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 McCool with the Australian cricket team in England in 1948
Following the resumption of cricket after World War II, McCool had started his Test career strongly. After making his debut in a one-off Test against New Zealand in 1945–46, he played in all five Tests against England during the 1946–47 home season, scoring 272 runs at an average of 54.40 and taking 18 wickets at just over 27 apiece. "Wisden" said his batting featured "wristy cuts" and "vigorous hooks", adding that there were "few better players of spin bowling on a difficult pitch". "Wisden" judged his slow and loopy leg spin "a clever mixture of leg-breaks and googlies". However, when India toured Australia for the first time in 1947–48, McCool played in three Tests without much success, scoring only 46 runs and taking only four wickets. As a result, he was dropped for the last Test.