William Bowra facts for kids

William Bowra (born 1752 – died 7 May 1820) was an English cricket player. He played in 50 important matches, called first-class games, between 1775 and 1792.

William Bowra: A Cricket Player from Kent

William Bowra was born in Sevenoaks, Kent, in 1752. His name was pronounced "Borra." He worked as a gamekeeper, which means he looked after hunting areas.

Playing for the Duke

Bowra was one of many cricketers who worked for John Frederick Sackville, 3rd Duke of Dorset. The Duke lived at Knole House near Sevenoaks. He loved cricket and supported players like Bowra.

A writer named John Nyren wrote about Bowra. He said the Duke would watch Bowra play at the Sevenoaks Vine ground. The Duke would often shout, "Bravo, my little Bowra!"

Bowra's Cricket Career

William Bowra started playing cricket around 1769 for a team the Duke of Dorset put together. His first major game was in 1775. He played for a team from Kent against a Hampshire team. This game took place at Broadhalfpenny Down.

He played in 50 first-class matches in total. Nineteen of these games were for Kent teams. He also played 15 times for teams representing England.

Playing for Different Teams

Bowra played for many different teams during his career. He played for West Kent twice. He also played for a combined Hampshire and Kent team once.

The Duke of Dorset also organized three first-class matches. In these, Bowra played against teams put together by Sir Horatio Mann. Sir Horatio Mann was another person who supported cricket in Kent.

In 1776, Bowra played twice for Surrey teams. He played against Hampshire as a "given man." This meant he was a player borrowed from another team. He also played twice for Hampshire against England teams in 1779 in the same way.

Later Career and Retirement

After his last game for Kent in 1788, Bowra played five more first-class matches. These were in 1791 and 1792 for the Brighton Cricket Club.

His highest score in a first-class match was 60 runs. He was "not out," meaning he was still batting when the game ended. He made this score while playing for Brighton against MCC at Lord's Old Ground.

In all his first-class matches, William Bowra scored 1,138 runs. He also took at least four wickets.

He went back to Knole House in 1807. He worked there as a gamekeeper again. It is thought he stayed there until he passed away in 1820.