Famous Cricketers No 44 - Sir Alec V. Bedser, C.B.E.

Bedser declined to tour West Indies in 1947/48 as he was tired out. On the tour to South Africa in 1948/49, one of the Test highlights at Durban was the penultimate wicket batting victory with Cliff Gladwin. Needing one run to win from the last ball of the match, Bedser was at the non-strikers end and just kept running as the ball left the bowler’s hand and made the far end amidst a pile of bodies for a famous victory. The golden era of his Test Match career was 1950/51 to 1953 when in 21 Matches his record was:- 6293 balls 2098 runs 121 wkts. 18.16 Ave 52.00 SR 33.33RC His greatest season was undoubtedly 1953 against the Australians, the year in which England regained the Ashes. Bedser was to play in only four Test matches after that season. The Bedser brothers were, and are, Surrey players and supporters through and through. In 15 full seasons, Alec Bedser bowled 12775.3 overs for his county, an average of 850 overs per season and 34 overs per match. He took 100 wickets in an English season 11 times and in these years took 100 wickets for Surrey five times and 90+ in four seasons. Surrey shared the Championship with Lancashire in 1950 and in 1952 a new captain was appointed, namely W.S.Surridge, who wrote in his diary at the beginning of the year “Surrey will win the Championship for the next five years”. Under his inspired leadership, this prediction came true and was extended to a seven-year spell when the captaincy passed to P.B.H.May and then in his absence through ill-health, Alec Bedser. It is considered that during this period Surrey had one of the best bowling attacks in the history of English county cricket with Alec Bedser, Loader, Lock and Laker, all Test bowlers, backed up by Eric Bedser and Surridge during the numerous Test match calls made on the Surrey staff. Many people suggested the wickets at Kennington Oval were “doctored” to suit the Surrey bowlers, but the spread of wickets across the range of bowlers playing for Surrey defies this theory. In the heyday of the Surridge era, the Surrey close fielding was outstanding and A.J.W.McIntyre behind the wicket was brilliant, usually standing up to Alec Bedser, and at Test Match level T.G.Evans also backed Bedser by standing up to his fast-medium bowling. In 1953, Alec took 162 wickets in the season at an average of 16.67 and in 1955, the main Surrey bowlers, Laker, Lock, Loader and Bedser took 422 wickets and 383 catches were held. Alec Bedser continued playing for Surrey until the end of the 1960 season, taking five wickets in an innings in his last match appropriately played at Kennington Oval. The Bedser twins invested their money by opening a small shop in Woking selling typewriters and office equipment and the business steadily expanded until 1962 when they merged with Straker, and in 1971 joined with Rymans to eventually become part of the Montague Burton Group. After his playing career finished Alec Bedser was appointed a Test selector in 1962, a position he was to hold until 1985. He was Assistant Manager to the Duke of Norfolk on the 1962/63 Tour to Australia, and Manager on the Tours of 1974/75 and 1979/80, also to Australia and for 13 years was Chairman of the Selectors. 6