He was always in the right place at the right time

By Ted Corbett

LONDON, DEC. 5. Lord Cowdrey, who has died aged 67 was, in the days when he was known as Colin Cowdrey, one of the finest batsmen in the world. He later became an administrator and, for two years, the president of the International Cricket Council when his diplomatic skills were largely responsible for the readmission of South Africa to the Test-playing circuit after 20 years in the wilderness.

Cowdrey was born in India at Putumala, Ootacamund and his father was so sure his lad would be a famous cricketer that he gave him the initials MCC - Michael Colin Cowdrey. He later had those letters on his special car number plate, together with 307 for his highest score. It was also in line with the family tradition that two of his three sons, Chris and Graham, played for Kent, and that Chris led England. Chris, a commentator for the emergent talkSport, flew home from Karachi as soon as he heard the news.

By the time he reached Oxford University, after playing for Kent, it was already being predicted that young Cowdrey would be an England star. ``He was a great batsman the first time I saw him when he was still under 20,'' said Fred Trueman, who played alongside him and under his captaincy. ``But I have often wondered how good he would have been if he had played for a county - like Surrey or Yorkshire - who were in the running for the championship year after year.'' For all that Cowdrey has a remarkable record. He scored 7,624 runs in 114 Tests at an average of 44.06 including 22 centuries.

Cowdrey first hit the headlines in the famous 1954-55 England tour of Australia when his resolute batting alongside his friend Peter May - guided by that canny Yorkshireman Len Hutton - helped the fast bowling of Frank Tyson and Brian Statham push England to victory. From that moment Cowdrey was a household name and, although May gained the captaincy when Hutton retired in 1955, he led England 27 times.

His friends thought he should also have led the 1970- 71 tour to Australia but the selectors chose Ray Illingworth, another shrewd Yorkshireman, and he acted, grumpily, as vice captain. There was another side to the man of diplomacy, the man who never forgot a name or a face, the soft-spoken gentleman.

He could also order his vice-captain at Kent to make the toss and only hop over the fence to take part just before start of play; he went through a bitter and acrimonious divorce which alienated his sons for a time.

Geoff Boycott, another Yorkshireman known for blunt speaking, had nothing but praise for the Cowdrey he knew. ``He was a gentleman, on the field and off and, in my opinion, a great technician when he was batting too. He invented the paddle sweep but against the quicks or the spinners he was one of the greats.''

There was no doubt about his class as a batsman. Cowdrey was never a svelte athlete but against the fastest West Indies bowling, or the most subtle of spin, he was always in the right place at the right time; and no-one had softer hands at first slip.

His captaincy was often criticised but he led England to a 1-0 victory in the West Indies tour of 1967-8 and against a team containing Sobers, Kanhai, Hall, Griffith and Gibbs that was a wonderful achievement. He also guided Kent to the championship in 1970.

He was, naturally, co-opted on to a variety of important committees when he retired and was president of MCC 86- 87. He was one of the most popular cricketers with the general public and was first made Sir Colin Cowdrey and then elevated to the House of Lords as Lord Cowdrey of Tonbridge.

His health was troublesome throughout his life and during his playing career a foot condition prevented him completing his two- year stint as a National Serviceman. Ten years ago he had a heart by-pass operation and last summer a stroke. Chris Cowdrey said: ``It is a great shock to the family because my father appeared to be making such a good recovery.''

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