Sir Alec Bedser (1918 - 2010)
I was saddened to hear of the passing of Woking Test Cricketing hero Sir Alec Bedser, who died yesterday at the age of 91.
Alec Bedser had the distinguished honour of having dismissed the great Donald Bradman six times, twice for a duck and was the world’s most successful Test bowler, with 236 wickets, at the time of his England retirement in 1955. He took 1,924 first-class wickets and played 51 Tests for England during his illustrious career. He was a staunch Surrey man and was a fundamental part of their dominance of county cricket during the 1950s when Surrey won the championship eight times.
Born at Reading on July 4 1918, 10 minutes after his identical twin Eric Arthur Bedser, Alec and his brother were brought up first in two rooms belonging to an aunt on Horsell Common, and then in Knaphill. They were the third generation of the family to live in the Woking area later living in the same house that their father built in Horsell in 1952.
During the second world war, both brothers saw active service in the RAF, being stranded for a time in France after they were strafed by a German plane. Later on, with a friend called Jack Fagan, the Bedser brother set up a shop to sell office equipment in Woking. The shop was later taken over by the chain Ryman in 1977. Alec was appointed OBE in 1964, CBE in 1982, and in 1997 became the only England bowler ever to be knighted. He was President of Surrey in 1987-88.
I first met Alec Bedser when I was Mayor. He was a great supporter of Woking College and we had regular chats when he and his brother attended Woking Community Hospital. He always had time to chat about Woking and ‘current issues’ and was kindly and appreciative of others around him. Di Landon tells me she also has fond memories of him bowling to the children at a local event. I had great admiration for his charity work and his dedication to Woking. He will be greatly missed by cricket fans and local people alike for his contribution to the local area and to the county of Surrey, on and off the cricket pitch
Filed under: General posts, Local issues, Rosie's thoughts, woking | Tagged: alec bedser, cricket, horsell common, woking |
Councillor Rosie Sharpley 
[…] I was saddened to hear of the passing of Woking Test Cricketing hero Sir Alec Bedser, who died yesterday at the age of 91. Alec Bedser had the distinguished honour of having dismissed the great Donald Bradman six times, twice for a duck and was the world’s most successful Test bowler, with 236 wickets, at the time of his England retirement in 1955. He took 1,924 first-class wickets and played 51 Tests for England during his illustrious career. He was a staunch Surrey man and was a fundamental part of their dominance of county cricket during the 1950s when Surrey won the championship eight times. READ MORE >> […]
He was certainly a representation of the ‘Old School’. I would have loved to see him bowl live – I grew up to stories about Tom Cartwright, and it doesn’t surprise me that seamers of that ilk would have been unplayable on uncovered pitches.
His record is impressive in any era, and what he also did, unlike many others, was make such a contribution to the game after his playing career was complete.
[…] I was saddened to hear of the passing of Woking Test Cricketing hero Sir Alec Bedser, who died yesterday at the age of 91. Alec Bedser had the distinguished honour of having dismissed the great Donald Bradman six times, twice for a duck and was the world’s most successful Test bowler, with 236 wickets, at the time of his England retirement in 1955. He took 1,924 first-class wickets and played 51 Tests for England during his illustrious career. He was a staunch Surrey man and was a fundamental part of their dominance of county cricket during the 1950s when Surrey won the championship eight times. READ MORE >> […]