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 5 8 0 244 81 30.50 - 2 3 Gentlemen 1 1 0 20 20 20.00 - - 1 County Championship 16 31 3 1042 197 37.21 2 5 14 Other Kent Matches 2 3 1 250 204* 125.00 1 - 3 Other Matches 4 2 0 13 13 6.50 - - - Season 28 45 4 1569 204* 38.26 3 7 21 Career 167 294 21 10075 204* 36.90 19 58 97 Bowling O M R W BB Ave County Championship (6-ball) 1 0 3 0 - - Career (6-ball) 586.2 81 } 2296 40 4-22 57.40 (8-ball) 7 0 1956/57 – M.C.C. in South Africa Selected as an opener, Cowdrey remained unhappy in the role and despite an early big hundred at Bloemfontein, his role was reviewed and he went down the order. Overall, Cowdrey had a moderate time and in many ways the impression affected subsequent assessments of his play. As Wisden noted there were “days when he looked like the highest class and other days he was tied down completely”. He struggled against the speed of Adcock and Heine and notably the spin of Tayfield, scoring one Test century. One positive aspect was his development into a first class slip field with splendid anticipation. Own Team O M R W Opp Ct Total Total 168. M.C.C. v Western Province, Cape Town, October 26, 27, 29, 30 (M.C.C. won by an innings and 76 runs) b E.R.H.Fuller 0 334 129 129 169. M.C.C. v Eastern Province, Port Elizabeth, November 3, 5 (M.C.C. won by an innings and 201 runs) run out 33 365 105 59 2 170. M.C.C. v Orange Free State, Ramblers Cricket Club Ground, Bloemfontein, November 9, 10 (M.C.C. won by an innings and 168 runs) c C.Richardson b A.G.Blenkinsop 173 420-4d 71 181 171. M.C.C. v Rhodesia, Salisbury Sports Club, Salisbury, November 23, 24, 25 (M.C.C. won by an innings and 292 runs) c R.W.Coventry b G.M.H.Barber 20 501 57 1 152 172. M.C.C. v Transvaal, New Wanderers, Johannesburg, November 30, December 1, 3, 4 (M.C.C. won by three wickets) lbw b K.L.Gibbs 84 279 212 c A.Tayfield b N.A.T.Adcock 1 67-7 130 173. M.C.C. v South African XI, Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria, December 7, 8, 10, 11 (South African XI won by 38 runs) c C.G.de V.Burger b H.J.Tayfield 16 107 138 b K.L.Gibbs 13 109 116 174. M.C.C. v Natal, Durban, December 14, 15, 17, 18 (Match drawn) c and b J.C.Watkins 1 307 209 b N.E.Markham 32 150-7d 90-7 2 175. M.C.C. v North-Eastern Transvaal, Benoni, December 20, 21, (22) (Match drawn) not out 3 148-2 125 1 24