Famous Cricketers No 72 - Lord Cowdrey of Tonbridge, C.B.E.

46. Kent v Indians, Canterbury, August 27, 28, 29 (Match drawn) run out 0 217 7 0 31 2 G.D.Gopinath b 392 H.G.Gaekwad c P.Hearn b Ghulam Ahmed 101 225 - - - - 45-4 47. Kent v Yorkshire, Canterbury, August 30, September 1, 2 (Yorkshire won by an innings and 51 runs) not out 85 249 4 1 8 0 428-8d b J.H.Wardle 1 128 48. M.C.C. v Yorkshire, Scarborough, September 3, 4, 5 (Match drawn) not out 51 366-6d - - - - 319 c W.Watson b H.Halliday 15 206-8 7 0 35 1 J.V.Wilson c D.J.Insole 219-7d 1 49. Gentlemen v Players, Scarborough, September 6, 8, 9 (Match drawn) b J.H.Wardle 6 270 321-7d 1 lbw b J.H.Wardle 13 252-8 202-5d SEASON’S AVERAGES Batting and Fielding M I NO Runs HS Ave 100 50 Ct Gentlemen 1 2 0 19 13 9.50 - - 1 County Championship 9 17 1 455 95 28.43 - 3 3 Other Kent Matches 1 2 0 101 101 50.50 1 - - Oxford University 12 21 1 741 92 37.05 - 8 4 Other Matches 2 3 1 75 51* 37.50 - 1 1 Season 25 45 3 1391 101 33.11 1 12 9 Career 49 88 3 2684 143 31.57 3 18 22 Bowling O M R W BB Ave County Championship 46 4 173 4 2-34 43.25 Other Kent Matches 7 0 31 2 2-31 15.50 Oxford University 145 25 577 4 2-31 144.25 Other Matches 7 0 35 1 1-35 35.00 Season (6-ball) 205 29 816 11 2-31 74.18 Career (6-ball) 323.3 42 1264 21 4-22 60.19 1953 A season in which Cowdrey’s high promise was confirmed. In all he scored just short of two thousand runs in, as Wisden noted, “such impressive style that his admirers have much confidence that he would reach greater heights”. For Oxford he averaged over 51, 18 points clear of everyone else, scoring 154 at the Oval against Laker and Lock and 116 in the University match, just failing to prevent a Cambridge victory. Two notable fifties for the Gentlemen of England against the Australians at Lord’s where Lindwall, Miller and Johnston could admire at first hand his skill, “emphasised his exceptional ability” ( Wisden). Cowdrey headed the Kent averages for the first time. Although a Championship century still eluded him, he scored a notable 81 on a testing wicket at Loughborough, when, in a captaincy crisis, he led Kent for the first time aged only 20 (another Kent record). As if to emphasise his advance another end of season century at Scarborough in a big partnership with his great contemporary, Peter May, heralded a significant future for English cricket. His award as the Cricket Writers’ Young Cricketer of the Year was well earned. Own Team O M R W Opp Ct Total Total 50. Oxford University v Gloucestershire, The Parks, May 2, 4, 5 (Gloucestershire won by 274 runs) c A.E.Wilson b F.P.McHugh 3 190 297 b G.E.E.Lambert 38 92 259-4d 51. Oxford University v Lancashire, The Parks, May 6, 7, 8 (Match drawn) b J.B.Statham 21 193 2 0 24 0 402-3d c and b K.J.Grieves 127 330-7d 52. Oxford University v Yorkshire, The Parks, May 13, 14, (15) (Match drawn) b M.J.Cowan 4 422-9d 75-2 14