Bill Bowes

Who was Bill Bowes?

Bill Bowes was one of the best bowlers of the interwar period and, for a time, the most important force behind Yorkshire's dominance of the County Championship. For England, his extreme weakness as a batsman, and, more important, injuries, restricted the number of Tests he played, yet his Test record in an era of flat pitches and prolific run-scoring remains exceptional. Indeed, his Test average during the 1930s was the lowest of any major England or Australia bowler.

Bowes never looked like a cricketer - his fielding was clumsy at best and his batting so poor that he scored fewer runs than he took wickets - yet as a bowler he had few equals, and almost no superior during his best years in the 1930s. Very tall and willowy, Bowes was, after his early years, only medium-pace through the air but could make the ball come very fast from Yorkshire pitches of his time. He was able to sustain his attack for lengthy periods and, with the new ball, could generate an extremely deceptive swerve. At times, he was criticised for pitching too short, but in later years, with loss of pace, Bowes found greater reward in attacking the stumps.