Former England ace dies

Former England and Surrey cricketer Sir Alec Bedser has died aged 91 following a short illness.

Bedser helped England to the 1953 Ashes and Surrey to eight titles

Former England and Surrey cricketer Sir Alec Bedser has died aged 91 following a short illness. The former fast bowler took 1,924 first-class wickets during an impressive career and helped guide England to the 1953 Ashes and Surrey to eight County Championship titles. His international career saw him take 236 wickets in 51 Tests - and he was one of the few bowlers to get the better of Australian legend Donald Bradman, dismissing him twice for a duck. On retiring from playing Bedser served as a national team selector for 23 years and was chairman of selectors from 1969 to 1981. In 1987 he was made president of Surrey and was knighted nine years later. ECB chairman Giles Clarke led the tributes to Bedser, saying: "Alec Bedser deserves to be remembered as one of the greatest England bowlers of all time, a master of the craft of seam bowling and a true legend of the game. "His contribution to cricket in this country as a player and an administrator was immense and he will forever be associated with Surrey's famous County Championship winning sides of the 1950s. "All cricket-lovers in England and Wales will mourn his death and our deepest sympathies go to his family for their loss."