Editing Colin Cowdrey (section)

==Early life and school years==
Colin Cowdrey was born on his family's tea plantation at [[Ootacamund]], [[Madras Presidency]], although his birthplace has often been misrecorded as [[Bangalore]], 100 miles to the north.{{sfn|Cowdrey|1976|p=1}} His father, [[Ernest Cowdrey]], was a keen [[cricket]]er who had played in the [[Minor Counties Championship]] for [[Berkshire County Cricket Club|Berkshire]]. Ernest made an application for Colin to join [[Marylebone Cricket Club]] while still an infant. Colin's mother was Molly Cowdrey (née Taylor), who played tennis and hockey.<ref name="TG2994018">{{cite web |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/cricket/2994018/Obituary-Lord-Cowdrey-of-Tonbridge.html |title=Obituary: Lord Cowdrey of Tonbridge |work=Daily Telegraph |date=5 December 2000 |access-date=3 April 2018 |archive-date=26 March 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180326155900/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/cricket/2994018/Obituary-Lord-Cowdrey-of-Tonbridge.html |url-status=live }}</ref> He had no schooling in India, but his father and the servants taught him how to play cricket from a very early age.{{sfn|Cowdrey|1976|pp=13–19}}

When Cowdrey was five, he was taken to England where he attended the [[Homefield Preparatory School]] in [[Sutton, London|Sutton]] from 1938 to 1945.{{citation needed|date=December 2022}} In 1945, aged 12, he went to [[Alf Gover]]'s Cricket School for three weeks and his father enrolled him at [[Tonbridge School]] so that he could qualify for [[Kent County Cricket Club]]. On Gover's recommendation, Cowdrey was selected for the school's first team.{{citation needed|date=December 2022}} In July 1946, aged thirteen, Cowdrey played at [[Lord's]] for Tonbridge School against [[Clifton College]]. He scored 75 and 44 and, bowling [[leg spin]], took 3/58 and 5/33. Tonbridge won the match by two runs.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/137/137038.html |title=Clifton College v Tonbridge School, 29–30 July 1946 |work=CricketArchive |access-date=30 December 2022 |archive-date=27 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240127074733/https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/137/137038.html |url-status=live }}</ref> The school later established the Cowdrey Scholarships for sporting excellence in his memory.<ref>[http://www.tonbridge-school.co.uk/admissions/scholarships-and-bursaries/sport Cowdrey Scholarships. Tonbridge School.] {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140515065635/http://www.tonbridge-school.co.uk/admissions/scholarships-and-bursaries/sport/ |date=15 May 2014}}</ref>

Cowdrey was asked to play for Kent Young Amateurs in 1948 and made 157 against Sussex Young Amateurs, 87 against Middlesex Young Amateurs and 79 against Surrey Young Amateurs.{{citation needed|date=December 2022}} He was asked to join the Kent Second XI in 1949 and played three matches in August against [[Norfolk County Cricket Club|Norfolk]], [[Wiltshire County Cricket Club|Wiltshire]] and [[Devon County Cricket Club|Devon]] in the Minor Counties Championship.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/0/998/Minor_Counties_Championship_Matches.html |title=Minor Counties Championship matches played by Colin Cowdrey |work=CricketArchive |access-date=30 December 2022 |archive-date=30 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221230101054/https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/0/998/Minor_Counties_Championship_Matches.html |url-status=live }}</ref> In 1950, he was made [[captain (cricket)|captain]] of his school cricket team and scored 126[[not out|*]] for the Public Schools XI against [[Combined Services cricket team|Combined Services]] at Lord's.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/137/137038.html |title=Combined Services v Public Schools, 14–15 August 1950 |work=CricketArchive |access-date=25 November 2014 |archive-date=27 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240127074737/https://cricketarchive.com/subscribe |url-status=live }}</ref> Less than a week later, Kent selected Cowdrey for his [[first-class cricket|first-class debut]] in a [[County Championship]] match against [[Derbyshire County Cricket Club|Derbyshire]] at the [[County Ground, Derby|County Ground]] in [[Derby]]. He held a [[caught|catch]] and took a [[wicket]] in Derbyshire's first innings of 345/6 [[declaration and forfeiture|declared]]. He was fifth in the Kent batting order and scored 15 in his debut innings before he was caught by Derbyshire captain [[Pat Vaulkhard]] off a ball by [[Cliff Gladwin]]. Kent were [[all out (cricket)|all out]] for 96 and Vaulkhard imposed the [[follow on]]. Cowdrey made Kent's top score of 26 in the second innings. He was [[bowled]] by Gladwin whose match return was 10/86. Kent were all out for 151 and Derbyshire won by an innings and 98 runs.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/19/19487.html |title=Derbyshire v Kent, 19–22 August 1950 |work=CricketArchive |access-date=16 June 2013 |archive-date=24 October 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121024055732/http://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/19/19487.html |url-status=live }}</ref>