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

Own Team O M R W Opp Ct Total Total 559. International Cavaliers v Jamaica, Sabina Park, Kingston, February 7, 9, 10, 11 (Match drawn) * c L.G.Rowe b G.A.Barrett 8 273 336-9d b O.Miles 10 211-6 254-4d SEASON’S AVERAGES Batting and Fielding M I NO Runs HS Ave 100 50 Ct Other Matches 1 2 0 18 10 9.00 - - - Career 559 914 98 35585 307 43.60 91 187 527 1969/70 – Duke Of Norfolk’s Team in West Indies The Duke of Norfolk’s team toured the southern Caribbean playing eight matches including three first-class games. The team included many young England hopefuls and Cowdrey in scoring three fifties in the first-class matches was the most successful batsman, confirming his restoration to full fitness. Own Team O M R W Opp Ct Total Total 560. Duke of Norfolk’s XI v Windward Islands, Castries, St.Lucia, February 27, 28, March (1) (Match drawn) * c T.M.Findlay b M.L.Francis 81 220 193 1 did not bat - 116-1 561. Duke of Norfolk’s XI v Trinidad, Port of Spain, March 6, 7, 8, 9 (Trinidad won by eight wickets) * c S.A.Gomes b Inshan Ali 0 150 252 not out 57 297 199-2 562. Duke of Norfolk’s XI v Barbados, Bridgetown, March 14, 15, 16 (Duke of Norfolk’s XI won by an innings and 52 runs) * c A.St.E.King b V.A.Holder 83 452 208 192 SEASON’S AVERAGES Batting and Fielding M I NO Runs HS Ave 100 50 Ct Other Matches 3 4 1 221 83 73.66 - 3 1 Career 562 918 99 35806 307 43.71 91 190 528 1970 Kent’s almost miraculous rise from bottom of the Championship on 1 July to Champions in September was not unconnected with the form of the captain. Cowdrey started the season very poorly with just 152 runs in his first 13 innings culminating in his only Kent “pair” at Dover. However in the very next innings he came back to form with two hundreds and a fifty in Tunbridge Wells Week. Not selected for the first Rest of the World “Test”, he was restored to the England side for the second performing reasonably if not spectacularly for the rest of the series. More significantly Illingworth consolidated his position as England captain with his assertive leadership and effective batting. The season thus ended on a mixed note for Cowdrey. A magnificent century on a grassy Oval pitch giving the bowlers some help confirmed Kent’s first Championship since 1913. But this was countered by the huge disappointment of being passed over yet again for the England captaincy in Australia, a situation not helped by serious indecision on his part before accepting the vice-captaincy. Own Team O M R W Opp Ct Total Total 563. Kent v Glamorgan, Swansea, May 2, 4, 5 (Glamorgan won by 46 runs) * c B.A.Davis b D.J.Shepherd 4 103 170 2 c R.C.Davis b A.E.Cordle 16 214 193-8d 564. Kent v Lancashire, Dartford, May 9, 11, 12 (Match drawn) * c P.Lever b K.Shuttleworth 0 218-7d 360 57