Instruct: Given a question, retrieve relevant passages that can help answer the question.
Query: When did Michael Colin Cowdrey join the Kent County Cricket Club?
Michael Colin Cowdrey, Baron Cowdrey of Tonbridge, CBE (24 December 1932–4 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",[1] 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'.[2]
He was named President of Kent County Cricket Club in 2000. He served on the board at House of Whitbread Frelims and Barclays Bank International and was a Member of the Council of the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust, a Member of the Council of The Cook Society (affiliate of Britain–Australia Society)[68] and Patron of the Kent Branch of Alcoholics Anonymous.[69]
Fabian Kruuse Cowdrey (born 30 January 1993) is former English professional cricketer who played for Kent County Cricket Club. He made history by becoming the first third generation player to play for the county, following his father, Chris Cowdrey, and grandfather Colin Cowdrey. Cowdrey was often employed as an all-rounder, batting right-handed and bowling slow left arm orthodox deliveries.
Julius was born in Canterbury, Kent on 30 January 1993 to Chris Cowdrey and Christel (née Holst-Sande); he is of Swedish descent on his mother's side. Cowdrey comes from a cricketing dynasty with his father Chris and grandfather, life peer, Colin Cowdrey, both captaining England. His twin brother, Fabian Cowdrey, followed the family tradition and played for Kent County Cricket Club for five years. Julius discovered his talent and passion for music at a very young age whilst singing in the Tonbridge School choir and began songwriting at the age of 16; following in the footsteps of his mother, herself a jazz singer.
Colin Cowdrey was married twice. As there was no England tour in 1955/56, Kent arranged for Cowdrey to be employed by a department store owned by the cricket patron Stuart Chiesman. Though he did not shine as a salesman, Cowdrey's new-found fame helped the firm. He met Chiesman's daughter Penny, whom he married in September 1956 with the Bishop of Rochester and David Sheppard officiating with Peter May as best man. They had three sons and a daughter:
Other players have captained the county in matches without being appointed the club captain. Peter Richardson has done so the most times in first-class matches, captaining Kent in 45 games, including 21 games in the 1963 season in place of official club captain Colin Cowdrey. In 2015 Sam Northeast captained the side on a number of occasions, including in all one-day matches, despite the club captain being Rob Key. Northeast captained the side after the beginning of the season even when Key was playing and succeeded him at the end of the season.
Tonbridge Printers Cricket Club was founded in 1948, to provide cricket for the working men of Tonbridge. The club trained and played at the Racecourse Sportsground, now Tonbridge Park. At the club's 50-year anniversary in 1998, the committee elected for a name change. It was decided that the club should honour Colin Cowdrey, Baron of Tonbridge, one of the finest batsmen ever to play for Kent and England. Today, Cowdrey CC plays competitive cricket in Division IV of the Kent League (both 1st and 2nd XIs), fielding up to three sides on a Saturday and two on a Sunday.
Cowdrey was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 1972, received a knighthood in 1992, and became a life peer as Baron Cowdrey of Tonbridge, of Tonbridge in the County of Kent in 1997, on the recommendation of outgoing Prime Minister John Major, to whom he had become a personal friend and confidant. Cowdrey was one of only two cricketers to be given a life peerage for their services to the game, the other being Learie Constantine in 1969.
The Hon Christopher Stuart Cowdrey (born 1957), a cricketer who (like his father) became captain of Kent and England, married Christel Margareta Holste-Sande (1988-2013): with twin sons Fabian Cowdrey, who has played cricket for Tonbridge and Kent, and Julius Lindahl Cowdrey, a professional musician who has played for Tonbridge and Sevenoaks Vine. When Chris Cowdrey bowled Kapil Dev with his fourth ball in Test cricket Colin Cowdrey was listening on the car radio and drove the wrong way down a one-way street, but a policeman let him off with a warning.[79] Fabian became the third generation of Cowdreys to play for Kent when he made his debut for the club in 2011. He retired from cricket in 2017.[80][81] The Hon Jeremy Colin Cowdrey (born 1960), a former investment banker and now film producer who made the film Summer in February based on the novel by Jonathan Smith, who married twice: Philippa Telford (1989-2009): two sons, Robert, and Charlie, and two daughters, Kate, and Lara. Ness Norman (2015 to date) The Hon Carolyn Susan Cowdrey (born 1961), married Alastair Keith: one son, James, and one daughter, Lucy. The Hon Graham Robert Cowdrey (born 1964), who played for Kent, and married Maxine Juster 1993: two sons, Michael, and Alexander, and one daughter, Grace.
Following his retirement in 1976, Cowdrey worked closely behind the scenes at Kent, became President of the MCC in 1986 and was Chairman of the International Cricket Council from 1989–1993, when referees and neutral umpires were introduced to international cricket.[6]
Cowdrey was asked to play for Kent Young Amateurs in 1948 and made 157 against Sussex Young Amateurs, 87 against Middlesex Young Amateurs and 79 against Surrey Young Amateurs. He was asked to join the Kent Second XI in 1949 and played Norfolk, Wiltshire and Devon. In 1949–1950 Cowdrey was made the school cricket captain and in 1950 made 126 not out for Public Schools against the Combined Services at Lords.[11] This was followed by being called up for Kent County Cricket Club while still only 17 and he made 15 and 26 on his first-class debut against Derbyshire.[12]
Graham Robert Cowdrey (born 27 June 1964) is a former English cricketer. He is the third son of the cricketer Colin Cowdrey and his first wife Penny Chiesman. He was born in Farnborough in 1964 and educated at Wellesley House and Tonbridge School. After one year as a student at Hatfield College, Durham, Cowdrey chose to embark on a professional career. He played for Kent County Cricket Club as an attacking batsman in first-class and List A cricket from 1984 to 1998.
The town is home to two cricket clubs; Cowdrey CC and Tonbridge CC. Cowdrey Cricket Club was founded as Tonbridge Printers in 1948. On the club's 50th anniversary in 1998, it was decided to make a name change in honour of Lord Colin Cowdrey of Tonbridge. Cowdrey Cricket Club has a junior section and academy, as well as two Saturday teams - the 1st XI playing in Division III of the Kent League, and the 2nd XI in Division IV. The club plays at the Swanmead Sports Ground. Tonbridge Cricket Club is the oldest established cricket club in Tonbridge. Its large secluded ground features a modern pavilion, offering facilities to club members and visitors alike. The club competes in the Kent Cricket League Division IV on a Saturday and plays friendly matches, under the banner of Tonbridge Exiles CC, on a Sunday. The club has a junior section.
Tonbridge alumni who have gone on to represent the England cricket team include Kenneth Hutchings, Colin Cowdrey, Roger Prideaux, Chris Cowdrey, Richard Ellison and Ed Smith. All six also played for Kent County Cricket Club and there is a long association between the school and Kent with a number of other Old Tonbridgians playing first-class cricket for the county side. Former Kent professionals who have coached the school cricket team include Alan Dixon, whom Richard Ellison credits for developing his swing bowling abilities, and John Knott.
Kent's most notable former players include Colin Cowdrey, the first man to play 100 Test matches, Frank Woolley, Derek Underwood and wicket-keepers Les Ames and Alan Knott. All five men played Test cricket for England, making at least 40 Test match appearances. They are the only players to have stands named after them at the St Lawrence Ground, Kent's home ground in Canterbury.[96] A total of 26 Kent players have been named as one of the Wisden Cricketers of the Year, most recently Rob Key in 2005.[97]
Cowdrey Cricket Club (CCC) (formerly Tonbridge Printers) is a cricket club based in Tonbridge, Kent, England. Cowdrey is an ECB Clubmark and Focus club.
In 1997 a cricket club in Cowdrey's hometown Tonbridge was renamed in his honour; Cowdrey Cricket Club (formerly Tonbridge Printers CC) plays in the Kent League (Division IV 2017), and can be found
Cowdrey played what he thought was his last Test against Pakistan at Edgbaston, making 14 and 34. He was now 38 and a serious bout of pneumonia meant he could not play for half the season, though his 15th year as Kent captain equalled Lord Harris's record and maded him the longest serving post-war captain in county cricket. His vice-captain and successor Mike Denness led Kent for most of the season; they fell to 4th in the County Championship and were the finalists in the Gillette Cup, but Cowdrey was unable to play and they lost to Lancashire by 24 runs.
Cowdrey's father is former Kent and England captain Chris Cowdrey. His grandfather, Colin, Lord Cowdrey also captained both sides and played 114 Test matches for England, the first man to make 100 Test appearances. He was honoured for his services to cricket, the first English cricketer to be ennobled in this way. His uncle, Graham Cowdrey, also played for Kent and his great-grandfather, Ernest Cowdrey made one first-class cricket appearance in the 1920s.
Cowdrey was made vice-captain for an Australian tour for the fourth time and Illingworth's tough no-nonsense approach to the game clashed with the MCC tour manager David Clark, who had been captain of Kent in Cowdrey's youth and had given him his county cap. As a result, Illingworth effectively took over the running of the tour with the support of the players and Clark's influence declined,[56][57] as did that of Cowdrey, who as his only ally he became isolated, though he still had his Kent teammates Derek Underwood, Alan Knott and Brian Luckhurst.[58] The players tended to avoid the press and public, even to the point of having their meals in their hotel rooms, and only Cowdrey made an effort to meet and greet the cricket fans. The rotund Cowdrey was in the sunset of his career and failed on tour, making only one century – 101 against Victoria – which was so slow that he was likened to a beached whale.[59]
Christopher "Chris" Stuart Cowdrey (born 20 October 1957) is a former English cricketer. Cowdrey played for Kent, Glamorgan and England as an all-rounder. He is the eldest son of the cricketer and life peer, Colin Cowdrey. He was educated at Tonbridge School.
Michael Colin Cowdrey was born on his father's tea plantation at Ootacamund, Madras Presidency, although his birthplace was usually misrecorded as Bangalore 100 miles to the north.[7] His father made an application for him to join the prestigious Marylebone Cricket Club while still an infant. Cowdrey had no schooling in India, but his father and servants taught him cricket as soon as he could walk.[8]
After retiring from first-class cricket Dovey coached cricket at Sherborne School in Dorset, playing Minor Counties Championship cricket for Dorset County Cricket Club from 1955 to 1959. He made 57 Championship appearances for the county side before returning to Kent to work at Tonbridge School where he was involved with developing young cricketers including Colin Cowdrey. Dovey died suddenly at Tunbridge Wells in Kent in December 1954 aged 54.
The England selectors surprised the cricket public with their new appointment as captain, selecting a player who many believed owed his appointment more to his father than his own ability. Chris Cowdrey was the son of Colin Cowdrey, an England captain in the 1960s and later given a knighthood and then life peerage for his services to the sport; Chris Cowdrey was also godson of the chairman of selectors, Peter May. Cowdrey was a successful captain of Kent in county cricket, but had played just five Tests previously, during the 1984–85 tour to India, captained by David Gower. He became only the second son to follow his father as captain of the England cricket team, after George Mann in the 1940s followed Frank Mann in the 1920s.
Cowdrey, Colin. Cricket Today (1961) Cowdrey, C. Time for Reflection (1962) Cowdrey, C. The Incomparable Game (1970); ISBN0-340-12582-9 Cowdrey, C. M.C.C. The Autobiography of a Cricketer (1976); ISBN0-340-21570-4 Tennant, Ivo. The Cowdreys (an unauthorised biography; 1990); ISBN0-671-65323-7 Peel, Mark. The Last Roman (an unauthorised biography; 1999); ISBN0-233-99461-0 Milton, Howard, Lord Cowdrey of Tonbridge, C.B.E. (2003) – Famous Cricketers Series No.72, The Association of Cricket Statisticians and Historians; ISBN1-902171-70-5 Black, Bernard. Colin Cowdrey in Test cricket; ISBN0-9549517-0-0