Norman Cowans facts for kids

Norman George Cowans, born on April 17, 1961, is a former cricket player from England. He was a fast bowler, known for his right-arm bowling style. Norman was a special player because he was the 500th person to play Test cricket for the England cricket team.

He played in 19 Test matches and 23 One Day International (ODI) games between 1982 and 1985. Besides playing for England, Cowans also had a successful career in first-class cricket and List A cricket. He played for two county teams: Middlesex and Hampshire.

During his time with Middlesex, he helped them win four County Championship titles. He also won four limited-overs titles. Many people, including Andrew Miller from CricInfo, called him a very important part of Middlesex's most successful team ever. Norman Cowans took a lot of wickets during his career, showing how good he was at bowling.

Norman Cowans: Early Life and Cricket Journey

Moving to England and Starting Cricket

Norman Cowans was born in Saint Mary Parish, Jamaica. When he was just seven years old, he moved to England with his family. His journey in cricket began at Lord's, a famous cricket ground. He first worked there as part of the ground staff, helping to prepare the field.

In 1981, he joined the Middlesex team and made his debut. He quickly showed his talent. By the age of 21, he had taken 43 wickets in first-class matches for Middlesex. This impressive start led to him being chosen to play for England.

Playing for England: The Ashes Challenge

In 1982-83, Norman Cowans was picked to join the England team. They were going to Australia to defend the Ashes, a very important cricket series. At first, he didn't get to bowl much. The team's captain, Bob Willis, didn't use him as much as some thought he should have.

However, everything changed in the crucial Fourth Test match. This game was played at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). England had to win this match to have any chance of keeping the Ashes.

A Match-Winning Performance

Norman Cowans played one of his best games ever at the MCG in 1982. In the first part of the match, he took 2 wickets for 69 runs. One of these wickets was Greg Chappell, a famous Australian player, who was out on the very first ball he faced.

In the second part of the match, Cowans was amazing. He took 6 wickets for only 77 runs. His excellent bowling helped England win the game by just three runs! This was a very exciting victory. It meant the series would go to a deciding Fifth Test in Sydney. Even though Australia ended up winning the Ashes, Cowans' performance was unforgettable.

More International Cricket

After his success in Australia, Cowans was part of the England squad for the 1983 Cricket World Cup. He only played one match in that tournament. However, he helped England win a Test series against the New Zealand later that summer.

The next winter, Cowans took his second and last "five-wicket haul" in Test matches. This means he took five or more wickets in one innings. He helped stop the Pakistan team from scoring too many runs by taking three wickets in just one over. Even though England lost that series, Cowans continued to play well.

Success in India

The following winter, Norman Cowans was part of a winning England team. David Gower's team surprised the India team by winning their series. This was a very successful series for Cowans. He took 14 wickets in total.

In the Delhi Test match, he took two important wickets at the start of India's second innings. This win ended England's longest period without a victory at that time.

Final Years with England and County Success

Norman Cowans played his last game for England in the 1985 Ashes series. He helped England win the first Test match at Leeds. He scored 49 runs in a partnership with Paul Downton, which helped England get a big lead. He also took the wickets of David Boon and Allan Border, two strong Australian players.

England won this series and got the Ashes back. This was England's last home Ashes victory for 20 years. After this, Cowans toured Sri Lanka with an England 'B' team. He played well, but he was not chosen to play for the main England team again. He often played his best Test cricket when he was playing away from England.

County Cricket Achievements

Even though he didn't play for England anymore, Norman Cowans was a key player for the successful Middlesex team. He bowled alongside other great players like Wayne Daniel, Simon Hughes, Neil Williams, and Angus Fraser.

In 1983, he had a great performance in the semi-final of the Benson and Hedges Cup. He took 4 wickets for 33 runs and won the "man of the match" award. Later, he took 4 wickets for 39 runs in the final, helping Middlesex win the trophy.

He was also part of the Middlesex teams that won the County Championship in 1990 and 1993. In 1993, he was one of the best bowlers in first-class cricket, taking 16 wickets with a very good average. Overall, he won four County Championship titles (in 1982, 1985, 1990, and 1993) and four limited-overs titles during his fifteen seasons with Middlesex. He took 532 first-class wickets and 212 List A wickets for the team.

Personal Life

After his cricket career, Norman Cowans started his own business. He owns a company that promotes sports events. In his free time, he also works as a DJ, playing music for people.