Frederick Bowley

Who was Frederick Bowley?

Frederick Lloyd Bowley was an English cricketer who played county cricket for Worcestershire from the 1890s to the 1920s. He also represented the Players against the Gentlemen on four occasions. He was born in Brecon and died aged 69 in Worcester.

Having appeared for the county on a number of occasions before its elevation to the County Championship, Bowley made his first-class debut in Worcestershire's second match at that level, against Sussex at Hove in mid-May 1899. He opened the batting with Wilfrid Foster, but was bowled for 4 in each innings, though he did take a catch to dismiss opposing captain Billy Murdoch. Four further games that season produced no success, with a highest score of just 21.

After a near miss with 95 against Sussex a few days earlier, Bowley scored his maiden hundred by hitting 118 against Hampshire at the end of May 1900. Although he made no further centuries that summer, he did pass a thousand runs for the season, averaging just over 24. For several years thereafter he was a significant contributor to Worcestershire's batting, enjoying the most productive season of his career in 1906 when he hit 1,629 first-class runs with two hundreds and 11 fifties.