England great Sir Alec Bedser is dead

Sir Alec Bedser, one of the finest of all England bowlers, has died at the age of 91.



Bedser, knighted in 1997, passed away on Sunday evening at a hospital in Woking after falling ill last month.



He took 236 wickets in 51 Tests over 10 years before serving a record 23 years as a selector and managing two tours.



Along with twin brother Eric, Bedser was an integral part of the Surrey team that won seven consecutive County Championships between 1952 and 1958.



He had been the last man alive to have taken the wicket of Australian legend Sir Donald Bradman in a Test match, and never bowling above medium-fast - with the wicketkeeper standing up to the stumps - he dismissed the great batsman six times in all.



Bradman stayed in regular contact by post with Bedser until his own death in 2001, and rated the Englishman as the finest bowler of his type he had faced.