Ed Cowan      

Full name Edward James McKenzie Cowan

Born June 16, 1982, Paddington, New South Wales

Current age 27 years 160 days

Major teams British Universities, New South Wales, Oxford UCCE

Nickname Fred

Playing role Opening batsman

Batting style Left-hand bat

Bowling style Legbreak

Height 1.77 m

Ed Cowan's aim at the start of 2006-07 was to establish himself at the top of the New South Wales order. He did that, playing every Pura Cup game and six one-dayers while securing himself a place at the Academy. However, Cowan, a highly-talented left-hand opening batsman, slipped the following year when he appeared in only four Pura Cup matches, with a best of 56, and six FR Cup affairs. By the end of the season he had been overtaken by the young batsman Phillip Hughes. A trip to Scotland to play league cricket led to him being picked seven times for the country in the ECB's 50-over competition. Last summer was also a bit of a struggle with three first-class appearances, 111 runs and a top score of 58; his numbers were similar in the FR Cup and an off-season switch to Tasmania followed ahead of 2009-10.

In 2006-07 Cowan had a quiet pre-Christmas period but made his first two Pura Cup centuries in the new year and finished with 640 runs at 30.47. His 108 against Tasmania helped set up an innings victory and he recorded 128 as the Blues drew with Queensland at Sydney. He was just as effective in the limited-overs game and averaged 43.20 at a strike-rate of 82. His maiden one-day hundred - 119 from 120 balls - came as the Blues posted 295 against Victoria at Canberra. It was an encouraging year after Cowan played only one ING Cup game in 2005-06. That season he required a reconstruction of the big toe on his left foot after he damaged it while batting in a club match.

Cowan fielded for Australia as a substitute before he had played for New South Wales. Called from the Members' Bar, he was on the SCG for about five minutes against Pakistan in 2004-05. His state career started in the same season; he played three games but was 12th man for the final victory at the Gabba. In 2003 Cowan was an exchange student to Oxford Brookes University, and after first-class matches against English counties for the Academy side twinned with Oxford, he was selected for the British Universities, scoring an unbeaten 137 against Zimbabwe. As a junior, Cowan was the player of the under-17 national championships in Sydney in 1998-99, where he set the record for the highest individual score for a New South Wales player in the tournament's history (218 not out v ACT). He was also a member of the Australian Under-19 World Cup team in Sri Lanka in 2000. Cowan balances his cricket with studies: he has a commerce degree, has worked as an analyst for an investment bank and studied his masters in applied finance.
Brydon Coverdale May 2009

Australia Under-19s 1999/00

Club: Sydney University

Nov 18, 2009

Ed Cowan drives through the off side on the way to a half-century

© Getty Images

Jan 11, 2008

Ed Cowan is bowled by Ishant Sharma

© AFP

Nov 21, 2007

Ed Cowan takes evasive action as Michael Dighton pulls

© Getty Images

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