Ed Cowan
Ed Cowan (Credits: Getty)

Former Australia Test opener Ed Cowan has brought down curtains on his First-Class Cricket career.

The New South Wales star will not represent his domestic team in their final 2017-18 Sheffield Shield game against Queensland next week. Cowan, however, will continue to partake in club cricket with Sydney University.

The left-handed batsman made his First-class debut in 2003 while playing for Oxford UCCE against Middlesex.

He went on to play 143 First-class games, amassing 10,097 runs with the help of 25 centuries and 48 fifties. During his illustrious First-class career, he had represented Gloucestershire, New South Wales, Nottinghamshire and Tasmania.

His highest score in First-class cricket is 225 which came for Tasmania versus South Africa during the 2009 season. He also accumulated 2984 runs at an average of just over 36 in 98 List A matches.

He was the leading run-scorer in the 2016-17 Sheffield Shield season, scoring 959 runs at 73.76. He had also accumulated 336 runs during the ongoing Sheffield Shield season. The season, however, went sour for him when he controversially got dropped from the playing eleven. At that time, Australia skipper Steven Smith had insisted Cowan got dropped, as they wanted to give Daniel Hughes a chance to prove himself for the Ashes.

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But despite enjoying a stellar First-class career, it took him close to a decade to break into the national side. The 35-year old made his Test debut versus India at the MCG in 2011. He went on to represent Australia in 18 Tests, scoring 1001 runs at 31.28 in. He scored six fifties and one hundred in his short Test career.

His highest individual Test score of 136 came against South Africa at the Gabba in 2012.

“It’s been a wonderful journey, and I’m grateful for all those who contributed along the way,” Cowan said. “I’ll always cherish the great memories and friendships that the game has afforded me. I feel incredibly lucky to have played around the world with so many great people over such a long period of time.”

Australia's Ed Cowan Announces Retirement From First-Class Cricket
Cowan scored over 1,000 runs in international cricket (Credits: Getty)

“I’m indebted to NSW Cricket, which invested a lot of time, money and energy in me from a young age. It’s equally as important to recognise everyone at Cricket Tasmania, who were hugely formative in my career. I have loved the game from my earliest days and feel incredibly lucky to still do so. At this stage I will continue to play Premier Cricket with Sydney University for the remainder of this season and beyond as we aim for successive titles,” he added.

James Sutherland, CEO of Cricket Australia, also paid his tribute to the retiring player and wished him luck in his future endeavours.

“Ed has made a great contribution to Australian cricket over the course of his career, at an international and domestic level, and we congratulate him on his achievements,” Sutherland said.

“Best remembered as a patient and considered opening batsman, the numbers accumulated by Ed during his career reveal the rewards of his perseverance and underscore the reason he is held in high regard by those who he has played with and against.

“We wish Ed all the best in his retirement from cricket and for his future endeavours,” he added.

Australia's Ed Cowan Announces Retirement From First-Class Cricket
Cowan represented Australia in 18 Tests (Credits: Getty)

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