Norman Cowans facts for kids
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| Full name |
Norman George Cowans
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| Born | 17 April 1961 St. Mary, Jamaica |
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| Nickname | Flash | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Batting | Right-handed | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bowling | Right-arm fast | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Role | Bowler | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Domestic team information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1980–1993 | Middlesex | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1993–1995 | Hampshire | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Source: CricInfo, 26 November 2017
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Norman George Cowans (born 17 April 1961) is a former cricket player from England. He was a fast bowler, meaning he threw the ball very quickly. He played for the England cricket team in important matches called Test matches and One Day Internationals between 1982 and 1985. He was the 500th person to play Test cricket for England.
Cowans also played for two county teams: Middlesex and Hampshire. He helped Middlesex win four County Championship titles and four limited-overs trophies. A cricket expert from CricInfo, Andrew Miller, called him a "key player" for the most successful Middlesex team ever. Cowans took many wickets during his career. He got 532 wickets in first-class matches and 212 wickets in List A matches.
Contents
Early Life and Cricket Career
Norman Cowans was born in Saint Mary Parish, Jamaica. When he was seven years old, he moved to England with his family. He started working at Lord's, a famous cricket ground.
In 1981, he joined the Middlesex team and played his first match. He was only 21 years old when he took 43 wickets in first-class games for the club. This impressive start led to him being chosen for the England team.
Playing for England
In 1982/83, Cowans went with the England team to Australia. They were trying to win back the Ashes, a famous cricket trophy. At first, he didn't play much. But in a very important match in Melbourne, he got a chance to show his skills. England needed to win this match to have any hope of keeping the Ashes.
Cowans bowled brilliantly in that match. He took six wickets for only 77 runs, helping England win. This victory was a big moment for him. Even though Australia eventually won the Ashes, many people felt Cowans should have bowled more often.
The next year, in 1983, Cowans was part of England's team for the Cricket World Cup. He didn't play many games in the tournament. However, he helped England win a Test series against New Zealand later that summer.
Success in Asia
In the following winter, Cowans played against Pakistan. He took his second "five-wicket haul" in Test matches. This means he got five wickets in one innings, which is a great achievement for a bowler. He took three wickets in just one over, making it tough for Pakistan to score runs.
The next winter, Cowans played in every Test match when David Gower's England team played against India. England surprised everyone by winning this series. Cowans had a very good series, taking 14 wickets. He helped England win a key match in Delhi, ending a long period without a victory for the team.
Final Matches for England
Cowans played his last matches for England in the 1985 Ashes series. He helped England win the first match in Leeds. He scored 49 runs in a partnership with Paul Downton, adding valuable runs to England's score. He also took the wickets of important Australian players, David Boon and Allan Border. England won this series and got the Ashes back. This was England's last home Ashes victory for 20 years.
Even though he played well, especially in matches outside England, Cowans was not chosen to play for the main England team again after 1985.
County Cricket Achievements
After his time with the England team, Norman Cowans continued to be a key player for Middlesex. He bowled alongside other talented players like Wayne Daniel and Angus Fraser.
A special moment in his county career happened in 1983. He took four wickets for only 33 runs in the semi-final of the Benson and Hedges Cup. He was named the "man of the match" for his excellent performance. Later, he took four more wickets in the final, helping Middlesex win the trophy.
Cowans was part of the Middlesex teams that won the County Championship in 1982, 1985, 1990, and 1993. In 1993, he was the best first-class bowler for Middlesex, taking 16 wickets at a low average of 14.62 runs per wicket. Overall, he won four County Championship titles 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.
Life After Cricket
After retiring from cricket, Norman Cowans started his own business. He owns a company that promotes sports events. In his free time, he also works as a DJ.
