Editing Chris Cowdrey

{{short description|English cricketer}}
{{Use British English|date=November 2012}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2018}}
{{Infobox cricketer
|    honorific_prefix = [[The Honourable]]
|                name = Chris Cowdrey
|             country = England
|            fullname = Christopher Stuart Cowdrey
|            nickname = Cow, Woody
|          birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1957|10|20|df=yes}}
|         birth_place = [[Farnborough, London|Farnborough]], [[Kent]], England
|            heightft = 6
|          heightinch = 0
|             batting = Right-handed
|             bowling = Right arm [[Medium pace bowling|medium]]
|                role = [[All-rounder]], [[Sportscaster|commentator]]
|       international = true
|       testdebutdate = 28 November
|       testdebutyear = 1984
|    testdebutagainst = India
|             testcap = 510
|        lasttestdate = 21 July
|        lasttestyear = 1988
|     lasttestagainst = West Indies
|        odidebutdate = 23 January
|        odidebutyear = 1985
|     odidebutagainst = India
|              odicap = 78
|         lastodidate = 17 February
|         lastodiyear = 1985
|      lastodiagainst = Australia
|               club1 = [[Kent County Cricket Club|Kent]]
|               year1 = 1976–1991
|               club2 = [[Glamorgan County Cricket Club|Glamorgan]]
|               year2 = 1992
|             columns = 4
|             column1 = [[Test cricket|Test]]
|            matches1 = 6
|               runs1 = 101
|            bat avg1 = 14.42
|           100s/50s1 = 0/0
|          top score1 = 38
|         deliveries1 = 399
|            wickets1 = 4
|           bowl avg1 = 77.25
|            fivefor1 = 0
|             tenfor1 = 0
|       best bowling1 = 2/65
|  catches/stumpings1 = 5/–
|             column2 = [[One Day International|ODI]]
|            matches2 = 3
|               runs2 = 51
|            bat avg2 = 25.50
|           100s/50s2 = 0/0
|          top score2 = 46[[not out|*]]
|         deliveries2 = 52
|            wickets2 = 2
|           bowl avg2 = 27.50
|            fivefor2 = 0
|             tenfor2 = 0
|       best bowling2 = 1/3
|  catches/stumpings2 = 0/–
|             column3 = [[First-class cricket|FC]]
|            matches3 = 299
|               runs3 = 12,252
|            bat avg3 = 31.90
|           100s/50s3 = 21/58
|          top score3 = 159
|         deliveries3 = 14,523
|            wickets3 = 200
|           bowl avg3 = 39.81
|            fivefor3 = 2
|             tenfor3 = 0
|       best bowling3 = 5/46
|  catches/stumpings3 = 295/–
|             column4 = [[List A cricket|LA]]
|            matches4 = 333
|               runs4 = 6,846
|            bat avg4 = 27.05
|           100s/50s4 = 2/42
|          top score4 = 122[[not out|*]]
|         deliveries4 = 7,740
|            wickets4 = 204
|           bowl avg4 = 29.30
|            fivefor4 = 1
|             tenfor4 = 0
|       best bowling4 = 5/28
|  catches/stumpings4 = 108/–
|                date = 30 March
|                year = 2008
|              source = http://content-aus.cricinfo.com/ci/content/player/10843.html Cricinfo
}}
'''Christopher Stuart Cowdrey''' (born 20 October 1957) is a former English cricketer. Cowdrey played for [[Kent County Cricket Club|Kent]], [[Glamorgan County Cricket Club|Glamorgan]] and [[English cricket team|England]] as an [[all-rounder]].<ref>{{cite web | url = https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/1/1768/1768.html| title = Chris Cowdrey| publisher = www.cricketarchive.com | access-date = 21 May 2011}}</ref> He is the eldest son of the cricketer and [[life peer]], [[Colin Cowdrey|Colin Cowdrey, Baron Cowdrey of Tonbridge]]. He was educated at [[Tonbridge School]].

==Life and career==
After a good season for Kent in [[County cricket]] in 1984, Cowdrey was selected for England's 1984–85 tour of [[India]], led by his friend [[David Gower]], ostensibly taking [[Ian Botham]]'s place after Botham had opted out of the tour.<ref name="Cap">{{cite book |title=If The Cap Fits |last=Bateman |first=Colin |year=1993 |publisher=Tony Williams Publications |isbn=1-869833-21-X |page=43 }}<!--|access-date=20 April 2011--></ref> In the First Test in Bombay he was fielding at short leg when Gower asked him to bowl. Although he forgot to take off his shin pads he bowled [[Kapil Dev]] with his fourth ball, the 19th England bowler to take a wicket in his first over. His father was listening to [[Test Match Special]] in his car and was so surprised that he drove the wrong way down a one-way street.<ref>Cowdrey, Chris and Smith, Jonathan (1986) ''Good Enough?'' Pelham Books. pp. 59–60. {{ISBN|0720716756}}</ref> Following the tour, where he had scored 96 runs and taken four wickets Cowdrey was not selected by England until 1988, and the infamous "[[summer of four captains]]". In that year Cowdrey, who had taken Kent to the top of the [[County Championship]] table, was given the job to lead the Test side in the fourth Test of a five match series against the [[West Indies]].<ref name="Cap"/> The West Indies by that point were 2–0 up, claiming a convincing innings and 156 run victory in the previous test. "We believe Cowdrey's style of leadership is what is now required",<ref>[http://www.cricinfo.com/wisdenalmanack/content/story/153110.html Match Report West Indies 1988]. Cricinfo.com. Retrieved on 22 May 2018.</ref> said England's chairman of selectors [[Peter May (cricketer)|Peter May]], who was also Cowdrey's godfather, amid charges of favouritism.<ref name="Cap"/> England lost heavily by ten wickets, and his chance to prove his detractors wrong in the final Test never came, as he was injured after the one appearance. Kent would also be pipped to the [[1988 County Championship]] by [[Worcestershire CCC|Worcestershire]] by one point. He was never chosen to captain or play for England again.<ref>[http://www.cricinfo.com/england/content/player/10843.html Chris Cowdrey]. Cricinfo.com. Retrieved on 22 May 2018.</ref>

A newspaper article penned by Cowdrey landed him in trouble in the corridors at [[Lord's]] and, in 1990, he joined a [[South African rebel tours|rebel tour]] to [[South Africa]].<ref name="Cap"/>

Colin and Chris Cowdrey were only the second father and son combination to have both captained England, emulating [[Frank Mann (cricketer)|Frank]] and [[George Mann (cricketer)|George Mann]]. He was captain of Kent from 1986 until 1990. He retired in 1992 after a single season at Glamorgan, and has since been a broadcaster for [[TalkSport]], as well as the occasional project with [[Sky Sports]].

In 1986, Cowdrey produced a volume of autobiography, appropriately titled ''Good Enough'', taken from his usual response to comments that he was not as good as his father. Cricket writer Colin Bateman stated, "Cowdrey was fortunate to play Test cricket at all, but he did not deserve the shabby treatment which ended his brief England career".<ref name="Cap"/>

Cowdrey's son [[Fabian Cowdrey]] was awarded a first-team contract at Kent in October 2011, before his May 2012 debut, becoming the fourth Cowdrey to play for the county side and the third generation of the same family to feature on a Kent team sheet.

==Honours==
* He was awarded Honorary Life Membership of the [[Marylebone Cricket Club]] in 2011.<ref>{{cite web |title=MCC Honorary Life Members |url=https://www.lords.org/mcc/the-club/mcc-honorary-life-members |website=The Marylebone Cricket Club |access-date=31 May 2022 |language=en}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*{{cricinfo|id=10843}}

{{s-start}}
{{s-sports}}
{{succession box |
 before=[[Chris Tavaré]] 
|title=[[Kent County Cricket Club]] [[List of Kent County Cricket Club captains|captain]]|
 years=1985–1990|
 after=[[Mark Benson]]
}}
{{s-end}}
{{England Test cricket captains}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cowdrey, Chris}}
[[Category:England One Day International cricketers]]
[[Category:England Test cricket captains]]
[[Category:Glamorgan cricketers]]
[[Category:Kent cricket captains]]
[[Category:People from Farnborough, London]]
[[Category:Cricketers from the London Borough of Bromley]]
[[Category:1957 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:People educated at Tonbridge School]]
[[Category:Marylebone Cricket Club cricketers]]
[[Category:English cricketers]]
[[Category:D. H. Robins' XI cricketers]]
[[Category:Sons of life peers]]
[[Category:England Test cricketers]]
[[Category:20th-century English sportsmen]]