OTD: Colin Cowdrey became the first man to play 100 Test matches

Playing 100 Tests has always been considered a significant achievement for any player in cricket. This is because Test cricket is one such format which requires plenty of physical endurance and unwavering patience amongst other attributes.

The first person in the history of the sport to attain this landmark was Colin Cowdrey. He attained the feat on July 11, 1968, in the third Test of the five-match series against Australia. Cowdrey, who was leading the side, scored 247-ball 104 in this iconic game as the match ended up in a draw.

His red-ball career spanned 114 Tests. In the 188 innings Cowdrey played, he registered 7624 runs at an average of 44.06. He scored 38 fifties and 22 tons during his international red-ball career. Cowdrey was also an excellent fielder, and secured 120 catches in Test cricket. His highest score of 182 against Pakistan in 1962 was one amongst his seven 150-plus scores.

Cowdrey played against six Test-playing nations back then. Amongst these, he had the most impressive record against India. Although playing only eight games against the Asian team, Cowdrey shone with 653 runs at an average of 72.55 in 11 innings, including two fifties and three hundreds to his name.

Cowdrey was one of the earliest legends of English cricket and their domestic structure. He amassed a whopping 42,719 runs in 692 matches (1130 innings) in First-Class cricket, including 231 fifties and 107 hundreds. Other than England, Cowdrey played for Kent and Marylebone Cricket Club, Oxford University and Gentlemen.

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