Colin Cowdrey

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Colin Cowdrey bigraphy, stories - English cricketer

Colin Cowdrey : biography

24 December 1932 – 4 December 2000

Michael Colin Cowdrey, Baron Cowdrey of Tonbridge, CBE (24 December 19324 December 2000), better known as Colin Cowdrey, was a stylish, affable batsman who played for Oxford University Cricket Club (1952–54), Kent County Cricket Club (1950-76) and the England cricket team (1954–75) and was the first cricketer to play 100 Test matches, celebrating the occasion with a century against Australia. Cowdrey played 114 Tests, making 7,624 runs at an average of 44.06, overtook Wally Hammond as the most prolific Test batsman and took 120 catches, another record. He made 22 Test centuries (an England record until 2013) and was the first batsman to make centuries against six countries; Australia, South Africa, the West Indies, New Zealand, India and Pakistan, making hundreds against them all both at home and away. Cowdrey toured Australia six times in 1954-55, 1958-59, 1962-63, 1965-66, 1970-71 and 1974-75, equaling Colin Blythe’s record and in his last Test fans hung out a banner ‘M.C.G. FANS THANK COLIN – 6 TOURS’. In the First Test at Edgbaston in 1957 he added 411 runs in 511 minutes with Peter May against the West Indies, the third highest stand in Test cricket at the time, the highest for the fourth wicket until 2009, and still the highest stand for England and the highest stand against the West Indies in Tests. Cowdrey’s highest first class score was 307 against South Australia on the MCC tour of Australia in 1962-63, the highest score for the Marylebone Cricket Club overseas and the highest by a tourist in Australia. He was awarded a CBE in 1972, knighted in 1992, ennobled in 1997 and posthumously inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame in 2009.

Vice-Captain and Captain 1958-61

Australia and New Zealand 1958-59

Cowdrey replaced Trevor Bailey as Peter May’s vice-captain for the tour of Australia. He was not confident that he could lead the veteran England team in May’s absence, but this was Bailey’s last tour and Cowdrey needed to be tested as a future England captain.p. 100, Cowdrey The disastrous 1958-59 Ashes series began well enough with Cowdrey scoring of 65 not out, 78 and 100 not out against the state teams, but when deputising as captain Cowdrey was run out by Ian Huntington after he stepped forward after an lbw appeal. Later on the tour he struck 101 runs in 84 minutes with 10 boundaries to win a jovial match against the Prime Minister’s XI by four wickets. England lost the first two Tests, but Cowdrey’s 100 not out saved the Third Test at the Adelaide Oval, adding 182 with May (92) and spending 80 minutes in the 90s. Cowdrey’s 84 could not save the Fourth Test and he was bowled by the ‘Blond Giant’ Gordon Rorke, whose seven foot stride and his long drag took him three yards down the wicket before he released the ball,p437, Frith and Cowdrey joked "I was frightened that he might tread on my toes".p59, Frank Tyson, The Cricketer Who Laughed, Stanley Paul, 1982 The Fifth Test saw Cowdrey in fine form with seven boundaries in his 44, but he was run out when he trotted in for an single, even though the umpire was unsighted by the wicket-keeper Wally Grout. Cowdrey took strike again unaware of his dismissal until he was asked to depart. England lost the Test as Australia recovered the Ashes 4-0. Cowdrey made only 20 runs (10.00) in the follow up tour of New Zealand, which England won 1-0.

India 1959

India were the tourists in 1959 and were whitewashed 5-0 by the home team, thanks to the fine bowling of Fred Trueman and Brian Statham and plenty of runs from the England batsmen. Cowdrey made 344 runs (57.33) with 34 and 63 not out in the Second Test at Lords, 160 in the Third at Headingley and 67 in the Fourth at Old Trafford.

West Indies 1959-60

I scored 114 in the first innings and 97 in the second. I will not claim that the first innings was a particularly good one, as it took me almost seven hours. But neither would I pretend that it was not immensely satisfying. I took ball after ball, blow after blow on that improvised body-shield but was able to stand firm…The second innings was the best I ever played. From the firm foundations of real confidence I was able to get after the bowling and repay Hall, particularly, for some of the anguish he had caused me. I had one glorious hour against him…I hooked him twice in a row and reduced him to the kind of despair which, but a fortnight earlier, had been exclusively mine.pp. 105-106, Cowdrey