{{short description|Australian cricketer (1922–2014)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=June 2019}} {{Use Australian English|date=September 2012}} {{Infobox cricketer | name = Bruce Bowley | image = | country = Australia | fullname = Bruce Leonard Bowley | birth_date = {{Birth date|1922|01|01|df=yes}} | birth_place = Blyth, South Australia | death_date = {{Death date and age|2014|05|14|1922|01|01|df=yes}} | death_place = Adelaide, South Australia | batting = Right-handed | bowling = Right-arm fast-medium | role = Allrounder | club1 = South Australia | year1 = {{no wrap|1947/48–1951/52}} | columns = 1 | column1 = First-class | matches1 = 30 | runs1 = 1,092 | bat avg1 = 21.41 | 100s/50s1 = 2/2 | top score1 = 169 | deliveries1 = 4,736 | wickets1 = 54 | bowl avg1 = 35.44 | fivefor1 = 0 | tenfor1 = 0 | best bowling1 = 4/70 | catches/stumpings1 = 19/– | date = 30 April | year = 2016 | source = https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/8/8477/8477.html CricketArchive }}
'''Bruce Leonard Bowley''' {{postnominals|country=AUS|OAM}} (1 January 1922 – 14 May 2014) was an Australian cricketer who played 30 first-class matches for South Australia between 1947 and 1952,<ref name="Bio">{{Cite web|url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/player/4179.html |title=Bruce Bowley |accessdate=21 April 2016 |work=ESPN Cricinfo}}</ref> and a World War II Prisoner of War.
==Early life== The son of South Australian cricketer Leonard Bowley,<ref name=page>Page, p. 8.</ref> and Minnie (née Trestrail),<ref>"Family Notices", ''The Journal'' (Adelaide), 1 December 1917, p. 12.</ref> Bowley was born at Blyth Private Hospital<ref>''The Advertiser'', 14 January 1922, p. 8.</ref> in Blyth, South Australia.<ref name=wwii>{{cite web|title=Bowley, Bruce Leonard|url=http://www.ww2roll.gov.au/Veteran.aspx?serviceId=R&veteranId=873790|website=World War II Nominal Roll|publisher=Australian War Memorial|accessdate=2 May 2016}}</ref>
Bowley's family moved to Adelaide soon after his birth and Bowley made his Adelaide Grade debut<ref name=page/> (the level below first-class cricket in South Australia) in 1938/39 aged 16 for the South Australian Colts team.<ref name=sando/> While with the Colts, Bowley was coached by former Australian cricketers Nip Pellew and Clarrie Grimmett.<ref name=b43>Blackburn, p. 43.</ref> Bowley then moved to Kensington Cricket Club, where his father had played.<ref name=sando/> Bowley's father was a house painter and Bowley assisted him on jobs, including at Donald Bradman's house.<ref name=b43/>
==World War II== Following the outbreak of war, Bowley enlisted in the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) on 25 June 1940,<ref name=wwii/> and in September 1940 was stationed in Singapore, serving in the No. 21 Wirraway fighter squadron in the Malayan Campaign<ref name=g47>Grant, p. 47.</ref> and was in Singapore when it fell to the Japanese in 1942.<ref>Blackburn, p. 41.</ref> During this time, both in and out of captivity, Bowley continued to play cricket, including for a local team in the Malayan cricket season<ref name=g47/> and one match for Australian Services against South Australia at the Adelaide Oval in December 1942, where he scored 56 against an attack that included Clarrie Grimmett and Reginald Craig.<ref>{{cite web|title=South Australia v Australian Services |url-access=subscription |url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/292/292879.html|website=CricketArchive|accessdate=3 May 2016}}</ref> Bowley reached the rank of Sergeant by the time of his discharge on 19 October 1945.<ref name=wwii/>
While in Malaya, Bowley's team played the Singapore Cricket Club and Bowley was admonished by an English officer for using the same change rooms as his non-white team members. He refused to use separate change rooms and while he was awarded honorary membership of the all-white Singapore Cricket Club for his cricketing prowess, Bowley preferred to socialise with his teammates.<ref name=g47/> During this time, Bowley became friends with the Malaya born Indian Test cricketer Lall Singh. They remained close for many years and Bowley stayed with Lall in Kuala Lumpur for the 1975 Hockey World Cup.<ref>Blackburn, p. 49.</ref>
==First-class career== Following his return to Australia, Bowley joined East Torrens Cricket Club, Sturt<ref name=sando/> before returning to Kensington in 1954/55 as captain-coach<ref>"Bowley To Play For Kensington", ''The Advertiser'', 7 October 1954, p. 11.</ref> until his retirement at the end of the 1958/59 season.<ref name=sando/> An all-rounder, Bowley made his first-class debut for South Australia on 20 February 1948 against Victoria at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, scoring one and nine and going wicketless.<ref>{{cite web|title=Victoria v South Australia |url-access=subscription |url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/18/18379.html|website=CricketArchive|accessdate=3 May 2016}}</ref>
Bowley made his highest first-class score of 169 against the touring West Indies, in December 1951,<ref>{{cite web|title=South Australia v West Indians, West Indies in Australia and New Zealand 1951/52 |url-access=subscription |url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/20/20021.html|website=CricketArchive|accessdate=7 May 2016}}</ref> the highest score made against the West Indian team during the tour.<ref>Moyes, p. 178.</ref> Bowley opened the batting and scored very slowly at first, reaching his century in 283 minutes but thereafter scoring a run a minute, leading long time cricket writer Johnnie Moyes to state that Bowley had "played a curious innings"<ref name=m84>Moyes, p. 84.</ref>
Later in the 1951/52 season, Bowley was batting for South Australia against New South Wales when, he was struck on the head by a bouncer from fast bowler Alan Walker.<ref name=benaud>{{cite book|last1=Benaud|first1=Richie|title=Over But Not Out|date=2010|publisher=Hatchette UK|location=London|isbn=978-1444711219|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VsDv18ovsUAC&dq=bruce+bowley&pg=PT52|accessdate=9 May 2016}}</ref> Bowley was taken to hospital for tests and Richie Benaud later wrote that he was shaken by the incident as he fielding close to Bowley and "was on the spot as he (Bowley) reeled away from the crease and fell."<ref name=benaud/>
Bowley played his final first-class match in February 1952 against Victoria at the MCG, scoring 18 and zero and taking two wickets for 144 runs.<ref>{{cite web|title=Victoria v South Australia, Sheffield Shield 1951/52 |url-access=subscription |url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/20/20106.html|website=CricketArchive|accessdate=16 May 2016}}</ref> Author Kevin Blackburn suggests that Bowley may have played Test cricket if not for the war.<ref>Blackburn, p. 44.</ref>
Bowley was described as "by nature a stroke-maker with a tendency to throw away his wicket through a sudden ambition to hit the bright lights"<ref name=m84/> while ''Wisden'' wrote of his bowling, "although his long run-up suggested more pace than he delivered, he was also a handy new-ball bowler."<ref>{{cite web|title=Wisden Obituaries - 2014|url=http://www.espncricinfo.com/wisdenalmanack/content/story/973115.html|website=Wisden|date=17 February 2016 |publisher=ESPN Sports Media|accessdate=16 May 2016}}</ref>
==Hockey career== Bowley played for Burnside Hockey Club and served as President and Vice Patron of the South Australian Hockey Association, and was made a Life Member.<ref>{{cite web|title=Bowley, Bruce Leonard OAM|url=http://tributes.adelaidenow.com.au/notice/45492152/view|website=The Advertiser|publisher=News Limited|accessdate=7 May 2016}}</ref>
In addition to his father playing first-class cricket, Bowley's aunt married Test cricketer Arthur Richardson<ref>{{cite web|title=Leonard Bowley |url-access=subscription |url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/15/15781/15781.html|website=CricketArchive|accessdate=3 May 2016}}</ref> and Bowley's son Ian played for and coached Kensington.<ref name=sando>Sando, p. 74.</ref>
Bowley was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in 1993 for his service to hockey and cricket as a player, coach and administrator.<ref>{{cite web|title=BOWLEY, Bruce Leonard|url=https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/886870|website=It's An Honour|publisher=Australian Government|accessdate=4 May 2016}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
==Sources== * Benaud, R. (2010) ''Over But Not Out'', Hatchette UK:London. {{ISBN|1444711210}}. * Blackburn, K. (2012) ''The sportsmen of Changi'', University of New South Wales Press: Sydney. {{ISBN|9781742233024}}. * Grant, L. (2014) ''Australian Soldiers in Asia-Pacific in World War II'', New South: Sydney. {{ISBN|1742241840}}. * Moyes, A.G. (1952) ''With the West Indies in Australia 1951-52'', Angus and Robertson: Sydney. * Page, R. (1984) ''South Australian Cricketers 1877-1984'', Association of Cricket Statisticians: Retford, Nottinghamshire. * Sando, G. (1997) ''Grass Roots'', South Australian Cricket Association: Adelaide. {{ISBN|1 86254 435 2}}.
==External links== * {{cricinfo|id=4179}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Bowley, Bruce}} Category:1922 births Category:2014 deaths Category:Australian cricketers Category:South Australia cricketers Category:Royal Australian Air Force personnel of World War II Category:Royal Australian Air Force airmen Category:Australian prisoners of war Category:World War II prisoners of war held by Germany Category:Cricketers from Adelaide Category:Kensington cricketers Category:20th-century Australian sportsmen