OTD | Former England batter Colin Cowdrey became the first man to play 100 Test matches

England is where the great game of cricket originated and batting has been one of the biggest fortes, from the likes of WG Grace to Wally Hammond to the great Colin Cowdrey in the earliest times of English cricket.

Born on the 24th of December 1932 in Ooty India, Colin Cowdrey showed impeccable talent with the bat. Ever since making his test debut at the age of 21 versus Australia in Brisbane, the youngster went on to become a huge part of the England side for the next two decades.

By the time he ended his career, Colin Cowdrey had played 114 Test matches and scored 7624 runs for his team. Cowdrey also hit 22 Test tons and 38 half-centuries with an average of 44. He played just a single ODI scoring 1 run for England.

In the first-class format, Cowdrey scored 42719 runs with a best of 307 runs with 107 centuries and 231 fifties with an average of 42.80. In the List A format he scored 1978 runs from 87 matches with 3 centuries and 12 half-centuries.

Colin Cowdrey making history during his 100th Test

The match between England and Australia in 1968 at Birmingham wore special significance. It was set to be the 100th Test match for Colin Cowdrey; this was a mark that no one had come close to before.

How did Colin Cowdrey celebrate it? He made history by becoming the first-ever player to score a century in his 100th test match. The English skipper scored 104 from 247 balls for his side before Eric Freeman bowled him. This helped his side reach 409 runs before they bowled out their arch-rivals for 222 runs.

The match ended in a tame draw, but Colin Cowdrey had written his name in the history books. His feats became legendary as he went on to play for England for seven more years. By the time he ended his career, Colin Cowdrey was known for his amazing batting skills and longevity in the game.

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