Ted Alletson

Infobox Old Cricketer


nationality = English
country = England
country abbrev = Eng
picture = Cricket_no_pic.pngname =Ted Alletson
batting style = Right-handed batsman
bowling style = n/a
FCs = 119
FC runs = 3217
FC bat avg = 18.59
FC 100s/50s = 1/13
FC top score = 189
FC balls = 1253
FC wickets = 33
FC bowl avg = 19.03
FC 5s = 1
FC 10s = 0
FC best bowling = 6/74
FC catches/stumpings = 74/0
debut date = May 24
debut year = 1906
last date = May 26
last year = 1914
source = http://content-uk.cricinfo.com/ci/content/player/8718.html CricInfo

Edwin Boaler (Ted) Alletson, (born March 6, 1884 in Welbeck, died July 5, 1963 in Worksop), played English county cricket for Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club during the early years of the 20th Century. He was predominantly selected by Nottinghamshire as a right-handed batsman and, with one exception, his career was unspectacular. Over the 179 innings of his career, he passed 50 runs only 14 times, and converted just one of those 50s to a century.

Alletson secured his place in cricket history with one record-breaking innings played against Sussex County Cricket Club in May 1911. The innings rescued the game for Nottinghamshire and became known as Alletson's Innings. He never repeated this success and his career ended 3 years later, aged 30, at the onset of World War I. He died in 1963, aged 79.

Alletson's Innings

On Saturday, May 20, 1911, Alletson's Nottinghamshire were playing Sussex at Hove.

Alletson came out to bat at number 9 in the order, with the score 185-7. The eighth wicket fell at 258 and the ninth soon followed, leaving Nottinghamshire 260-9 and facing imminent defeat. The situation was so dire that, according to legend, his captain told him "I don't think it matters what you do." Alletson apparently replied "Then I'm not half going to give Killick [a Sussex bowler] some stick.".

Alletson was known for being a "blocker" (defensive player); yet he came out after lunch and smashed the Sussex bowlers to all points of the compass.

Killick did indeed get "some stick". Alletson broke the world record for runs scored off a single over, by hitting Killick for 34 (see below). Team-mates later revealed that as the innings developed, Killick was frightened to bowl at Alletson, in case Alletson clouted the ball back towards him.

In the days before professional cricketers played one day cricket, Alletson's ferocious hitting truly stood out:

* He scored 189
* He hit 8 sixes
* He scored his runs in just 90 minutes
* His post-lunch effort was 142 runs in just 40 minutes
* The 10th wicket stand was worth 152. Alletson scored 142 of these runs

Modern fans of cricket, who think more in terms of overs than minutes will more readily digest these statistics:

* At one point, he hit 115 off seven overs
* He hit 34 off one over that included 2 no-balls (4,6,6,0,4,4,4,6). At the time, that was a world record for first-class cricket, a record that lasted 57 years until famously broken by Sir Garry Sobers.

The venom of his hitting is perhaps best illustrated by one of his shots smashing the pavilion clock, and another "destroying" the pavilion bar.

Alletson was rewarded for his achievement by the then Duke of Portland, who awarded him a gold watch.

Alletson played this explosive innings despite an injured wrist.

Alletson was dismissed for 189 and speculation followed that the fielder who caught him was actually over the boundary rope. According to the Laws of cricket, this should have meant six runs to the batsman, rather than his dismissal. Alletson had saved the match for his side - it ended in a draw with Sussex, who needed 237 to win, making 213 for 8.

References

*cite book| author=Arlott, John| title=Alletson's Innings| publisher=| year=1991| id=ISBN 0-947821-04-X
*cite web| url =http://www.cricinfo.com/db/ARCHIVE/ARTICLES/PLAYERS/ALLETSON_GREAT_INNS| title = Edwin Boaler Alletson's great innings| publisher = cricinfo.com| accessdate = 25 May| accessyear = 2006|date=17 October, 1994
*cite web| url =http://uk.cricinfo.com/db/STATS/FC/BATTING/MOST_RUNS_OFF_6_BALL_OVER.html| title = Most Runs off one over| publisher = cricinfo.com| accessdate = 25 May| accessyear = 2006
*cite web| url =http://content-uk.cricinfo.com/england/content/player/8718.html| title = Ted Alletson| publisher = cricinfo.com| accessdate = 13 March| accessyear = 2008

External links

* [http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/england/content/image/247923.html Image of scorebook showing Alletson's Innings]

Persondata
NAME=Alletson, Edwin Boaler
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=Alletson, Ted
SHORT DESCRIPTION=English county cricketer; batsman for Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club
DATE OF BIRTH=6 March, 1884
PLACE OF BIRTH=Welbeck, Nottinghamshire, England
DATE OF DEATH=July 5, 1963
PLACE OF DEATH=Worksop, Nottinghamshire, England