Maurice Allom

{{Infobox cricketer

| name = Maurice Allom

| image = Maurice Allom.jpg

| caption =

| fullname = Maurice James Carrick Allom

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1906|3|23|df=yes}}

| birth_place = Northwood, Middlesex, England

| death_date = {{Death date and age|1995|4|8|1906|3|23|df=yes}}

| death_place = Shipbourne, Kent, England

| batting = Right-handed

| bowling = Right-arm medium-fast

| role = Bowler

| club1 = Cambridge University

| year1 = 1926–1928

| club2 = Surrey

| year2 = 1927–1937

| columns = 2

| column1 = Tests

| matches1 = 5

| runs1 = 14

| bat avg1 = 14.00

| 100s/50s1 = 0/0

| top score1 = 8*

| deliveries1 = 817

| wickets1 = 14

| bowl avg1 = 18.92

| fivefor1 = 1

| tenfor1 = 0

| best bowling1 = 5/38

| catches/stumpings1= 0/–

| column2 = First-class

| matches2 = 179

| runs2 = 1953

| bat avg2 = 12.84

| 100s/50s2 = 0/5

| top score2 = 64

| deliveries2 = 34133

| wickets2 = 605

| bowl avg2 = 23.62

| fivefor2 = 30

| tenfor2 = 3

| best bowling2 = 9/55

| catches/stumpings2= 83/–

| international = true

| country = England

| testdebutfor =

| testdebutagainst =

| testdebutdate = 10 January

| testdebutyear = 1930

| lasttestdate = 16 January

| lasttestfor =

| lasttestagainst =

| lasttestyear = 1931

| source = https://www.espncricinfo.com/player/maurice-allom-8524 Cricinfo

| date = 2 July 2021

| year =

}}

Maurice James Carrick Allom (23 March 1906 – 8 April 1995) was an English amateur cricketer who played in five Tests from 1930 to 1931.

Life and career

Allom attended Wellington College, Berkshire, before going up to Trinity College, Cambridge.{{cite newspaper The Times |issue=43952 |date=4 May 1925 |title=Cricket (Freshmen at Cambridge) |page=7}} He played cricket for Cambridge University from 1926 to 1928 and for Surrey from 1927 to 1937.

He toured with the English Test team to New Zealand in 1929-30, where he played all four Tests, and to South Africa in 1930-31, where he played one Test. He and his former Cambridge team-mate Maurice Turnbull wrote a book about each tour: The Book of the Two Maurices: Being some account of the tour of an M.C.C. team through Australia and New Zealand in the closing months of 1929 and the beginning of 1930 (1930) and The Two Maurices Again: Being some account of the tour of the M.C.C. team through South Africa in the closing months of 1930 and the beginning of 1931 (1931).{{cite web|url=https://apps.lords.org/lords/tours-and-museum/museum/searchthecollections/ToursMuseumSearchForm?Search=Allom&Category=Library|title=Search|website=MCC Library|accessdate=30 April 2024}}

Almost 6 feet 6 inches tall, Allom was able to get the ball to rise sharply off the pitch.{{cite web|title=Wisden obituary|work=Cricinfo |url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/wisdenalmanack/content/story/155312.html|publisher=Wisden|accessdate=27 November 2015}} His most successful season was 1930, when he took 108 wickets at 23.33, twice dismissing Don Bradman. His best innings figures were 9 for 55, for Cambridge against The Army in 1927.

Along with Peter Petherick and Damien Fleming, Allom is one of only three players to have taken a hat-trick on Test debut. It was also New Zealand's first Test match. In the same Test, he also became the first Test player to take four wickets in five balls, a feat later matched by Chris Old and Wasim Akram.{{Cite news|url=http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/records/283737.html|title=Records {{!}} Test matches {{!}} Bowling records {{!}} Four wickets in five balls {{!}} ESPN Cricinfo|work=Cricinfo|access-date=2017-03-03}} He finished with first innings figures of 5 for 38, and added 3 for 17 in the second innings. England won by eight wickets.{{Cite web|url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/match/62572.html |title=1st Test: New Zealand v England at Christchurch, Jan 10-13, 1930 |accessdate=2011-12-13|work=espncricinfo}}

He served as Surrey's President from 1970 to 1977, and as President of Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) in 1969–70. He was a member of MCC for 70 years, from 1925 until his death. He was also a skilful saxophonist, who played in Fred Elizalde's band in the 1920s.Wisden 1996, p. 1391.

Allom was married for almost half a century to Pamela, and after she died in 1980 he married the widow of the pre-war Lancashire captain Peter Eckersley, who had died on active service in 1940. His son Anthony played first-class cricket for Surrey and was one of the tallest people to have played the game, standing between 6 ft 9 ins and 6 ft 10 ins (around 2.07 m).{{cite web| url = https://www.espncricinfo.com/player/maurice-allom-8524| title = Maurice Allom | author = David Frith | publisher =Cricinfo| accessdate = 2 July 2021}}{{cite web | url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/player/anthony-allom-8721 | title = Anthony Allom | publisher =Cricinfo| accessdate = 2 July 2021}}

References

External links

[https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/0/518/518.html Maurice Allom] at CricketArchive
[http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/player/8524.html Maurice Allom] at Cricinfo

Category:1906 births

Category:1995 deaths

Category:People from Northwood, London

Category:Cricketers from the London Borough of Hillingdon

Category:People from Shipbourne

Category:People educated at Wellington College, Berkshire

Category:Alumni of Trinity College, Cambridge

Category:Cambridge University cricketers

Category:English cricketers

Category:England Test cricketers

Category:Surrey cricketers

Category:Free Foresters cricketers