Editing Colin Cowdrey (section)

===1951 to 1954===
Cowdrey left Tonbridge School in the summer of 1951 and, having been offered an [[exhibition (scholarship)|exhibition]], became a student at the [[University of Oxford]]. He was there till the summer of 1954 and studied [[geography]] at [[Brasenose College, Oxford|Brasenose College]].<ref name="CA998"/> He joined the [[Oxford University Cricket Club]] and, in each season from 1952 to 1954, played for them in the early weeks and then for Kent till the end of the season.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/0/998/First-Class_Matches.html |title=First-class matches played by Colin Cowdrey |work=CricketArchive |access-date=30 December 2022 |archive-date=30 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221230135530/https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/0/998/First-Class_Matches.html |url-status=live }}</ref> He captained the Oxford team in 1954.{{sfn|Playfair|1955|pp=118–119}}

Before going into residence at Oxford in the autumn of 1951, Cowdrey scored his maiden first-class century against them for the [[Free Foresters]]. This match was played at the [[University Parks]] 2–5 June and Cowdrey scored 143 at a run a minute in the first innings. Free Foresters totalled 317 all out but the university replied with 395/5 declared. In their second innings, Free Foresters scored 355 all out. [[Errol Holmes]] was the top scorer with 162 and Cowdrey contributed 39. Oxford needed 278 and won by 8 wickets.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/19/19741.html |title=Oxford University v Free Foresters, 2–5 June 1951 |work=CricketArchive |access-date=31 December 2022 |archive-date=30 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221230135532/https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/19/19741.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Cowdrey made his debut in the [[Gentlemen v Players]] series soon afterwards, playing for the [[Gentlemen cricket team|Gentlemen]]. In his first match for them at [[North Marine Road, Scarborough]], he scored 106. The match ended in a draw.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/19/19986.html |title=Gentlemen v Players, 5–7 September 1951 |work=CricketArchive |access-date=31 December 2022 |archive-date=30 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221230135617/https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/19/19986.html |url-status=live }}</ref> In all matches, Cowdrey scored 1,189 runs in the 1951 season and was awarded his Kent [[county cap]].<ref name="CA998"/> He received the cap from team captain [[David Clark (cricketer)|David Clark]] after an innings of 71 against the [[South African cricket team in England in 1951|touring South Africans]].{{citation needed|date=December 2022}} At the age of eighteen, he was the youngest player to be capped by Kent.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Kent 150: Your 150 |url=https://www.kentcricket.co.uk/the-club/history/kent-150-your-150/ |access-date=2024-06-01 |website=Kent Cricket |language=en}}</ref>