An accurate offspinner, David Allen had trouble maintaining a steady place in the England teams of the 1960s, with competition from Titmus, Mortimore, and Illingworth. He bowled off no more than four or five paces, with a deceptively casual action. He could be unplayable on helpful wickets, but he mastered the art of bowling tightly on good wickets as well. He was first picked for England in 1959, but was unable to play through injury. When he did play, his 39 Tests included tours to all the current Test-playing nations. A useful bat, with a first class hundred to his credit, he thrived on adversity, memorably so when playing out Hall's final over of the 1963 Lord's test. He took 882 wickets for Gloucestershire in a career that spanned 19 years.
Dave Liverman October 2004