Alexander Cowie facts for kids
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name |
Alexander Gordon Cowie
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| Born | 27 February 1889 Lymington, Hampshire, England |
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| Died | 7 April 1916 (aged 27) Amarah, Mesopotamia |
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| Batting | Right-handed | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bowling | Right-arm fast | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Domestic team information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1910 | Hampshire | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1910–1911 | Cambridge University | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career statistics | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Source: Cricinfo, 1 January 2010
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Alexander Gordon Cowie (born February 27, 1889 – died April 7, 1916) was an English cricketer, a soldier, and a poet. He is remembered for his skills in cricket, his service in the British Army during World War I, and a short poem published after his death.
Contents
Alexander Cowie: Cricketer, Soldier, Poet
Early Life and Education
Alexander Cowie went to Charterhouse School and then studied at Caius College, Cambridge University. He was a tall and strong right-arm fast bowler. People said he could bowl "alarmingly fast," meaning very quickly and powerfully.
Playing Cricket for Cambridge
He started playing "first-class cricket" for Cambridge University in 1910. First-class cricket is the highest level of the sport played over several days. He was given his "blue," which is a special award for athletes at Cambridge University.
Cowie's Cricket Highlights
Alexander Cowie played 9 first-class matches for Cambridge University in 1910 and 1911. He took 43 wickets during these games. A "wicket" is when a bowler gets a batsman out. His best performance was taking 6 wickets for 87 runs against Sussex. Five of these wickets were taken by bowling the ball directly into the stumps.
Right after that match, he took 5 wickets for 64 runs and 4 wickets for 89 runs. This helped Cambridge win against Yorkshire. Later in 1910, he also played two matches for Hampshire in the County Championship. He took 5 wickets for 94 runs in one of these games. However, his performance was not as strong in 1911.
A Soldier in World War I
When First World War began, Alexander Cowie joined the British Army. He became an officer and rose to the rank of captain in the Seaforth Highlanders. In 1915, he was wounded, but he recovered and returned to duty.
His Final Days and Legacy
Sadly, Alexander Cowie died on April 7, 1916. He was fatally wounded while serving in Mesopotamia. After his death, a short poem he wrote was published. It was called "Lines by Captain Alexander Gordon Cowie, Seaforth Highlanders." This poem has since been included in books of war poetry.
