JIMMY Allan will be remembered as the best all-round cricketer that this country has produced. James Moffat Allan was born in Leeds and was educated at Edinburgh Academy and then Oxford, where he obtained a degree in classics.

While at Oxford, he acquired four "blues" from 1953-1956, in the days of Colin Cowdrey and M J K Smith at Oxford, and Ted Dexter and Peter May at Cambridge.

He made a sensational debut in 1953 against Yorkshire in a rain-ruined match, by bowling seven successive maidens and the wicket of Vic Wilson. Five of the maidens were bowled to Len Hutton. A few days later he bowled against Australia, where his first three overs were maidens; this time he took two wickets, clean bowling Keith Miller and the other victim was the boy wonder, Ian Craig.

At that point in his career he had taken three wickets for nought in 10 overs. Colin Cowdrey recommended Allan to Kent, forwhom he played from 1954-57.

In 1955, Jimmy almost completed the "double", scoring 1369 runs at an average of 27 and taking 95 wickets at an average of 22. In one match against Northants he scored a century in each innings (with Frank Tyson at his quickest).

After a spell back home playing for Edinburgh Accies, M J K Smith invited him to play for Warwickshire, which he did from 1966-68. Jimmy never forgot his roots and played for Scotland whenever available.

He gained 60 caps between 1954 and 1972. He is still the highest wicket taker for his country, with 171 wickets.

Although he never made a century for Scotland, he did score 99 not out against the 1965 NewZealanders. In all first-class cricket, Jimmy scored almost 5000 runs at an average of 22, took 435 wickets at an average of 25.69 and held 124 catches.

In between his times at Kent and Warwickshire and in the winter, he worked as a stockbroker in Edinburgh, and was the mainstay of the Edinburgh Accies and Scotland attack.

His employers gave him summer leave to play forWarwickshire, but on his return from Edgbaston, he played in the Western Union Championship for Ayr CC, where he is highly regarded.

An extremely talented slow left-arm bowler and a fine but dogged batsman, "J M" or "Moff", as he is known to his friends at Edgbaston, was never a great spinner of the ball but his weapons were always his command of length and f light.

It is no coincidence that his best bowling figures at firstclass level were against a touring side - that of the Pakistan touring team of 1971 - and it was for Scotland (seven for 54 in the first innings and 11 for 123 in the match). It is also not everyone who can tell their grandchildren that they had been selected for a full MCC tour to Pakistan (England played under the banner of MCC in these days) but had to call off because of exams, and was replaced by Tony Lock of Surrey. J M could, because that is a fact.

His passing is a blow to everyone who enjoyed life in general and cricket in particular. He brought fun, merriment and style to all he knew.

Jimmy Allan was blessed with an extraordinary spirit that enriched the lives of those who were fortunate enough to cross his path, and kept him going through his illness during the last months of his life. He fought this in the same way he tackled life.

He is survived by his wife, Ann.

J M Allan, cricketer; born April 2, 1932, died April 16, 2005.