Editing Gubby Allen (section)

==England captain==
[[File:Gubby Allen c1935.jpg|thumb|right|upright|Allen c. 1935]]

===Selection as captain===
Prior to the 1936 season, Allen was the leading contender to replace Wyatt as England captain; under Wyatt's leadership, the team had lost three successive Test series.<ref>Swanton, pp. 161, 164.</ref> Although still unable to appear regularly,<ref name=S161>Swanton, p. 161.</ref> Allen played 16 first-class matches, his most in a season since 1926; he scored 598 runs at an average of 35.17, and took 81 wickets, his best return in a season.<ref name=fcbatting/><ref name=fcbowling/> When selected to lead one of the teams in a Test trial match, he was effective enough for the selectors to name him as England captain for the series against India.<ref>Swanton, pp. 162–64.</ref> England won the first Test by eight wickets. Allen took five for 35 in his first innings as captain and a further five wickets in the second innings, making this the only Test in which he took ten wickets.<ref name=figures/><ref>Swanton, pp. 165–66.</ref> The selectors at this time set about choosing a captain and team for the MCC tour of Australia in the 1936–37 season.  At least one selector favoured [[Claude Ashton]], who played first-class cricket infrequently; Allen informed the selectors that, were Ashton to be made captain, he would not take part in the tour.<ref name=M114>Marshall, p. 114.</ref> Soon after the first Test, Allen was chosen to captain the Gentlemen against the Players, the only time he did so, and the MCC announced that he would captain the MCC in Australia.<ref>Swanton, p. 167.</ref> Allen believed that Warner was influential in securing his appointment, but that his Australian background was also important given that the tour had to repair tensions left over from 1932 to 1933.<ref name=M114/>

Allen captained England in the remaining two Tests against India. The second game was drawn but England won the third and Allen took seven for 80, his best figures in Test matches.<ref name=figures/><ref>Swanton, pp. 168–69, 172–73.</ref> In the Tests, Allen scored 27 runs in three innings, and took 20 wickets at 16.50.<ref name=tbat/><ref name=tbowl/> His good form for Middlesex continued throughout the season and he performed well against some of the strongest opposition; he topped the county's batting averages and came second in bowling.<ref>Swanton, pp. 172–73.</ref> The MCC team for Australia was chosen in several stages with input from Allen.<ref>Swanton, pp. 167–68.</ref> Larwood was not considered; he had spoken out in the press against Australia and opponents of Bodyline, and like Voce, had not played a Test since the 1932–33 series.<ref>Swanton, pp. 154–55.</ref> The selectors wished to include Voce but Allen at first threatened to resign were he to be included. He met Voce to discuss matters and the latter agreed to sign a statement in which he apologised for the past and in effect promised not to bowl Bodyline. He was therefore named in the touring team.<ref>Swanton, pp. 167–71.</ref>

===Tour of Australia, 1936–37===
[[File:Allen bowling to McCabe.jpg|thumb|Allen bowling to [[Stan McCabe]] during the first Test of the 1936–37 Ashes|alt=A cricketer has just bowled a ball towards a batsman, who is waiting for the ball to arrive]]
The inexperience of the tour manager, Rupert Howard, and Allen's vice-captain, [[Walter Robins]], left Allen with a heavy workload for the 1936–37 tour;<ref>Swanton, p. 174.</ref> he later suggested to the MCC that this affected his form.<ref>Swanton, p. 206.</ref> In the early part of the tour, Allen selected the team by himself, but later used Robins, Bob Wyatt, [[Wally Hammond]] and [[Maurice Leyland]] as a selection committee.{{refn|According to Allen, he had been told before the tour by [[Stanley Jackson (cricketer)|Stanley Jackson]], the chairman of selectors, that he could only use Robins and Wyatt, the other amateurs in the team, as tour selectors; Allen wanted to use Hammond and Leyland but Jackson refused to compromise. Instead, Allen said he would act as the only selector and once the team arrived in Australia, beyond Jackson's influence, he appointed his own unofficial selection panel.<ref>Marshall, pp. 114–15.</ref>|group=notes}}<ref name=Wis38>{{Cite web| url = http://www.espncricinfo.com/wisdenalmanack/content/story/154075.html| title = England in Australia, 1936–37| work = Wisden Cricketers' Almanack  | year = 1938 | publisher = John Wisden & Co | location = London |access-date = 18 April 2013}}</ref>

The team was hampered throughout by injuries—at one point, seven of the sixteen players were unfit<ref name=Wis38/>—and the absence of senior players meant that Allen had to play more matches.<ref>Swanton, p. 179.</ref> He played well in the early games, but the team's results were poor as players struggled to adapt to the Australian pitches. When the Test series began, Australia were clear favourites.<ref>Swanton, pp. 179–80.</ref> In the first Test, in reply to England's first innings of 358, Australia were bowled out for 234. When England batted again, Allen top-scored with 68, an innings he later rated the best of his career. England made 256 and, on a pitch affected by rain, Allen took five for 36 as Australia were bowled out for 58 to lose by 322 runs.<ref>Swanton, pp. 181–82.</ref> Allen's team also won the second Test. England scored 426 for six on the first two days before rain prompted Allen to declare. On a damaged pitch, he took three for 19; Australia were bowled out for 80 and eventually lost by an innings.<ref>Swanton, pp. 184–85.</ref> During the second Australian innings, Bradman, the Australian captain, who went on to score 82, was at one point dropped by Robins. The latter apologised, but Allen replied: "Oh, forget it, old boy, it's probably cost us the rubber, but what the hell!"<ref name=S186>Swanton, p. 186.</ref>

Rain affected the third Test; on the second day, Australia declared having scored 200 for nine in their first innings. In reply, England lost regular wickets as the effects of rain made the pitch almost impossible to bat on. Several critics, including members of his own team, suggested Allen should have declared to force Australia to bat when the pitch remained very difficult. Allen considered the risk to be too great and did not declare until the score had reached 76 for nine.<ref>Swanton, pp. 188–90.</ref> Bradman then reversed his batting order to protect his main batsmen until the conditions eased; the tactic worked, as he and Jack Fingleton shared a partnership of 346 for the sixth wicket. Bradman scored 270 and England were defeated by 365 runs.<ref>Swanton, pp. 190–91.</ref> In the fourth Test, Australia were bowled out for 288 in their first innings, when several of Allen's tactical moves worked well. England replied with 330, and Australia scored 433 in the second innings. Needing to score 392 to win, England were bowled out for 243, and the series was level at 2–2.<ref>Swanton, pp. 193–96.</ref>

Complaining of exhaustion,<ref name=Sw198/> and struggling with an injury,<ref name=Wis38/> Allen rested from the MCC's next tour games. He was criticised for this, by Warner among others, particularly when the team lost in his absence. Allen proposed that he miss the final Test, but the other selectors insisted he play.<ref name=Sw198>Swanton, pp. 198–99.</ref> For the game, Australia chose a fast bowler, [[Laurie Nash]], who had returned to first-class cricket after a three-year absence to play for Victoria against the MCC. Allen, concerned over the possible use of Bodyline by Nash, who had bowled short against the MCC, spoke to Bradman before the game. Bradman replied that an opposing captain could not veto members of his team, at which Allen went to the umpires and threatened to bring his team off the field if Bodyline was used.<ref name=F413>Frith, pp. 413–14.</ref> Struggling with a leg injury, Allen was below his best.<ref name=Wis38/> Australia won the toss, scored 604 and, assisted by rain, bowled England out for 239 and 165 to win the match and series;<ref>Swanton, pp. 199–201.</ref> Nash did not bowl too  short, although the occasional one did "nip up" to hit the batsman.<ref name=F413/>

The series was watched by over 900,000 people in total; the MCC took home a larger profit than on any previous tour.<ref>Swanton, p. 202.</ref> Allen was treated sympathetically by press and public.<ref name=Wis38/><ref name=S203>Swanton, p. 203.</ref> The ''Wisden'' review of the tour suggested: "It would be churlish to criticise Allen's captaincy. During the first two Tests, almost every one of his moves succeeded instantly&nbsp;... No doubt, Allen had studied his opponents carefully and knew their weaknesses, and if his tactics were not always dictated by accepted principles they certainly proved very successful. Those who attributed so much of the England captain's success to good luck were inclined to overlook the many stratagems exploited by him".<ref name=Wis38/> In the Test series, he scored 150 runs at 18.75 and took 17 wickets at 30.94.<ref name=tbat/><ref name=tbowl/> During the tour, Allen struck up a friendship with Bradman and encouraged his team to fraternise with the Australian team.<ref>Swanton, pp. 197–98.</ref> He clashed over tactics with one of his team, [[Joe Hardstaff, Jr.|Joe Hardstaff]]; the pair never got along thereafter.<ref>Marshall, pp. 115–16.</ref>

The team played three games in New Zealand before returning home via America; Allen left the team early and spent time in Hollywood.<ref>Swanton, pp. 206–07.</ref> In all first-class games, he scored 380 runs at 25.33 and took 38 wickets at 26.23.<ref name=fcbatting/><ref name=fcbowling/>