David Cowper (cricketer)

{{short description|Australian cricketer (born 1939)}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2025}}

{{Use Australian English|date=December 2015}}

{{Infobox cricketer

| name = David Cowper

| image =

| country =

| fullname = David Raymond Cowper

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1939|1|25|df=yes}}

| birth_place = Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

| death_date =

| death_place =

| batting = Right-handed

| bowling =

| role = Wicket-keeper

| family = {{ubl|Bob Cowper (brother)|Dave Cowper (father)}}

| club1 = Victoria

| year1 = 1965/66

| date = 4 December

| year = 2015

| source = http://www.espncricinfo.com/australia/content/player/4788.html Cricinfo

}}

David Raymond Cowper (born 25 January 1939) is an Australian former cricketer. He played two first-class cricket matches for Victoria during the 1965–66 season as a wicket-keeper.{{Cite web|url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/australia/content/player/4788.html |title=David Cowper |accessdate=4 December 2015 |work=ESPN Cricinfo}}

Cowper made his state debut against the touring Marylebone Cricket Club side of 1965–66, called up after an injury to Ray Jordon.{{cite news |last1=Ackerly |first1=Doug |title=England has to rebuild from grassroots up |url=https://www.smh.com.au/sport/cricket/england-has-to-rebuild-from-grassroots-up-20070101-gdp5if.html |access-date=13 May 2024 |work=Sydney Morning Herald |date=1 January 2007}} Batting at number nine, he made 60 not out in Victoria's first innings and shared in a unbeaten 122 run partnership with Graeme Watson for the eighth wicket. Cowper featured in Victoria's next match against Western Australia, he scored 3 and 22 not out in his only experience of Sheffield Shield cricket.{{cite web |title=Victoria v Western Australia, Sheffield Shield 1965/66 |url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/27/27843.html |website=CricketArchive |access-date=13 May 2024 |url-access=subscription}} His younger brother, Bob, played alongside him in both his first-class matches.

Cowper had a lengthy grade cricket career with Richmond Cricket Club, making a club record 297 appearances between 1958 and 1980.{{cite web |title=Victoria Premier Cricket Matches played by Dave Cowper (297) |url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/15/15901/Victoria_Premier_Cricket_Matches.html_Cricket_Matches.html |website=CricketArchive |access-date=13 May 2024 |url-access=subscription}}{{cite web |title=A brief history of the Richmond Cricket Club |url=https://richmondcc.com.au/about/club-history/ |website=Richmond Cricket Club |access-date=13 May 2024}}

In 1993, Cowper emigrated to the West Midlands in England, the birthplace of his wife. He was a cricket coach for Warwickshire Cricket Board{{cite news |title=Cowper lifts top coach honours |url=https://infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/openurl?ctx_ver=z39.88-2004&rft_id=info%3Asid/infoweb.newsbank.com&svc_dat=AWGLNB&req_dat=1054640702C8DBC0&rft_val_format=info%3Aofi/fmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Actx&rft_dat=document_id%3Anews%252F1391E8232C9A59A8 |access-date=13 May 2024 |work=Birmingham Mail |via=Newsbank |date=31 March 2001 |url-access=subscription}} and managed the county's under-17s team in the late 1990s and 2000s, which included overseeing the development of future England international Ian Bell.