Edward James McKenzie "Ed" Cowan (born 16 June 1982) is an Australian Test cricketer who has played for the British Universities, New South Wales (NSW), Tasmania, Oxford MCCU and Nottinghamshire teams. He is a left handed batsman. Cowan attended Tudor House School in Moss Vale and Cranbrook School in Bellevue Hill where he played in the school 1st XI aged only 14, and scored 218 not out, and went on to the under-17 New South Wales championships. Whilst in Year 12 he was selected to play for the Australian under 19s side to tour Sri Lanka. He played for the University of Sydney Cricket Club and made his debut for NSW in 2005. In 2009, Cowan joined the Tasmanian Tigers where a successful season saw him score 225 vs South Australia in his first game at home. This was followed on by two other centuries at Bellerive Oval and a successful Ford Ranger Cup premiership. In 2011 Cowan published a book, his diary of the 2010/2011 Sheffield Shield season entitled: "In The Firing Line". Cowan was selected for Australia A in June 2010 to play Sri Lanka, where he scored a century in a convincing series win. Cowan made his Test cricket debut for Australia in the 2011 Boxing Day Test against India. His selection followed a season in which, to that point, he had averaged 64.22 in first class matches. Against India he became the 18th Australian opening batsman to score a half-century (68) on debut. He played in all four Tests of the series, opening the batting with David Warner. Australia won the series 4--0; over the four Tests Cowan scored 206 runs at an average of 34.33, including another half-century (74) in Perth. Cowan had less fortune on the Tour of the West Indies later that year, scoring only a half century. As a result, his position as opener will rely on his performances against the touring South Africans in November in which he scored over a century with his partnership with Michael Clarke. His maiden Test century came on 12 November 2012, a year to the day after the death of his mentor and former teacher Peter Roebuck; Cowan dedicated the century to Roebuck's memory. Cowan was criticized after being unable to follow up with another century in the remaining tests against South Africa. Cowan finished the series with 228 runs in five innings, these included the debut test ton and a half century in the last match at the WACA. This the innings where he scored that maiden hundred!!