Chris Cowdrey
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 England (Eng) |
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| Batting style | Right-hand bat | |
| Bowling type | Right-arm medium | |
| Tests | ODIs | |
| Matches | 6 | 3 |
| Runs scored | 101 | 51 |
| Batting average | 14.42 | 25.50 |
| 100s/50s | -/- | -/- |
| Top score | 38 | 46* |
| Balls bowled | 399 | 52 |
| Wickets | 4 | 2 |
| Bowling average | 77.25 | 27.50 |
| 5 wickets in innings | - | - |
| 10 wickets in match | - | N/A |
| Best bowling | 2/65 | 1/3 |
| Catches/stumpings | 5/- | -/- |
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As of 1 January 2006 |
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Christopher Stuart "Chris" Cowdrey (born 20 October 1957 in Farnborough) is a former English cricketer, and current cricket commentator for the British national radio station, TalkSport. Cowdrey played for Kent, Glamorgan and England as an all rounder. He is the eldest son of cricket legend, Colin Cowdrey.
After a strong season in county cricket in 1984, Cowdrey was selected for David Gower's 1984-85 tour of India, ostensibly taking Ian Botham's place after Botham had opted out of the tour. Although Cowdrey scarcely did himself justice with either bat or ball he was a very popular member of a successful team that was touring under difficult circumstances. Mrs. Gandhi had very recently been assassinated and just days into the tour Percy Norris, the British Deputy High Commissioner, was also murdered. The presence of an ebulliant individual such as Cowdrey was crucial to maintaining team morale. He was responsible for a famous comment about Mike Gatting. During one bowling spell he was asked by Gower if he wanted Gatting 'any wider at slip', Cowdrey replied 'if Gatt gets any wider, he'll split!'
Following the tour Cowdrey was not selected until 1988, the "summer of four captains", when he was summoned from a successful season leading Kent to try his hand at captaining England in the final two Tests of a five match series against the West Indies, after Gatting and John Emburey had been tried and then jettisoned. Alas, Cowdrey was out of his depth as a player although his captaincy was viewed by most as imaginative but England still lost heavily. After the Test match Cowdrey's foot was badly bruised during a county game. Urged to pull out of the 5th match at The Oval by the manager, Micky Stewart, Cowdrey did so but was dismayed to see Allan Lamb, the side's star batsman, being given a fitness test on the morning of the game. Replaced by Graham Gooch as captain for the 5th Test, Cowdrey was not reinstated or even selected for the one-off match against Sri Lanka that followed the West Indies series and vented his anger in an interview in The Sun. This was regarded as a disciplinary matter by the TCCB who fined him £500.
Colin and Chris Cowdrey were only the second father and son combination to have both captained England, emulating Frank and George Mann. Chris also emulated his father by captaining Kent from 1986 until 1990. He retired in 1992 after a single season at Glamorgan, and has since become a successful broadcaster. He has had two sons, Fabian and Julius, who also go to Tonbridge.
