Alan Duff (cricketer)

Alan Robert Duff (12 January 1938 – 28 June 1989) was an English cricketer who played first-class cricket matches in the late 1950s and 1960s. Most of these were for Oxford University, but he also had a brief county cricket career for Worcestershire. Duff's profession as a teacher at Malvern College (where he was cricket master) prevented his playing more often; he was also the co-author, with George Chesterton, of a coaching book for young cricketers, Your Book of Cricket.
Born in Dunsley, Kinver, Staffordshire, Duff made his first-class debut in June 1959 for Oxford University against Essex, and had a decent game in a heavy defear, scoring 53 and 4 with the bat and taking three wickets (the first of these being that of Gordon Barker). A few days later he made 40 against Free Foresters, then later that same month hit 55 not out against Warwickshire. He had two games for Worcestershire's Second XI at the end of the season, and hit seventies in each one.
In 1960 Duff took 22 wickets, the most he managed in any season, including 4-24 for Oxford against Nottinghamshire. He played for the university for the first half of the season, then in July and early August appeared in four County Championship games for Worcestershire; in one of these, again against Nottinghamshire, he hit an unbeaten 50. He also turned out for MCC against Ireland at the end of the season.
1961 proved a mixed season for Duff: in 24 innings he managed only 223 runs at a mediocre average of 11.15, although with the ball he was somewhat more successful in claiming 15 wickets at 27.46. His first-class appearances were mostly for Oxford, but there were two matches (his last) for Worcestershire. He played not at all in 1962, and made only a single second-team appearance against Gloucestershire II in 1963 (although he did take eight wickets in that game).
Duff returned to first-class cricket in 1964 with his only game for Free Foresters, against his former university. After that he was to play only three more first-class matches, all for MCC against Ireland: one later in 1964, one in 1966 and one in 1968. He also played a considerable amount of club cricket, and accompanied MCC on many minor tours.He died at the age of 51 in Malvern, Worcestershire.