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

258. M.C.C. v Wellington, Wellington, March 6, 7 (M.C.C. won by an innings and 211 runs) * b E.W.Dempster 117 511-9d 127 3 173 1 259. M.C.C. v Northern and Central Districts, Hamilton, March 10, 11, 12 (Match drawn) b N.Puna 0 198 185 did not bat - 73-0 260. ENGLAND v NEW ZEALAND, Auckland, March 14, 16, (17), (18) (Match drawn) b K.W.Hough 5 311-7 181 1 SEASON’S AVERAGES Batting and Fielding M I NO Runs HS Ave 100 50 Ct Test Matches 7 12 1 411 100* 37.36 1 1 8 Other Matches 13 19 4 798 117 53.20 3 4 15 Tour 20 31 5 1209 117 46.50 4 5 23 Career 260 436 37 15673 204* 39.28 33 96 216 Bowling O M R W BB Ave Test Matches 1.3 0 9 0 - - Other Matches 5 0 33 1 1-17 33.00 Tour (8-ball) 6.3 0 42 1 1-17 42.00 Career (6-ball) 628.1 85 } 2547 50 4-22 50.94 (8-ball) 13.3 0 1959 A very dry summer of good wickets saw Cowdrey in supreme form in the early months. There were memorable innings at Gravesend where he scored 198 against an attack that included Test players in Statham and Greenhough, and a Kent best of 250 at Blackheath. Later on his form slipped, probably the result of staleness after the long winter tour. For England the highlight was his 160 at Headingley, scored with effortless ease, four sixes included. However again the opposition, India, was very weak and the selectors felt confident to drop him for the Old Trafford Test. But with May reporting ill, Cowdrey retained his place and was captain of England for the first time. The match was notable for his declaring his intention not to enforce the follow-on before the decision was needed and in so doing prolonging the game. It provoked some criticism, but at least showed appreciation of wider issues, not least the interests of the cricket-watching public, not very common among players even then. Own Team O M R W Opp Ct Total Total 261. Kent v Middlesex, Lord’s, May 9, 11, 12 (Middlesex won by 2 runs) * b D.Bennett 27 188 287-9d c R.A.Gale b F.J.Titmus 89 300 203 262. M.C.C. v Hampshire, Lord’s, May 13, 14, 15 (Hampshire won by an innings and 77 runs) * c and b D.Shackleton 4 148 382-6d b M.B.Heath 47 157 263. Kent v Hampshire, Southampton, May 16, 18, 19 (Kent won by 123 runs) * retired hurt 60 371-5d 207 did not bat - 197-7d 238 264. Kent v Middlesex, Gravesend, May 23, 25, 26 (Middlesex won by 109 runs) * c K.B.Day b P.H.Parfitt 83 370-8d 363-7d 1 c R.A.White b P.H.Parfitt 50 184 300-7d 265. Kent v Lancashire, Gravesend, May 27, 28, 29 (Match drawn) * lbw b J.B.Statham 198 402-9d - - - - 316 2 0 3 0 216-1 266. Kent v Surrey, Kennington Oval, May 30, June 1, 2 (Match drawn) * c J.C.Laker b A.V.Bedser 39 242 340-6d not out 87 164-5 183-3d 31