41 Facts About Tom Lowry

Thomas Coleman Lowry was a New Zealand international cricketer.

Tom Lowry was New Zealand's first Test captain, and led the team in their first seven Test matches between January 1930 and August 1931.

Tom Lowry was a farmer and racehorse breeder in Hawke's Bay, who served as president of the New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders Association from 1951 to 1965.

Tom Lowry married Helen Watt, daughter of James Watt, "one of the richest men in New Zealand", in 1897.

Tom Lowry was a keen cricketer, who played one first-class match for Hawke's Bay and constructed a cricket ground, "The Grove", on his property, which is still in use.

Tom Lowry helped the Hawke's Bay Cricket Association bring out leading English professionals, including Albert Trott and Jack Board, to coach local players.

Tom Lowry developed the Lowry property, which had been largely a sheep and cattle farm, into one of New Zealand's leading racehorse studs.

Tom Lowry was educated at home until he was 10, when he was enrolled at Heretaunga School for boys in Hastings, where he received cricket coaching from Jack Board.

Tom Lowry moved to his father's old school, Christ's College in Christchurch, in 1912.

Tom Lowry then went to England, and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Royal Air Force in February 1919, three months after the end of the war.

Auckland lost, but Tom Lowry scored 28 and 10 and made two catches and a stumping.

Tom Lowry's family arrived in England in 1920 in order that the three boys should go to Cambridge and the two girls to finishing school.

Tom Lowry did play some games for Somerset, although his qualification to do so was obscure.

Tom Lowry was captain of Cambridge in 1924, leading them to victory in the annual match against Oxford University at Lord's.

Tom Lowry used to employ a cramming tutor in third term to make up for the work he had not done in first and second terms.

Tom Lowry bought two farms, of 2700 acres and 6000 acres, not far from Okawa, which he farmed until 1944, when his father died and Tom Lowry inherited Okawa.

Tom Lowry played in all four first-class matches, and scored 123 against South Australia in only 90 minutes.

The first victory came in the sixth match, when Tom Lowry scored 105 "at a run-a-minute" and the New Zealanders easily beat Sussex.

Six players, including Tom Lowry, scored over 1000 runs on the tour.

Tom Lowry came third in both aggregates and averages, with 1277 runs at 38.69.

Tom Lowry used frequent bowling changes in order to unsettle the batsmen.

Tom Lowry's specialty was a surprise full toss at the batsman's chest.

Tom Lowry took 15 wickets on the tour as well as making 20 catches and five stumpings.

Tom Lowry again top-scored in the Fourth Test, scoring 80 and adding 100 for the seventh wicket with Herb McGirr to take the side to safety.

Tom Lowry was appointed to captain the New Zealand team to tour England in 1931.

Rain allowed only 106 overs on the first two days, and Tom Lowry declared before the third and final day began.

Ian Cromb then took 6 for 46 with his pace bowling to dismiss MCC for 132, but when Tom Lowry enforced the follow-on with only 170 minutes of play left, he gave the ball instead to the leg-spinner Bill Merritt, who proceeded to take 7 for 28 in nine overs and dismiss MCC for 48.

The only scheduled Test resulted in a high-scoring and close-fought draw after Tom Lowry declared New Zealand's second innings.

Tom Lowry top-scored in the first innings with a defiant 62 on a difficult wicket, an innings which the New Zealand journalist Budge Hintz described as "an exhibition of pluck and determination as inspiring as the game can provide".

Robertson-Glasgow said Tom Lowry was "a remarkable cricketer, strong, versatile, courageous, original, and a leader in a thousand".

Tom Lowry announced his retirement from international cricket after the tour.

In 1933 Lowry married a neighbour, Margot Russell, one of three daughters of General Sir Andrew Hamilton Russell, the commander of the New Zealand Division in World War I They had two girls and two boys: Ann was born on in 1934), Tom, Pat (1938 and and Carol.

Tom Lowry was asked to manage the 1937 team to tour England, doubling as reserve wicket-keeper.

In 12 matches Tom Lowry scored 409 runs at 27.26 and made eight catches and 12 stumpings.

Tom Lowry scored his last first-class century, 121, with 18 fours and a six, against Nottinghamshire.

Tom Lowry later served as President of the New Zealand Cricket Council between 1950 and 1953.

In 1996, Tom Lowry was inducted into the New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame.

When Tom Lowry took over Okawa in 1944 he carried on the racehorse stud that his father had developed.

Tom Lowry imported the stallion Faux Tirage from England at a cost of 25,000 pounds.

Tom Lowry liked single-syllable names for his horses: three of his most successful horses were Key, Mop and Game.

Tom Lowry helped to form the New Zealand Thoroughbred Breeders Association in 1948 and served as its president from 1951 to 1965.