# Bruce Bowley

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**Bruce Leonard Bowley** (1 January 1922 – 14 May 2014) was an Australian [cricketer](/source/Cricket) who played 30 [first-class](/source/First-class_cricket) matches for [South Australia](/source/South_Australia_cricket_team) between 1947 and 1952,[1] and a [World War II](/source/World_War_II) [Prisoner of War](/source/Prisoner_of_War).

## Early life

The son of South Australian cricketer [Leonard Bowley](/source/Leonard_Bowley),[2] and Minnie (née Trestrail),[3] Bowley was born at Blyth Private Hospital[4] in [Blyth, South Australia](/source/Blyth,_South_Australia).[5]

Bowley's family moved to Adelaide soon after his birth and Bowley made his [Adelaide Grade](/source/South_Australian_Grade_Cricket_League) debut[2] (the level below first-class cricket in South Australia) in 1938/39 aged 16 for the South Australian Colts team.[6] While with the Colts, Bowley was coached by former [Australian](/source/Australian_cricket_team) cricketers [Nip Pellew](/source/Nip_Pellew) and [Clarrie Grimmett](/source/Clarrie_Grimmett).[7] Bowley then moved to [Kensington Cricket Club](/source/Kensington_Cricket_Club), where his father had played.[6] Bowley's father was a house painter and Bowley assisted him on jobs, including at [Donald Bradman](/source/Donald_Bradman)'s house.[7]

## World War II

Following the outbreak of war, Bowley enlisted in the [Royal Australian Air Force](/source/Royal_Australian_Air_Force) (RAAF) on 25 June 1940,[5] and in September 1940 was stationed in [Singapore](/source/Singapore), serving in the [No. 21 Wirraway fighter squadron](/source/No._21_Squadron_RAAF) in the [Malayan Campaign](/source/Malayan_Campaign)[8] and was in [Singapore](/source/Singapore) when it [fell to the Japanese](/source/Fall_of_Singapore) in 1942.[9] During this time, both in and out of captivity, Bowley continued to play cricket, including for a local team in the Malayan cricket season[8] and one match for Australian Services against South Australia at the [Adelaide Oval](/source/Adelaide_Oval) in December 1942, where he scored 56 against an attack that included [Clarrie Grimmett](/source/Clarrie_Grimmett) and [Reginald Craig](/source/Reginald_Craig).[10] Bowley reached the rank of Sergeant by the time of his discharge on 19 October 1945.[5]

While in Malaya, Bowley's team played the [Singapore Cricket Club](/source/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.[8] During this time, Bowley became friends with the Malaya born [Indian](/source/Indian_cricket_team) [Test cricketer](/source/Test_cricket) [Lall Singh](/source/Lall_Singh). They remained close for many years and Bowley stayed with Lall in [Kuala Lumpur](/source/Kuala_Lumpur) for the [1975 Hockey World Cup](/source/1975_Men's_Hockey_World_Cup).[11]

## First-class career

Following his return to Australia, Bowley joined [East Torrens Cricket Club](/source/East_Torrens_Cricket_Club), [Sturt](/source/Sturt_Cricket_Club)[6] before returning to Kensington in 1954/55 as captain-coach[12] until his retirement at the end of the 1958/59 season.[6] An all-rounder, Bowley made his first-class debut for [South Australia](/source/South_Australian_cricket_team) on 20 February 1948 against [Victoria](/source/Victorian_cricket_team) at the [Melbourne Cricket Ground](/source/Melbourne_Cricket_Ground), scoring one and nine and going wicketless.[13]

Bowley made his highest first-class score of 169 against the touring [West Indies](/source/West_Indies_cricket_team), in December 1951,[14] the highest score made against the West Indian team during the tour.[15] 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](/source/Johnnie_Moyes) to state that Bowley had "played a curious innings"[16]

Later in the 1951/52 season, Bowley was batting for South Australia against [New South Wales](/source/New_South_Wales_cricket_team) when, he was struck on the head by a bouncer from fast bowler [Alan Walker](/source/Alan_Walker_(Australian_sportsman)).[17] Bowley was taken to hospital for tests and [Richie Benaud](/source/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."[17]

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.[18] Author Kevin Blackburn suggests that Bowley may have played Test cricket if not for the war.[19]

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"[16] while *[Wisden](/source/Wisden_Cricketers'_Almanack)* wrote of his bowling, "although his long run-up suggested more pace than he delivered, he was also a handy new-ball bowler."[20]

## 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.[21]

In addition to his father playing first-class cricket, Bowley's aunt married [Test cricketer](/source/Test_cricket) [Arthur Richardson](/source/Arthur_Richardson_(Australian_cricketer))[22] and Bowley's son Ian played for and coached Kensington.[6]

Bowley was awarded a [Medal of the Order of Australia](/source/Medal_of_the_Order_of_Australia) (OAM) in 1993 for his service to hockey and cricket as a player, coach and administrator.[23]

## References

1. ["Bruce Bowley"](http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/player/4179.html). *ESPN Cricinfo*. Retrieved 21 April 2016.

1. Page, p. 8.

1. "Family Notices", *The Journal* (Adelaide), 1 December 1917, p. 12.

1. *The Advertiser*, 14 January 1922, p. 8.

1. ["Bowley, Bruce Leonard"](http://www.ww2roll.gov.au/Veteran.aspx?serviceId=R&veteranId=873790). *World War II Nominal Roll*. Australian War Memorial. Retrieved 2 May 2016.

1. Sando, p. 74.

1. Blackburn, p. 43.

1. Grant, p. 47.

1. Blackburn, p. 41.

1. ["South Australia v Australian Services"](https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/292/292879.html). *CricketArchive*. Retrieved 3 May 2016.

1. Blackburn, p. 49.

1. "Bowley To Play For Kensington", *The Advertiser*, 7 October 1954, p. 11.

1. ["Victoria v South Australia"](https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/18/18379.html). *CricketArchive*. Retrieved 3 May 2016.

1. ["South Australia v West Indians, West Indies in Australia and New Zealand 1951/52"](https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/20/20021.html). *CricketArchive*. Retrieved 7 May 2016.

1. Moyes, p. 178.

1. Moyes, p. 84.

1. Benaud, Richie (2010). [*Over But Not Out*](https://books.google.com/books?id=VsDv18ovsUAC&dq=bruce+bowley&pg=PT52). London: Hatchette UK. ISBN 978-1444711219. Retrieved 9 May 2016.

1. ["Victoria v South Australia, Sheffield Shield 1951/52"](https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/20/20106.html). *CricketArchive*. Retrieved 16 May 2016.

1. Blackburn, p. 44.

1. ["Wisden Obituaries - 2014"](http://www.espncricinfo.com/wisdenalmanack/content/story/973115.html). *Wisden*. ESPN Sports Media. 17 February 2016. Retrieved 16 May 2016.

1. ["Bowley, Bruce Leonard OAM"](http://tributes.adelaidenow.com.au/notice/45492152/view). *The Advertiser*. News Limited. Retrieved 7 May 2016.

1. ["Leonard Bowley"](https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/15/15781/15781.html). *CricketArchive*. Retrieved 3 May 2016.

1. ["BOWLEY, Bruce Leonard"](https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/886870). *It's An Honour*. Australian Government. Retrieved 4 May 2016.

## 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.

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Bruce Bowley](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruce_Bowley) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruce_Bowley?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.