| William Bowra | |
| Birth Date: | 1752 |
| Birth Place: | Sevenoaks, Kent |
| Death Date: | 7 May |
| Death Place: | Sevenoaks, Kent |
| Club1: | Kent XI |
| Club2: | Brighton |
| Year2: | 1791–1792 |
| Type1: | FC |
| Debutdate1: | 29 June |
| Debutyear1: | 1775 |
| Debutfor1: | Kent |
| Debutagainst1: | Hampshire |
| Lastdate1: | 5 September |
| Lastyear1: | 1792 |
| Lastfor1: | Brighton |
| Lastagainst1: | Middlsex |
| Columns: | 1 |
| Column1: | First-class |
| Matches1: | 50 |
| Runs1: | 1,138 |
| Bat Avg1: | 12.78 |
| 100S/50S1: | 0/2 |
| Top Score1: | 60 |
| Deliveries1: | ? |
| Wickets1: | 4 |
| Bowl Avg1: | ? |
| Fivefor1: | 0 |
| Tenfor1: | 0 |
| Best Bowling1: | 2/? |
| Catches/Stumpings1: | 40/– |
| Source: | https://www.espncricinfo.com/player/william-bowra-535046 CricInfo |
| Date: | 28 June |
| Year: | 2022 |
William Bowra (1752 – 7 May 1820) was an English cricketer who played in 50 first-class matches between 1775 and 1792.[1] [2]
Bowra, whose name was pronounced "Borra",[3] was christened at Sevenoaks in Kent on 1 May 1752.[1] He was one of a number of cricketers employed by John Frederick Sackville, 3rd Duke of Dorset at his Knole House estate near Sevenoaks, in Bowra's case as a gamekeeper.[3] [4] [5] John Nyren, in his The Cricketers of My Time, recounts that the Duke would sit on the railing round the Sevenoaks Vine ground, often exclaiming "Bravo, my little Bowra".[6]
Although he is known to have played for a team organised by Dorset as early as 1769, Bowra made his first-class debut in a 1775 match between a Kent XI and a Hampshire side at Broadhalfpenny Down, the ground used by the Hambledon Club.[1] In a Hampshire Chronicle report of the game, his name is spelt "Bower".[7] He went on to make 50 appearances in matches which have been given first-class status, 19 of which were for Kent sides and 15 for England teams. He played for West Kent twice, for a combined Hampshire and Kent side once and three times for teams put together by Dorset in first-class matches against teams organised by Sir Horatio Mann, another Kent cricket patron. He played twice for Surrey sides against Hampshire in 1776 as a given man and twice for Hampshire against England sides in 1779 in the same role. After making his final appearance for Kent in 1788, he played in five more first-class matches in 1791 and 1792 for Brighton Cricket Club.[1] His highest first-class score of 60 not out was made in one of these matches against MCC at Lord's Old Ground.[1] He scored 1,138 runs and took at least four wickets in first-class matches.[1]
He returned to Knole in 1807, again as gamekeeper, and it is believed he stayed there until his death in 1820.[2]