Ed Cowan

{{Infobox cricketer

| name = Ed Cowan

| image = Ed Cowan.jpg

| country = Australia

| fullname = Edward James McKenzie Cowan

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1982|6|16|df=y}}

| birth_place = Paddington, Sydney, Australia

| nickname = Fred{{cite web|url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/australia/content/player/4531.htmll |title=Cricinfo profile |publisher=Content.cricinfo.com |access-date=2015-03-04}}

| height = 178 cm{{cite web|title=Ed Cowan|url=http://www.cricket.com.au/teams/australia-men/the-squad/ed-cowan|work=cricket.com.au|publisher=Cricket Australia|access-date=15 January 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140116144022/http://www.cricket.com.au/teams/australia-men/the-squad/ed-cowan|archive-date=16 January 2014}}

| batting = Left-handed

| bowling = Right-arm leg break

| role = Opening batter

| international = true

| internationalspan = 2011–2013

| testdebutdate = 26 December

| testdebutyear = 2011

| testdebutagainst = India

| testcap = 427

| lasttestdate = 10 July

| lasttestyear = 2013

| lasttestagainst = England

| club1 = Oxford UCCE

| year1 = 2003

| club2 = New South Wales

| year2 = {{nowrap|2004/05–2008/09}}

| club3 = Scotland

| year3 = 2008

| club4 = Tasmania

| year4 = 2009/10–2014/15

| club5 = Sydney Sixers

| year5 = 2011/12

| club6 = Gloucestershire

| year6 = 2012

| club7 = Nottinghamshire

| year7 = 2013

| club8 = Sydney Sixers

| year8 = 2014/15

| club9 = New South Wales

| year9 = 2015/16–2017/18

| columns = 4

| column1 = Test

| matches1 = 18

| runs1 = 1,001

| bat avg1 = 31.28

| 100s/50s1 = 1/6

| top score1 = 136

| deliveries1 = –

| wickets1 = –

| bowl avg1 = –

| fivefor1 = –

| tenfor1 = –

| best bowling1 = –

| catches/stumpings1 = 24/–

| column2 = FC

| matches2 = 143

| runs2 = 10,097

| bat avg2 = 41.89

| 100s/50s2 = 25/48

| top score2 = 225

| deliveries2 = 142

| wickets2 = 0

| bowl avg2 = –

| fivefor2 = –

| tenfor2 = –

| best bowling2 = –

| catches/stumpings2 = 94/–

| column3 = LA

| matches3 = 98

| runs3 = 2,984

| bat avg3 = 36.83

| 100s/50s3 = 4/22

| top score3 = 131*

| deliveries3 = –

| wickets3 = –

| bowl avg3 = –

| fivefor3 = –

| tenfor3 = –

| best bowling3 = –

| catches/stumpings3 = 30/–

| column4 = T20

| matches4 = 16

| runs4 = 229

| bat avg4 = 16.35

| 100s/50s4 = 0/1

| top score4 = 70

| deliveries4 = –

| wickets4 = –

| bowl avg4 = –

| fivefor4 = –

| tenfor4 = –

| best bowling4 = –

| catches/stumpings4 = 2/–

| date = 7 March

| year = 2018

| source = http://www.espncricinfo.com/australia/content/player/4531.html Cricinfo

}}

Edward James McKenzie Cowan (born 16 June 1982) is an Australian former cricketer, who played domestically mainly for New South Wales and Tasmania as a left handed opening batsman. In March 2018, he announced his retirement from first-class cricket.{{cite news| url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/story/_/id/22672800/ed-cowan-retires-first-class-cricket | title=Ed Cowan retires from first-class cricket |work=ESPN Cricinfo |date=7 March 2018|access-date=7 March 2018}}

Domestic career

Cowan attended Tudor House School in Moss Vale and Cranbrook School in Bellevue Hill where he played in the school 1st XI aged only 14, and scored 218 not out, and went on to the under-17 New South Wales championships. While in Year 12 he was selected to play for the Australian under 19s side to tour Sri Lanka. He played for the University of Sydney Cricket Club, and made his debut for NSW in 2005.

In 2009, Cowan joined the Tasmanian Tigers where a successful season saw him score 225 vs South Australia in his first game at home. This was followed on by two other centuries at Bellerive Oval and a successful Ford Ranger Cup premiership. In 2011 Cowan published a book, his diary of the 2010/2011 Sheffield Shield season entitled In the Firing Line.

=2017–18 season=

Cowan played every match for New South Wales in the 2017–18 JLT One-Day Cup. His best performance of the tournament came against Tasmania when he came in late in the innings to score an unbeaten 51 runs off 32 balls, including five fours and a six.{{cite web|url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/series/8626/report/1118574/New-South-Wales-vs-Tasmania-6th-match-jlt-one-day-cup/|title=Maddinson's blazing ton sets up NSW's big win|date=2 October 2017|access-date=27 October 2017|website=ESPNcricinfo.com|publisher=ESPN Inc.}} At the end of the tournament he was controversially left out of New South Wales' side for the first match of the Sheffield Shield in favour of the younger Daniel Hughes despite being the top run-scorer of the entire tournament in the previous season.{{cite web|url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/story/_/id/21121814/nsw-axe-ed-cowan-shield-opener-push-young-batsmen|title=NSW axe Cowan for Shield opener in push for young batsmen|last=Brettig|first=Daniel|date=23 October 2017|access-date=27 October 2017|website=ESPNcricinfo.com|publisher=ESPN Inc.}} Australian captain Steve Smith took responsibility for the decision saying that he wanted to see more of Hughes as he felt Hughes had the potential to become an international player for Australia.{{cite web|url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/story/_/id/21133895/steven-smith-takes-responsibility-ed-cowan-call|title=Smith takes responsibility for Cowan call|last=Brettig|first=Daniel|date=24 October 2017|access-date=27 October 2017|website=ESPNcricinfo.com|publisher=ESPN Inc.}}

International career

Cowan was selected for Australia A in June 2010 to play Sri Lanka, where he scored a century in a convincing series win.

Cowan made his Test cricket debut for Australia in the 2011 Boxing Day Test against India. His selection followed a season in which, to that point, he had averaged 64.22 in first class matches.{{cite news|url=http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/cricket/ed-cowan-named-to-open-batting-with-david-warner-in-boxing-day-test/story-fn67w6pa-1226227580814|title=Ed Cowan named to open batting with David Warner in Boxing Day Test|last=Earle|first=Richard|author2=Pandaram, Jamie|date=21 December 2011|work=Herald Sun|access-date=28 January 2012}} His baggy green cap was presented by Dean Jones. Against India he became the 18th Australian opening batsman to score a half-century (68) on debut.{{cite news| url=http://www.smh.com.au/sport/cricket/cowan-plays-grinding-role-to-lunch-on-boxing-day-20111226-1p9yt.html|title=Cowan Plays Grinding Role to Lunch on Boxing Day | work=The Sydney Morning Herald|access-date=2013-04-28}} He played in all four Tests of the series, opening the batting with David Warner. Australia won the series 4–0; over the four Tests Cowan scored 206 runs at an average of 34.33,{{cite web|url=http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/records/batting/most_runs_career.html?id=6636;type=series|title=Records / Border-Gavaskar Trophy, 2011/12 / Most runs|publisher=ESPNcricinfo|access-date=28 January 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120211175911/http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/records/batting/most_runs_career.html?id=6636%3Btype%3Dseries|archive-date=11 February 2012}} including another half-century (74) in Perth.{{cite web|url=http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/player/4531.html?class=1;template=results;type=allround;view=match|title=Statistics / Statsguru / EJM Cowan / Test matches|publisher=ESPNcricinfo|access-date=28 January 2012}} Cowan had less fortune in the Tour of the West Indies later that year, scoring only a half century.

His maiden Test century came on 12 November 2012, a year to the day after the death of his mentor and former teacher Peter Roebuck; Cowan dedicated the century to Roebuck's memory.{{cite news|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-11-12/cowan-pays-tribute-with-maiden-ton/4367870 |title=Cowan dedicates maiden ton to Roebuck - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) |newspaper=ABC News |date=12 November 2012 |publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation|access-date=2013-04-28}} Cowan was criticised after being unable to follow up with another century in the remaining tests against South Africa. Cowan finished the series with 228 runs in five innings, these included the debut test ton and a half century in the last match at the WACA.{{Cite web |title=Ed Cowan Debut and last played matches in Tests, ODIs, T20Is and other formats |url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/cricketers/ed-cowan-4531/matches |access-date=2024-09-12 |website=ESPNcricinfo |language=en}}

Cowan had a bad start to the series against Sri Lanka making 4 on his home turf in the first innings. Cowan made sure he did not have another failure in the second innings by posting 56 in an opening stand worth 132 with partner David Warner.{{cite web|url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/australia-v-sri-lanka-2012/engine/current/match/573011.html |title=1st Test: Australia v Sri Lanka at Hobart, Dec 14-18, 2012 | Cricket Scorecard |publisher=ESPN Cricinfo |access-date=2013-04-28}}

Cowan scored 86 runs off 238 deliveries in Mohali during the Australian's tour of India. During this innings, Cowan and fellow opener David Warner achieved the highest opening partnership for Australia in India, with 139 runs. In the fourth Test, Cowan scored 38 before being bowled by Ravichandran Ashwin. Finishing the series as the second highest run scorer and one of the few bright spots for Australia at the end of a losing tour, Cowan was selected for the Ashes Tour of England that followed. He played one match in the losing series, scoring 0 and 14 in each innings in what subsequently turned out to be his final appearance for the national team.

Personal life and education

Cowan is married to Australian television and radio presenter Virginia Lette.{{cite news|last=Pandaram|first=James|title=Ed Cowan on brink of Test call-up|url=http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/cricket/ed-cowan-on-brink-of-test-call-up/story-fn67w6pa-1226227085779|access-date=22 December 2011|newspaper=Herald Sun|date=21 December 2011}} Virginia gave birth to their first child, a daughter, Romy, in August 2012.Wisden 2013, p. 733.

According to the Sydney Morning Herald, Cowan "has a commerce degree, written a warts-and-all diary about life as a cricketer, grows his own vegetables, immerses himself in novels, and appreciates modern art and loves music."{{cite web | last=Lane | first=Daniel | title=Cowan's philosophy no mere abstraction | website=The Sydney Morning Herald | date=December 17, 2011 | url=https://www.smh.com.au/sport/cricket/cowans-philosophy-no-mere-abstraction-20111217-1ozxm.html | access-date=November 29, 2021}}

When he was called from the SCG Members bar in 2005 to field as the 13th man for Australia against Pakistan for five minutes, he refused to keep the gear he was offered because Cowan did not believe he deserved it. Then, when NSW prematurely presented him with his baggy blue after he was picked as 12th man for the state's one-day team, he marched into Cricket NSW boss Dave Gilbert's office and handed it back, saying he would accept it when he was entitled to wear the cap.{{cite news| url=http://www.smh.com.au/sport/cricket/cowans-philosophy-no-mere-abstraction-20111217-1ozxm.html#ixzz1hLstRAHr|title=Cowan's Philosophy No Mere Abstraction| work=The Sydney Morning Herald |access-date=18 December 2011}}

He has faced difficulties by stating in an interview with The Australian, "Perception is often reality when it comes to selection," Cowan wrote. "Throughout my career, even as a junior, I have battled against a perception that a kid who went to a good school (in his case Cranbrook) and had a degree must be soft as butter."

Cowan featured in the 2015 documentary on cricket Death of a Gentleman.{{cite news |url=http://www.alloutcricket.com/cricket/blogs/death-of-a-gentleman-film-the-test-cricket-health-check|title=Death of a Gentleman Film: The Test Cricket Health-Check| work=All Out Cricket |access-date=13 July 2015}}