ALASTAIR McQUEEN DOWELL died in Scotland on 9 April 2010, 38 days short of his 90th birthday.

Born and educated in Kinross, Alastair, whose club cricket was played for Clackmanan County, was a right arm fast medium bowler, who played three first class matches for Scotland in the 1950s. However he took only 2 wickets, both against Worcestershire  at Broughty Ferry in 1951, a match which the county won by an innings and 50 runs. Dowell removed both openers, having long serving opener Eddie Cooper caught at the wicket by Hunter Cosh for 7 and clean bowling future England opener, the left hander Perter Richardson, for 21.

The match is, however, best remembered for the wicket keeping of Hugo Yarnold of Worcestershire. Having made one stumping in the first innings, he made  seven in the second, when he also held one catch. The bowlers involved were  England leg spinner Roly Jenkins and Mkichael Bradley, a slow left armer who played a handful of first class matches that a season and the next. Alastair avoided the carnage. Having been 1* in the first innings, he was bowled for 0 by off spinner Norman Whiting in the second.

                                                                                                               

      Edward Liddle

Copyright: Cover Point