16 Facts About Alf Gover

Alfred Richard Gover was an English Test cricketer.

Alf Gover was the mainstay of the Surrey bowling attack during the 1930s and played four Tests before and after the Second World War.

Alf Gover founded and ran a cricket school in Wandsworth that coached many notable players.

Alf Gover bowled Johnny Douglas at the nets several times and travelled with Essex as twelfth man to The Oval in 1927.

Alf Gover played his first county match against Sussex in June 1928, but did not establish himself permanently until 1930.

In 1935 Alf Gover's progress was stalled by him shortening his run to conserve his energy, but when allowed his full run in 1936 Alf Gover went from strength to strength.

Alf Gover played for England against India at Old Trafford but the wicket was so good that even his energetic delivery could produce no venom.

Alf Gover remains the only fast bowler to take that many wickets in a season, since Tom Richardson in 1897.

Injury on a winter tour of India ended Alf Gover's run of success: in 1938, apart from a week in late May and early June when he achieved his best figures of 14 for 85 against Worcestershire, Alf Gover was clearly unfit and had so little venom his haul of wickets fell from 201 to just 86.

Alf Gover decided 1947 would be his last year in county cricket, but Gover was still regarded as the best fast bowler in England, and there were calls for him to be selected for the last Test when Harold Butler withdrew and Alec Bedser was out of form.

Alf Gover established this school in 1938 and had already trained a number of future Test players by the time of his last match for Surrey.

However, in the following decades Alf Gover gradually developed his school to such an extent that it became regarded as the most valuable school for the fine-tuning of cricketers' skills.

Alf Gover's school, redeveloped from its humble origins as an industrial shed, was where many Test or potential Test players developed the necessary skill to rise to the highest levels in cricket.

Alf Gover continued to be principal at his school until 1989, and he wrote widely on cricket right up to his death, in London, at the age of 93 in 2001.

At the time of his death Alf Gover was the oldest surviving Test cricketer, and his death left Bob Appleyard as the only living bowler who had ever taken 200 wickets in an English season.

Alf Gover was President of the Lord's Taverners in 1974 and President of Surrey for 1980.