Colin Cowdrey
Michael Colin Cowdrey, Baron Cowdrey of Tonbridge, (24 December 19324 December 2000) was an English first-class cricketer who played for Oxford University (1952–1954), Kent County Cricket Club (1950–1976) and England (1954–1975). Universally known as Colin Cowdrey, he "delighted crowds throughout the world with his style and elegance", and was the first cricketer to play 100 Test matches, celebrating the occasion with 104 against Australia in 1968. In all he played 114 Tests, making 7,624 runs at an average of 44.06, overtaking Wally Hammond as the most prolific Test batsman, and taking 120 catches as a fielder, breaking another Hammond record. Cowdrey made 22 Test centuries (an England record until 2013) and was the first batsman to make centuries against the six other Test playing countries of his era; Australia, South Africa, the West Indies, New Zealand, India and Pakistan, making hundreds against them all both home and away. He toured Australia six times in 1954–55, 1958–59, 1962–63, 1965–66, 1970–71 and 1974–75, equalling Colin Blythe's record, and in his last Test fans hung out a banner 'M.C.G. FANS THANK COLIN – 6 TOURS'.
Colin Cowdrey
In 1945 he went to Alf Gover's Cricket School for three weeks and his father enrolled him at Tonbridge School where he could qualify for Kent, Gover telling the Tonbridge coach Ewart Astill that Cowdrey should join the First XI immediately, a rarity for first year pupils. In the team trial match he was 4 years younger than the other boys, but took 17 wickets with his leg spin and became an established part of the team. Still only 13 in July 1946 he became the youngest player to play at Lord's, for Tonbridge against Clifton, making 75 and 44 and taking 3/58 and 5/33 to win the match by two runs. Tonbridge later established the Cowdrey Scholarships for sporting excellence in his memory.