Thomas Bowley

Who was Thomas Bowley?

Thomas Bowley was an English cricketer who played first class cricket for Surrey from 1885 to 1891.

Bowley was born in Old Basford, Nottinghamshire. He began playing for Nottinghamshire in 1879 and for Northamptonshire from 1880. In 1884, against Essex, he took all the wickets for Northamptonshire apart from one run out in the first innings. He made his first-class debut for Surrey in 1885 and became a formidable member of the Surrey attack with George Lohmann and Jack Beaumont. Bowley had a hand in changing the rules of cricket to allow declaration. In a match between Surrey and Sussex in 1887, Surrey had set up a big lead and wanted to have a go at Sussex on a deteriorating pitch while Sussex wanted to hang on for a draw. Bowley, last man in, tried to get stumped but the wicketkeeper refused, and Sussex prolonged the innings by sending down a succession of no-balls. Eventually, Bowley kicked down his own stumps. However enough time had been lost to let Sussex hold the draw. One of Bowley's best bowling performances was in 1889 when he took six Derbyshire wickets for 13 runs at Derby.