Fred Bakewell

Alfred Harry "Fred" Bakewell (2 November 1908 – 23 January 1983) was an English cricketer. Playing for Northamptonshire and England, he was an opening batsman who was renowned as one of the most exciting players of his time, largely owing to his unorthodox methods, which allowed him to play some of the most brilliant innings in county cricket, despite the fact that his county, Northamptonshire, was exceptionally weak throughout his career: he was always the only class batsman in the team in the years before his career was ended by a serious car accident in 1936.

His stance was perhaps the most "two-eyed" known in the history of the game, with his right shoulder typically turned so far round as to be facing mid-off, and he gripped the bat with the hands at the extreme ends of the handle. although hopes for his recovery existed as late as 1939. Indeed, he vanished completely from the public eye for the rest of his life.