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

97. Kent v Surrey, Blackheath, July 24, (26), 27 (Match drawn) c G.A.R.Lock b J.C.Laker 19 202 387 1 98. Kent v Northamptonshire, Northampton, July 28, 29, 30 (Kent won by 8 runs) b F.H.Tyson 18 238 159-9d 2 c K.V.Andrew b F.H.Tyson 0 127 198 99. Kent v Hampshire, Canterbury, July 31, August 2, 3 (Match drawn) c and b M.D.Burden 5 220 - - - - 172 b J.R.Gray 43 212 2 0 8 0 182-6 1 100. Kent v Middlesex, Canterbury, August 4, 5, (6) (Match drawn) c A.E.Moss b J.A.Young 95 325-7d 318-7d 101. Kent v Sussex, Hove, August 7, (9), 10 (Match drawn) lbw b N.I.Thomson 8 232-6d 61-2 102. Kent v Nottinghamshire, Dover, August 18, 19, 20 (Kent won by two wickets) * c R.J.Giles b F.W.Stocks 85 164 231 run out 43 234-8 166 1 103. Kent v Yorkshire, Dover, August 21, 23, (24) (Match drawn) * b F.S.Trueman 9 76 290-9d b R.Appleyard 43 186-5 104. Kent v Pakistanis, Canterbury, August 25, 26, 27 (Pakistanis won by nine wickets) * c Mohammad Aslam b Fazal Mahmood 12 172 - - - - 193 1 b Zulfiqar Ahmed 3 137 2 0 8 0 120-1 SEASON’S AVERAGES Batting and Fielding M I NO Runs HS Ave 100 50 Ct Gentlemen 1 2 0 2 2 1.00 - - - County Championship 10 16 0 498 95 31.12 - 3 8 Other Kent Matches 1 2 0 15 12 7.50 - - 1 Oxford University 14 25 2 983 140 42.73 2 6 5 Other Matches 1 2 1 79 60* 79.00 - 1 - Season 27 47 3 1577 140 35.84 2 10 14 Career 104 185 12 6178 154 35.71 9 41 52 Bowling O M R W BB Ave County Championship 16 1 87 1 1-5 87.00 Other Kent Matches 2 0 8 0 - - Oxford University 104 23 293 3 1-22 97.66 Season (6-ball) 122 24 388 4 1-5 97.00 Career (6-ball) 558.2 78 2099 36 4-22 58.30 1954/55 – MCC in Australia and New Zealand If eyebrows were raised at Cowdrey’s selection for the tour, the doubts were dispelled from the moment he stepped off the boat at the stop-over in Colombo where a good score presaged a run of form that rarely knew failure. He emerged as one of the tour’s great successes. His batting in the early matches ensured a place in the Test team. Notable were the two centuries in the match against New South Wales, the best state opposition in Australia. The second innings hundred was made opening and raised for the first time his potentiality to go in first, an issue which was to plague his Test career. Failure in the next match in that position postponed further consideration. 40 in a difficult First Test was followed by a remarkable maiden Test hundred at Melbourne. Against the full might of Lindwall and Miller, he faced a score of 41-4 and scored 102 out of 161 in 3¾ hours. The hundred was arguably a turning point in England retaining the Ashes and possibly the finest of the 22 such scores he made for his country. If overall his average was not spectacular, the fact that he scored runs often in adversity should be borne in mind. According to the noted Australian writer Ray Robinson his “batting was as solid as his build”. One or two remarkable catches confirmed a growing reputation as a slip fielder. 18