Editing Colin Cowdrey (section)

===1962–63 to 1967===
The tour manager [[Bernard Fitzalan-Howard, 16th Duke of Norfolk]] joined the team with three of his daughters and announced "You may dance with my daughters. You may take them out and wine them and dine them, but that is all you may do",<ref>Titmus, pp. 83–84</ref> though years later Cowdrey would marry the eldest, Lady Anne. Cowdrey had a poor start to the tour and made three successive ducks, which [[Jack Fingleton]] blamed on his fondness for golf. However, Cowdrey made the highest score of his career against [[South Australia Redbacks|South Australia]] on [[Christmas Eve]] (his birthday). He caressed his way to 307 in 369 minutes, beating [[Frank Woolley]]'s 305 not out against [[Tasmanian Tigers|Tasmania]] in [[English cricket team in Australia in 1911–12|1911–12]] as the highest score by a tourist in Australia; it was the highest first-class score in Australia for 18 years. Cowdrey added 103 runs with [[David Sheppard]] (81), 98 with [[Ken Barrington]], then stroked 344 runs with fellow stylist [[Tom Graveney]] (122 not out), striking 4 sixes and 29 fours, until he was out and Dexter declared on 586/5. Fresh from his triumph at Adelaide Cowdrey made his only century of the series in the Second Test at Melbourne after joining Dexter at 19/2. They withstood [[Alan Keith Davidson|Alan Davidson's]] burst of speed, but the other bowlers failed to trouble them and by stealing quick ones, twos and threes they rebuilt the innings. Dexter was out for 93, but the stand had made 175 runs and Cowdrey made 113, his third and highest century in Australia, but the celebrations were short lived as he hooked into the hands of [[Peter Burge (cricketer)|Peter Burge]] off [[Garth McKenzie]]. In the second innings he took 30 minutes to score after being dropped off his first ball, but made 52 not out and hit the winning runs to give England a 1–0 lead. {{citation needed|date=November 2014}}

Despite Cowdrey's first innings of 85, Australia won the Third Test to level the series and keep [[the Ashes]], as the final two Tests were drawn. He finished third in the averages with 397 runs (43.77). The tour continued in New Zealand where Cowdrey made 292 runs (146.00) in the three Tests, which England won 3–0. Cowdrey made 86 in the First at Auckland, 128 not out in the Second at Wellington and 43 and 35 not out in the Third at Christchurch. The 128 not out at Wellington made him the first batsman to make a century against six countries, having already made hundreds against Australia, South Africa, the West Indies, India and Pakistan. He made an unbeaten stand of 163 with the wicket-keeper [[Alan Smith (cricketer)|Alan Smith]] (69 not out) which was a Test record for the 9th wicket until beaten by [[Asif Iqbal (cricketer, born 1943)|Asif Iqbal]] and [[Intikhab Alam]], who made 190 for the 9th wicket against England at the Oval in 1967.

In 1963 [[Frank Worrell]] led an exciting West Indies team on their tour of England. They won the First Test at Old Trafford by an innings, with Cowdrey being bowled round his legs by Hall for 4 after swaying away from a delivery which kept lower than he expected. The Second Test at Lord's was one of the best he played in. Fred Trueman took 6/100 and Cowdrey three catches to dismiss the tourists for 301 and the captain Ted Dexter thrashed Wes Hall and [[Charlie Griffith]] round the ground for 70 off 75 balls in England's reply of 297. Dexter couldn't field due to an injury taken when batting so Cowdrey led the team and took 3 more catches as Trueman took 5/52 and the West Indies' 229 relied almost entirely on [[Basil Butcher]]'s 133. Needing 234 to win England were reduced to 31/3, but had recovered to 72/3 when Cowdrey fended a bouncer from Hall off his face and broke his wrist, retiring hurt on 19. [[Ken Barrington]] (60) and [[Brian Close]] (70) took England to the verge of victory and when [[Derek Shackleton]] was run out in the last over they were 228/9, needing five runs to tie, six runs to win, one wicket to lose or to survive two balls for a draw. Cowdrey returned to the crease with his arm in plaster and stood at the non-striker's end while [[David Allen (cricketer)|Dave Allen]] blocked the last two balls for a draw. England won the Third Test, but lost the series 3–1 and Cowdrey was unable to play for the rest of the season.

England was to tour India and Pakistan again and Cowdrey was asked to captain the tour, but declined as his arm had not fully healed. Ted Dexter also took a rest and [[M. J. K. Smith|M.J.K. Smith]] led the team, which soon ran into difficulties as illness and injury reduced them to ten men and they considered calling up the broadcaster [[Henry Blofeld]]. Cowdrey was contacted by Lord's to recommend a replacement batsman and as the batsmen he would have suggested were contracted to play in South Africa he volunteered to join the team himself. On arrival he was immediately chosen for the Third Test without any match practice (this happened again in Australia in 1974–75), but took three catches and made 107 and 13 not out for a draw. He made 151 in the Fourth Test and 38 in the Fifth to end with 309 runs (103.00) and England survived the series 0–0, the first full Test series which England drew all their matches, but the third time India had managed this. {{citation needed|date=November 2014}}

Dexter was back in charge in the rain-soaked [[Australian cricket team in England in 1964|1964 Ashes series]]. Cowdrey played in the First and Second Tests, making 32, 33 and 10, but was injured and England lost the Third Test and with it the series 1–0. Cowdrey returned for the Fifth Test to make 20 and 93 not out, finishing with 188 runs (47.00). More importantly he took the catches for Fred Trueman's 299th and 300th Test wickets. In the County Championship Cowdrey's captaincy and his long-term plans with [[Les Ames]] were starting to pay off as Kent moved up to 7th place. {{citation needed|date=November 2014}}

Dexter declared himself unavailable for the [[History of cricket in South Africa from 1945–46 to 1970|1964–65 tour of South Africa]] as he contested the [[Cardiff South East (UK Parliament constituency)|Cardiff South East]] seat in the [[1964 United Kingdom general election|1964 General Election]]. Cowdrey did not tour, though he did go to the West Indies with the [[International Cavaliers]], and Mike Smith was made captain, though Dexter joined him as vice-captain after losing to [[Jim Callaghan]]. After his 1–0 victory in South Africa Smith was retained as captain and as Dexter broke his leg while parking his car Cowdrey was made vice-captain again. He made 85 in the First Test against New Zealand, 119 in the Second and 13 in the Third as England easily won the series 3–0. South Africa were a tougher prospect with [[Graeme Pollock]] making 125 in the Second Test at Trent Bridge and his brother [[Peter Pollock]] taking 10/87, Cowdrey came in at 63/3 and made 105 of the 142 runs added while he was at the crease, but it was the only time England lost a Test in which he made a century. He made 58 and 78 not out in the Third Test and 327 runs (65.40), but South Africa won 1–0, their last Test series against England for 29 years. Cowdrey took Kent up to 5th place in the County Championship, compared with 7th in the previous season. {{citation needed|date=November 2014}}

Though Cowdrey still had his supporters at Lords Smith was kept as captain for the [[1965–66 Ashes series]] with Cowdrey as vice-captain, but they knew each other as schoolboys and Oxford undergraduates and got on well. Cowdrey was ill for most of December and missed the First Test. He made 104 in the Second Test at Melbourne, where England made 558, their biggest total [[down under]] since 636 in the Second Test in [[English cricket team in Australia in 1928–29|1928–29]]. He did little on the tour except to make 63 and 108 against the weak [[Tasmanian Tigers|Tasmanian]] attack and the series was drawn 1–1 with the batsmen on both sides scoring heavily. Cowdrey himself made 267 runs (53.40), his best batting average in an Ashes series. Carrying on to New Zealand Cowdrey made a duck in the First Test, but recovered with 89 not out in the Second and 58 in the Third which made him the fifth player after [[Wally Hammond]], [[Don Bradman]], [[Len Hutton]] and [[Neil Harvey]] to make 6,000 Test runs, but the rain affected series was drawn 0–0. {{citation needed|date=November 2014}}

Mike Smith was kept as captain for only the First Test of the 1966 series against a West Indian side held together by the superb all round skills of their captain [[Gary Sobers]]. Sobers won the toss at Old Trafford, batted first and caught England on a spinning wicket for an innings victory, Cowdrey making 69 in the debacle. Smith was dismissed as captain and dropped from the side due to his well-known weakness to the West Indian fast bowlers. Cowdrey was placed in charge, which he accepted reluctantly due to the shoddy treatment of his friend and predecessor. In the Second Test at Lords England were 86 runs ahead in the first innings with the West Indies 95/5 when Sobers and his cousin [[David Holford]] added 274 to save the game. Cowdrey was criticised for not surrounding Sobers with fielders at the beginning of his innings, but he maintained that by spreading the field he encouraged him to make the strokes which could have got him out, but there was little doubt that the plan failed.<ref>Cowdrey, p. 168</ref>

In the Third Test at Trent Bridge Cowdrey came in at 13/3 and made 96, adding 169 with [[Tom Graveney]] (109) to give England a 90 run lead, but [[Basil Butcher]] made 209 not out in the West Indian second innings and they won by 139 runs. The Fourth Test at Headingley saw the tourists rattle up 500, enforce the follow on and win by an innings and 55 runs. Like Smith Cowdrey was removed from the captaincy and dropped from the team, to be replaced by the hard-headed [[Yorkshire County Cricket Club|Yorkshire]] captain [[Brian Close]]. In an amazing Fifth Test at the Oval the West Indies made 268 and had England 166/7, but the last three wickets added 363 runs and England won by an innings. In the County Championship Cowdrey's Kent moved up for the third year in a row to 4th place. {{citation needed|date=November 2014}}

There was no tour in 1966–67 and Cowdrey was not picked for the first four Tests of the summer, instead concentrating on Kent's chances in the County Championship. He was recalled for the Second Test against Pakistan, opening the innings, and made 14 and 2 not out in the 10 wicket victory. The Third Test at the Oval was won as well, but Close had been found guilty of time-wasting in a county match and accosting a spectator who complained of [[gamesmanship]]. He was fired as soon as the Test was won and the selectors announced that Cowdrey was to lead the MCC tour of the West Indies, although he disliked the politics and press attention.<ref>Cowdrey, pp. 171–75</ref> On a happier note Kent came second in the [[County Championship]] to [[Yorkshire County Cricket Club|Yorkshire]] and won their first one-day competition, the [[Gillette Cup (England)|Gillette Cup]] final against Somerset in front of 20,000 fans at Lord's. Cowdrey won the toss and batted first, Kent making 193 with man of the match [[Mike Denness]] scoring 50 and [[Brian Luckhurst]] 54. Somerset were bowled out for 161 with [[Derek Underwood]] taking 3/41 for a 32 run victory. {{citation needed|date=November 2014}}