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

SEASON’S AVERAGES Batting and Fielding M I NO Runs HS Ave 100 50 Ct Test Matches 7 12 1 383 102 34.81 1 2 5 Other Matches 10 19 0 636 110 33.47 2 3 8 Tour 17 31 0 1019 110 33.96 3 5 13 Career 121 216 13 7197 154 35.45 12 46 65 Bowling O M R W BB Ave Other Matches (6-ball) 2 0 } 71 1 1-25 71.00 (8-ball) 7 0 Career (6-ball) 560.2 78 } 2170 37 4-22 58.64 (8-ball) 7 0 1955 Cowdrey’s season was upset first by his conscription into National Service in the Royal Air Force, a two week sojourn ended by discharge because of a congenital foot problem, a weakness which raised a national debate. The consequent belated start to the season was made up for by a very rich vein of form including at last his first Championship hundred, a brilliant 139 at Tunbridge Wells with Tyson in opposition. As if to make up for this omission he then made two hundreds in the same match at Gillingham. But a hand injury then hindered the rest of his season. Fit for only one Test he hit a troubled 50 in 4 hours in the first of a number of difficult encounters with Adcock and Heine. Despite his reduced season, the glorious impression of the winter tour lived long enough to justify his being named one of Wisden’s Five Cricketers of the Year. Own Team O M R W Opp Ct Total Total 122. M.C.C. v Oxford University, Lord’s, June 15, 16, 17 (Match drawn) c A.C.Walton b J.M.Allan 47 274 - - - - 271 b J.M.Allan 101 272-9d 1 0 7 0 238-6 123. Kent v Northamptonshire, Tunbridge Wells, June 18, 20, 21 (Kent won by 142 runs) b R.W.Clarke 5 161 298-7d run out 139 339-7d 60 124. Kent v Sussex, Tunbridge Wells, June 22, 23, 24 (Kent won by 104 runs) c G.Cox b R.G.Marlar 48 204 233 c J.M.Parks b R.G.Marlar 44 276-7d 143 125. Kent v Essex, Gillingham, June 25, 27, 28 (Kent won by five wickets) * not out 115 321-6d - - - - 286 1 not out 103 209-5 2 0 9 0 240-6d 126. D.R.Jardine’s XI v Oxford University, Eastbourne, June 29, 30, July (1) (Match drawn) c and b J.M.Allan 7 95 1 0 7 0 215 12 1 64 3 A.C.Walton st E.B.Lewis 233 G.P.S.Delisle b J.P.Fellows-Smith c J.A.Arenhold 127. Kent v Surrey, Blackheath, July 2, 4 (Surrey won by an innings and 28 runs) st A.J.W.McIntyre b J.C.Laker 3 107 340-5d b A.V.Bedser 67 205 128. ENGLAND v SOUTH AFRICA, Old Trafford, July 7, 8, 9, 11, 12 (South Africa won by three wickets) c P.N.F.Mansell b H.J.Tayfield 1 284 521-8d c T.L.Goddard b P.S.Heine 50 381 145-7 129. Gentlemen v Players, Lord’s, July 13, 14, 15 (Players won by 20 runs) retired hurt 0 336-8d 316 c A.V.Bedser b F.J.Titmus 0 180 220 130. Kent v Hampshire, Canterbury, July 30, August 1, 2 (Hampshire won by 30 runs) c J.R.Gray b V.H.D.Cannings 45 217 309-8d 1 c P.J.Sainsbury b J.R.Gray 67 222 160-9d 20