Leonard Bowley

Edwin Leonard Bowley (27 February 1888 – 22 April 1963) was an Australian cricketer who played seven first-class matches for South Australia between 1922/23 and 1924/25.

Early sporting career Born in Sevenhill, near Clare, South Australia, Bowley was for many years a leading cricketer and hockey player in rural South Australia, initially playing for Sevenhill until the club was disbanded prior to the 1911/12 season, when he moved to Clare and eventually captained Clare's cricket and hockey teams. Bowley and Arthur Richardson were considered to be two players from Clare to have a chance to play for South Australia, with Richardson later becoming Bowley's brother-in-law. Adelaide newspaper Daily Herald wrote "Considerable interest was manifested by the entry into senior cricket of a young Clare champion, L. Bowley, who fully justified his reputation as a batsman and bowler",

With his batting featuring driving and cutting that "was a treat to watch" Bowley was said to have "the makings of a fine all-round cricketer" by the end of the 1914/15 season, but any chance of playing interstate cricket was dashed by the cancellation of the Sheffield Shield due to World War I. Bowley continued to play for Port Adelaide during the 1915/16 season, topping the club's bowling averages with eighteen wickets at ten. Bowley returned to Clare at the end of the season and played for Clare during the 1916/17 season.

In the 1918/19 season, Bowley returned to Adelaide to play one match for Port Adelaide, scoring 23 and taking 3/70; the local Port Adelaide News thought him to be the best of the Port Adelaide bowlers.

Unable to travel to Adelaide for matches as the local train service "did not fit in conveniently with his occupation," Bowley played for Clare in the 1920/21 season, leading one reporter to lament his absence from Adelaide cricket, considering Bowley as a possible Test cricketer. After continuing outstanding form in country cricket and against Adelaide district clubs, he continued to spark interest from the Adelaide media for his performances.

First-class cricket After initially being overlooked for South Australia's match against the touring Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) at Adelaide Oval, Bowley was included in the side following the withdrawal of Bill Whitty, and made his first-class debut on 15 March 1923, aged 35, making 76 and 35, and taking what proved to be the only wicket of his first-class career, bowling Tom Lowry. In the first innings, Bowley shared a fifth wicket partnership of 197 with Arthur Richardson; then a record fifth wicket partnership for South Australia against an English XI. During the match, Bowley was injured in the Adelaide Oval luncheon room when Lowry attempted to open a soda water bottle, when it exploded and fragments of glass struck Bowley in the face, penetrating his upper lip.

For the 1923/24 season, Bowley returned to Adelaide to work for Holden and play for the newly formed Kensington Cricket Club opening the batting, Bowley hit nineteen boundaries in his 305-minute innings.

Bowley's subsequent performances were middling and he played his final match for South Australia in the 1924/25 season, against Victoria at the Adelaide Oval, making one and zero. Although he continued to play well in district cricket, including 175 against Port Adelaide in the 1926/27 season, he was never chosen by South Australia again and continued to play district cricket until his retirement in 1936, scoring 4675 runs for Port Adelaide and Kensington at 31.16 and taking 216 wickets at 22.08.

Personal life Bowley married Minnie Lucy Trestrail on 17 October 1917 in Clare. The eldest daughter of Mr. Joseph Trestrail, Minnie was a Sunday School teacher who was heavily involved with local Methodist churches and played the piano and violin.

Their daughter Dorothy Louise was born in Clare on 12 December 1918 and their son Bruce, who also played first-class cricket for South Australia, in Blyth, South Australia on 1 January 1922. Bowley's grandson Ian also played for and coached Kensington Cricket Club. Bowley died on 2 April 1963, aged 75, in Adelaide, survived by his children.