Ed Cowan

Ed Cowan

Personal information
Full name	Edward James McKenzie Cowan
Born	16 June 1982 (age 30) Paddington, Sydney, Australia
Nickname	Fred
Height	1.77 m (5 ft 10 in)
Batting style	Left-handed
Bowling style	Right-arm leg break
Role	Opening batsman
International information
National side	Australia
Test debut (cap 427)	26 December 2011 v India
Last Test	24 January 2012 v India
Domestic team information
Years	Team
2012	Gloucestershire
2011–present	Sydney Sixers
2009–present	Tasmania
2008	Scotland
2005–2009	New South Wales
2003	Oxford MCCU
Career statistics
Competition	Test	FC	LA	T20
Matches	7	59	54	8
Runs scored	358	3,884	1,589	88
Batting average	29.83	39.63	36.95	12.57
100s/50s	0/3	12/13	2/12	0/0
Top score	74	225	131*	25
Balls bowled	–	18	–	–
Wickets	–	0	–	–
Bowling average	–	–	–	–
5 wickets in innings	–	–	–	–
10 wickets in match	–	–	n/a	n/a
Best bowling	–	–	–	–
Catches/stumpings	14/–	47/–	16/–	1/–
Source: Cricinfo, 28 January 2012

Edward James McKenzie "Ed" Cowan (born 16 June 1982) is an Australian Test cricketer who has played for the British Universities, New South Wales (NSW), Tasmania and Oxford MCCU teams. He is a left handed batsman.

Career

Edward attended Tudor House School in Moss Vale and Cranbrook School in Bellevue Hill where he played in the school 1st XI aged only 14, and scored 218 not out, and went on to the under-17 New South Wales championships. Whilst in Year 12 Edward was selected to play for the Australian under 19s side to tour Sri Lanka. He played for the University of Sydney Cricket Club and made his debut for NSW in 2005.
In 2009, Cowan joined the Tasmanian Tigers where a successful season saw him score 225 vs South Australia in his first game at home. This was followed on by two other centuries at Bellerive Oval and a successful Ford Ranger Cup premiership. In 2011 Cowan published a book, his diary of the 2010/2011 Sheffield Shield season entitled In the Firing Line. Cowan was selected for Australia A in June 2010 to play Sri Lanka where he scored a century in a convincing series win.
Cowan made his Test cricket debut for Australia in the 2011 Boxing Day Test against India. His selection followed a season in which, to that point, he had averaged 64.22 in first class matches.^[1] Against India he became the 18th Australian opening batsman to score a half-century (68) on debut.^[2] He played in all four Tests of the series, opening the batting with David Warner. Australia won the series 4–0; over the four Tests Cowan scored 206 runs at an average of 34.33,^[3] including another half-century (74) in Perth.^[4]

Personal life and education

Cowan is married to Australian television and radio presenter Virginia Lette.^[5]
According to the Sydney Morning Herald, Cowan "has a commerce degree, written a warts-and-all diary about life as a cricketer, grows his own vegetables, immerses himself in novels, and appreciates modern art and loves music."
When he was called from the SCG Members bar in 2005 to field as the 13th man for Australia against Pakistan for five minutes, he refused to keep the gear he was offered because Cowan didn't believe he deserved it. Then, when NSW prematurely presented him with his baggy blue after he was picked as 12th man for the state's one-day team, he marched into Cricket NSW boss Dave Gilbert's office and handed it back, saying he'd accept it when he was entitled to wear the cap.^[6]
He has faced difficulties by stating in an interview with The Australian, "Perception is often reality when it comes to selection," Cowan wrote. "Throughout my career, even as a junior, I have battled against a perception that a kid who went to a good school (in his case Cranbrook) and had a degree must be soft as butter."