 

11.  Surrey legend

Bedser played 370 matches for Surrey, in which he took 1459 wickets at an average of 19.13 with 72 fifers and 11 ten-fors. Between 1950 and 1958, Surrey clinched the county championship eight times, seven of which came in a sequence between 1952 and 1958. Bedser was a very important part of the Surrey team during those years.

 

12.  Abrupt end

Bedser’s international career effectively ended during the Ashes 1954-55. He was not fully fit on that sojourn and had played the solitary Test at Brisbane, where he took only one wicket and conceded 131 runs. Len Hutton, the captain of the team, omitted him from the eleven ahead of the second Test, but did not tell Bedser about it. Hutton wrote in his book Fifty Years in Cricket, “I realise now I should have handled such a delicate matter differently.” He also went on to express his regret, “A cricketer’s life is full of ups and downs, and it was of great regret to me that Alec was edged out.” Bedser did win another Test cap in 1955 against South Africa.

 

13.  Test cricket’s leading wicket-taker

In 51 Tests, Bedser accounted for 236 wickets at an average of 24.89, with 15 fifers. He was the leading wicket-taker in Test cricket till 1963, when his old teammate Brian Statham went past him. Later of course, Fred Trueman became the first man to take 300 Test wickets.

 

14.  Long tenure as a selector

Playing cricket for two decades is one thing, but to remain a selector for that long is an achievement for it is a thankless job. Bedser is one of the giants of English cricket as he was a selector from 1961 to 1985 — for 24 long years. He also headed the panel from 1968 to 1981. His tenure saw the Basil D’Oliviera controversy, the emergence of Ian Botham, Graham Gooch etc. The Independent’s Obituary noted, “He [Bedser] was a selectorfor 20 years, 13 of them as chairman, and had an arrangement whereby he would make himself available to be telephoned at home on Friday evening by cricket correspondents.”

 

15.  First bowler to be knighted

Bedser was knighted by the Queen in the year 1997 for his yeoman service to cricket. He became the first England bowler to get the honour.

(Nishad Pai Vaidya is a Mumbai-based cricket journalist and one of the youngest to cover the three major cricketing events — ICC World Cup, World T20 and under-19 World Cup. He tweets as @nishad_45)

 

More from this writer:

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Harbhajan Singh: 11 unforgettable batting moments

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