Bruce Bowley

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Bruce Bowley
Personal information
Full name
Bruce Leonard Bowley
Born(1922-01-01)1 January 1922
Adelaide, South Australia
BattingRight-handed
BowlingRight-arm fast-medium
RoleAllrounder
Domestic team information
YearsTeam
1947/48–1951/52
South Australia
Career statistics
Competition First-class
Matches 30
Runs scored 1,092
Batting average 21.41
100s/50s 2/2
Top score 169
Balls bowled 4,736
Wickets 54
Bowling average 35.44
5 wickets in innings 0
10 wickets in match 0
Best bowling 4/70
Catches/stumpings 19/–
Source: CricketArchive, 30 April 2016

Bruce Leonard Bowley

Prisoner of War
.

Early life

The son of South Australian cricketer Leonard Bowley,[2] and Minnie (née Trestrail),[3] Bowley was born at Blyth Private Hospital[4] in Blyth, South Australia.[5]

Bowley's family moved to Adelaide soon after his birth and Bowley made his

Donald Bradman's house.[7]

World War II

Following the outbreak of war, Bowley enlisted in the

Malayan Campaign[8] and was in Singapore when it fell to the Japanese in 1942.[9] During this time, both in and out of captivity, Bowley continued to play cricket, including for a local team in the Malayan cricket season[8] and one match for Australian Services against South Australia at the Adelaide Oval in December 1942, where he scored 56 against an attack that included Clarrie Grimmett and Reginald Craig.[10] Bowley reached the rank of Sergeant by the time of his discharge on 19 October 1945.[5]

While in Malaya, Bowley's team played the

Indian Test cricketer Lall Singh. They remained close for many years and Bowley stayed with Lall in Kuala Lumpur for the 1975 Hockey World Cup.[11]

First-class career

Following his return to Australia, Bowley joined East Torrens Cricket Club, Sturt[6] before returning to Kensington in 1954/55 as captain-coach[12] until his retirement at the end of the 1958/59 season.[6] An all-rounder, Bowley made his first-class debut for

Victoria at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, scoring one and nine and going wicketless.[13]

Bowley made his highest first-class score of 169 against the touring

Johnnie Moyes to state that Bowley had "played a curious innings"[16]

Later in the 1951/52 season, Bowley was batting for South Australia against New South Wales when, he was struck on the head by a bouncer from fast bowler Alan Walker.[17] Bowley was taken to hospital for tests and Richie Benaud later wrote that he was shaken by the incident as he fielding close to Bowley and "was on the spot as he (Bowley) reeled away from the crease and fell."[17]

Bowley played his final first-class match in February 1952 against Victoria at the MCG, scoring 18 and zero and taking two wickets for 144 runs.[18] Author Kevin Blackburn suggests that Bowley may have played Test cricket if not for the war.[19]

Bowley was described as "by nature a stroke-maker with a tendency to throw away his wicket through a sudden ambition to hit the bright lights"[16] while Wisden wrote of his bowling, "although his long run-up suggested more pace than he delivered, he was also a handy new-ball bowler."[20]

Hockey career

Bowley played for Burnside Hockey Club and served as President and Vice Patron of the South Australian Hockey Association, and was made a Life Member.[21]

In addition to his father playing first-class cricket, Bowley's aunt married Test cricketer Arthur Richardson[22] and Bowley's son Ian played for and coached Kensington.[6]

Bowley was awarded a

Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in 1993 for his service to hockey and cricket as a player, coach and administrator.[23]

References

  1. ^ "Bruce Bowley". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 21 April 2016.
  2. ^ a b Page, p. 8.
  3. ^ "Family Notices", The Journal (Adelaide), 1 December 1917, p. 12.
  4. ^ The Advertiser, 14 January 1922, p. 8.
  5. ^ a b c "Bowley, Bruce Leonard". World War II Nominal Roll. Australian War Memorial. Retrieved 2 May 2016.
  6. ^ a b c d e Sando, p. 74.
  7. ^ a b Blackburn, p. 43.
  8. ^ a b c Grant, p. 47.
  9. ^ Blackburn, p. 41.
  10. ^ "South Australia v Australian Services". CricketArchive. Retrieved 3 May 2016.
  11. ^ Blackburn, p. 49.
  12. ^ "Bowley To Play For Kensington", The Advertiser, 7 October 1954, p. 11.
  13. ^ "Victoria v South Australia". CricketArchive. Retrieved 3 May 2016.
  14. ^ "South Australia v West Indians, West Indies in Australia and New Zealand 1951/52". CricketArchive. Retrieved 7 May 2016.
  15. ^ Moyes, p. 178.
  16. ^ a b Moyes, p. 84.
  17. ^
    ISBN 978-1444711219
    . Retrieved 9 May 2016.
  18. ^ "Victoria v South Australia, Sheffield Shield 1951/52". CricketArchive. Retrieved 16 May 2016.
  19. ^ Blackburn, p. 44.
  20. ^ "Wisden Obituaries - 2014". Wisden. ESPN Sports Media. 17 February 2016. Retrieved 16 May 2016.
  21. ^ "Bowley, Bruce Leonard OAM". The Advertiser. News Limited. Retrieved 7 May 2016.
  22. ^ "Leonard Bowley". CricketArchive. Retrieved 3 May 2016.
  23. ^ "BOWLEY, Bruce Leonard". It's An Honour. Australian Government. Retrieved 4 May 2016.

Sources

External links
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