Doug Bowden

{{Short description|New Zealand cricketer (1927–2021)}}

{{for|the rower|Doug Bowden (rowing)}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2024}}

{{Use New Zealand English|date=January 2024}}

{{Infobox cricketer

| name = Doug Bowden

| image =

| caption =

| country = New Zealand

| fullname = Douglas William Bowden

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1927|7|19|df=yes}}

| birth_place = Palmerston North, New Zealand

| death_date = {{death date and age|2021|01|20|1927|07|19|df=y}}

| death_place = Taupō, New Zealand

| batting = Left-handed

| bowling =

| family =

| club1 = Central Districts

| year1 = {{nowrap|1950/51–1957/58}}

| columns = 1

| column1 = First-class

| matches1 = 16

| runs1 = 475

| bat avg1 = 16.96

| 100s/50s1 = 0/1

| top score1 = 60

| hidedeliveries = true

| catches/stumpings1 = 9/–

| date = 2 February

| year = 2018

| source = http://www.espncricinfo.com/newzealand/content/player/36492.html Cricinfo

}}

Douglas William Bowden (19 July 1927 – 20 January 2021){{cite web|url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/manawatu-standard/news/300210397/pioneering-cd-cricketer-doug-bowden-dies-after-long-innings|title=Pioneering CD cricketer Doug Bowden dies after long innings|last=Heagney|first=George|publisher=Stuff|date=21 January 2021|accessdate=21 January 2021}} was a New Zealand cricketer who played first-class cricket for Central Districts in New Zealand from 1950 to 1957.{{cite book |last=Booth |first=Lawrence |date=1 May 2022 |title=Wisden Cricketer's Almanack (159th Edition) |page=199 |isbn=9781472991102}}

Career

Bowden was born in Palmerston North and attended Palmerston North Boys' High School, where he captained the first XI in 1945. He opened the batting with Ted Meuli in Central Districts' inaugural first-class match, at the start of the 1950–51 season, but was not successful. He next played in 1953–54, when Central Districts won the Plunket Shield for the first time, then played most of Central Districts' matches until 1957–58. His only fifty came in 1953–54, when he made 60, adding 103 for the second wicket with John Guy, in the victory over Canterbury.{{cite web | url = https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/20/20966.html| title = Central Districts v Canterbury 1953–54| publisher = CricketArchive| accessdate =2 February 2018}}

He also played in the Hawke Cup for Manawatu from 1945–46 to 1957–58, and for Bay of Plenty in 1963–64. He set a Manawatu record in a Hawke Cup elimination match in 1953–54 when he scored 234 in 348 minutes to help Manawatu overtake Hawke's Bay's first innings total of 492.{{cite web | url = https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/130/130966.html| title = Manawatu v Hawke's Bay 1953–54| publisher = CricketArchive| accessdate =2 February 2018}}

He worked in insurance for North Island Motor Union. He died in Taupō, where he was living with his wife Christina, on 20 January 2021, aged 93. At the time, he was Central Districts' oldest surviving player.{{cite web |title=Farewell to one of our originals |url=http://www.cdcricket.co.nz/newsarticle/99307 |website=Central Districts Cricket |access-date=20 October 2021}}

References

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