Editing Gubby Allen (section)

===Success===
Allen's cricket remained limited in 1931.<ref name=S96>Swanton, p. 96.</ref> Despite all-round success in several early games for Middlesex,<ref name=S96/> he was initially omitted from the team for the first Test against the [[New Zealand cricket team in England in 1931|New Zealand]] team.{{refn|New Zealand were scheduled to play only one Test in 1931. After their strong performance in that match, a further two Tests were added to their programme.<ref name=S99>Swanton, p. 99.</ref>|group=notes}} When Larwood withdrew with an ankle injury, Allen was added to the team;<ref>Swanton, pp. 96–97.</ref> according to Anthony Meredith, writing in ''[[The Cricketer]]'' in 2002, Pelham Warner made this decision himself without consulting his fellow selectors, to their considerable annoyance.<ref>{{cite web|last=Meredith|first=Anthony| title=Groomed for success| url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/cricketer/content/story/215798.html| publisher=ESPNCricinfo, reprinted from The Cricketer| access-date=6 April 2013|date=July 2002}}</ref> Allen did not have a particularly good match as a bowler,<ref>Swanton, p. 97.</ref> but was successful with the bat. When he started his innings at the beginning of the second day, England had scored 190 for seven wickets in reply to New Zealand's 224.<ref>Swanton, p. 98.</ref> He scored 98 in the 150-minute first session, and went on to score 122; with [[Les Ames]], he added 246 for the eighth wicket.<ref name=S99/> This was a record partnership in Test matches for the eighth wicket until 1996, and an England record for that wicket until 2010.<ref>{{cite web|title=Highest Partnerships for Eighth Wicket in Test matches|url=http://www.wisdenrecords.com/Records/Test/Overall/Batting/Highest_Partnerships_Eighth_Wicket.html|publisher=Wisden|access-date=6 April 2013}}</ref> England scored 454, but New Zealand replied with 469 and the match was drawn on the third and final day.<ref name=S99/> This was Allen's only innings of the series.<ref name=tbat>{{cite web|title=Test Batting and Fielding in Each Season by Gubby Allen |url-access=subscription  |url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/0/559/t_Batting_by_Season.html|website=CricketArchive|access-date=6 April 2013}}</ref>

After a gap of three weeks with no cricket, Allen took six wickets in his first match back. Meanwhile, Larwood was ruled out of the England team after an injury in a car crash;<ref name=S100>Swanton, p. 100.</ref> Allen played in the second Test and took five for 14 in New Zealand's first innings.<ref name=S101>Swanton, p. 101.</ref> England won that game, and the next was drawn after rain washed out the first two days; Allen neither batted nor bowled.<ref name=S101/> In the series, he took eight wickets at an average of 16.12.<ref name=tbowl>{{cite web|title=Test Bowling in Each Season by Gubby Allen |url-access=subscription  |url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/0/559/t_Bowling_by_Season.html|website=CricketArchive|access-date=6 April 2013}}</ref> He ended the season with 401 first-class runs at 30.84 and 40 wickets at 18.77.<ref name=fcbatting/><ref name=fcbowling/>

Allen played less frequently in 1932, even though he wanted to secure a place in the [[English cricket team in Australia in 1932–33|MCC team to tour Australia]] during the 1932–33 season.{{refn|Throughout Allen's career, the MCC organised and administered English cricket. Official English touring teams always played under the name of MCC and were only styled "England" during Test matches.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.lords.org/history/mcc-history/| title = MCC History| publisher = Marylebone Cricket Club| access-date = 8 April 2013| archive-date = 18 February 2012| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120218202927/http://www.lords.org/history/mcc-history| url-status = dead}}</ref>|group=notes}}<ref name=S103>Swanton, p. 103.</ref> He played four times for Middlesex and played in two Test trial games, but did not play in the season's only Test match.<ref name=S104>Swanton, p. 104.</ref> His most important game of the season was the Gentlemen v Players match, in which many of those involved were potential selections for the touring team; he took eight wickets in the game,<ref name=S104/> and after the second trial was named in the MCC team.<ref name=S106>Swanton, p. 106.</ref> The press reaction to his inclusion was mixed, and there were several who criticised the selectors.<ref name=S107/> He was low in the national batting and bowling averages; critics pointed out his infrequent appearances in first-class cricket and questioned his stamina for a long tour.<ref name=D121>Douglas, p. 121.</ref> Having been named in the team, Allen did not play again in the season.<ref name=figures/><ref name=S107>Swanton, p. 107.</ref> In eight first-class matches, he scored 113 runs at 11.30 and took 25 wickets at 25.36.<ref name=fcbatting/><ref name=fcbowling/>