Alexander Cowie

Alexander Gordon Cowie (27 February 1889 – 7 April 1916) was an English first-class cricketer, soldier and poet.

Alexander Cowie
Personal information
Full nameAlexander Gordon Cowie
Born(1889-02-27)27 February 1889
Lymington, Hampshire, England
Died7 April 1916(1916-04-07) (aged 27)
Amarah, Mesopotamia
BattingRight-handed
BowlingRight-arm fast
Domestic team information
YearsTeam
1910Hampshire
1910–1911Cambridge University
Career statistics
Competition FC
Matches 14
Runs scored 98
Batting average 7.00
100s/50s –/–
Top score 28
Balls bowled 1,979
Wickets 58
Bowling average 24.05
5 wickets in innings –
10 wickets in match –
Best bowling 6/87
Catches/stumpings 6/–
Source: Cricinfo, 1 January 2010

Cowie was educated at Charterhouse School and Caius College, Cambridge.[1] A tall, strongly built right-arm fast bowler who could bowl "alarmingly fast",[2] he made his first-class debut for Cambridge University in 1910 and was awarded his blue.

He made nine first-class appearances for Cambridge University in the 1910 and 1911 seasons, taking 43 wickets at an average of 23.25. His best figures were 6 for 87 off 18.5 overs against Sussex in his second match; five of his victims were bowled.[3] In his next match, immediately afterwards, he took 5 for 64 and 4 for 89 (match figures of 37.4–7–153–9) to lead Cambridge to a nine-wicket victory over Yorkshire.[4] Later in 1910 he played two matches for Hampshire in the County Championship, taking 5 for 94 in Lancashire's first innings in the second match.[5] He lost form in 1911.

With the onset of the First World War Cowie was commissioned in the British Army. He became a Captain in the Seaforth Highlanders. He was wounded in 1915, but returned to active duty. He died on 7 April 1916 after being fatally wounded while serving in Mesopotamia.[6] A short poem of his, titled "Lines by Captain Alexander Gordon Cowie, Seaforth Highlanders", appeared after his death in The Lotus Magazine and has since been anthologized in books of war poetry.[7]

References
  1. McCrery, Nigel (2015). Final Wicket: Test and First Class Cricketers Killed in the Great War. Pen and Sword. p. 193.
  2. A Country Vicar, "An Alarmingly Fast Bowler", The Cricketer, 21 August 1937, p. 521.
  3. "Cambridge University v Sussex 1910". Cricinfo. Retrieved 28 October 2018.
  4. "Cambridge University v Yorkshire 1910". Cricinfo. Retrieved 28 October 2018.
  5. "Hampshire v Lancashire 1910". CricketArchive. Retrieved 28 October 2018.
  6. "Cricketers who died in World War 1 — Part 2 of 5". Cricket Country. Retrieved 28 November 2018.
  7. "Lines". LibriVox. Retrieved 28 October 2018.
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