Lives in Cricket No 32 - Eric Rowan

92 listen, that ‘coming second was the same as coming last’. Ali Bacher had the pleasure of interviewing South African cricketer Norman Gordon on the occasion of the old player’s one-hundredth birthday, the first Test cricketer to attain such a milestone. During the interview Gordon described Eric as an outstanding captain because he was so astute. Bacher had witnessed Eric’s tactical knowledge personally. ‘He was the first person I ever heard advocate the bowling of yorkers to slow down a run chase. His advice to keep it up and straight is now a standard tactic, but I had never heard it before.’ Perhaps it is that last comment of Adcock’s that really sums up Eric Rowan the cricketer. Winning was indeed everything and he was prepared to do whatever it took to achieve the desired result. Eric’s daughter Di Thompson photographed with her father’s old colleague, Norman Gordon, on the occasion of his 100th birthday on 8th August 2011. Eric’s captaincy was highly praised by Gordon. [Di Thompson] The Last Hurrah