Alan Edward Moss (14 November 1930 – 12 March 2019)
was an English
cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by striki ...
er, who played in nine
Tests
Test(s), testing, or TEST may refer to:
* Test (assessment), an educational assessment intended to measure the respondents' knowledge or other abilities
Arts and entertainment
* ''Test'' (2013 film), an American film
* ''Test'' (2014 film), ...
for
England from 1954 to 1960.
The cricket writer, Colin Bateman, opined, "Alan Moss was a thoughtful, enthusiastic swing bowler who, given the right conditions, could run through a team".
Life and career
Moss was the product of a London-based newspaper's 'find-a-player' scheme. During his spell of
National Service, Moss conserved his leave allowance to enable him to play as often as possible for his county side.
He was a tall right-arm fast-medium bowler, who mainly opened the bowling for
Middlesex in the 1950s and 1960s. Their playing strength was relatively weak over this period of time, and Moss sometimes struggled alone carrying the bowling attack. In 1954, he undertook his first overseas tour with the
Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) to the
West Indies, and played his first Test. Spread over a six-year period, his nine Test appearances found Moss lacking in penetration, with only his final two appearances yielding much profit. In 1960 against
South Africa at
Lord's
Lord's Cricket Ground, commonly known as Lord's, is a cricket venue in St John's Wood, London. Named after its founder, Thomas Lord, it is owned by Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) and is the home of Middlesex County Cricket Club, the England and ...
, Moss took 4 for 35 in their first innings. He followed this with a return of 3 for 36 in the second innings at
Trent Bridge, but that was his last Test.
In all first-class cricket, Moss finished with 1,301 wickets at under 21 each. He took 100 wickets in a season five times. His most successful season was 1960, when he took 136 wickets at 13.72, including his best innings figures of 8 for 31 to dismiss Northamptonshire for 58. He played in just three county
one day matches.
Following his retirement from
first-class cricket in 1963, he ran a printing business as Chief Executive of BPC Web Offset Corporation.
He later became a self-employed printing consultant (1984–2002).
He was a loyal member of the Middlesex County Cricket Club General Committee (1976–2005 and 2008-2008/09) and the Executive Board 2010–2012. He has served as Honorary Treasurer and Chairman of the Finance and Administration sub-committee (1984–1995), Chairman (1996–1999) and President (2003–2005). He was also a member of the
ECB Disciplinary Standing Committee and a Middlesex life vice-president.
He served as the
Chairman of the Middlesex Cricket Board between 1996 and 2012, which ran the recreational game in the
County of Middlesex.
He died on 12 March 2019 at the age of 88.
Alan Moss
/ref>
References
External links
*
Alan Moss dies aged 88
{{DEFAULTSORT:Moss, Alan
1930 births
2019 deaths
Chairmen of Middlesex County Cricket Club
Combined Services cricketers
English cricketers
England Test cricketers
Free Foresters cricketers
Marylebone Cricket Club cricketers
Middlesex cricketers
International Cavaliers cricketers
Presidents of Middlesex County Cricket Club
People from Tottenham
Cricketers from the London Borough of Haringey
Players cricketers
North v South cricketers
A. E. R. Gilligan's XI cricketers
L. E. G. Ames' XI cricketers
T. N. Pearce's XI cricketers
20th-century British military personnel
Duke of Norfolk's XI cricketers
Military personnel from the London Borough of Haringey