Joseph Bowden was an English cricket

Cricket

Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...

er who played first class cricket for Derbyshire

Derbyshire County Cricket Club

Derbyshire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the England and Wales domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Derbyshire...

 from 1909 to 1930.

Bowden was born at Glossop

Glossop

Glossop is a market town within the Borough of High Peak in Derbyshire, England. It lies on the Glossop Brook, a tributary of the River Etherow, about east of the city of Manchester, west of the city of Sheffield. Glossop is situated near Derbyshire's county borders with Cheshire, Greater...

, Derbyshire

Derbyshire

Derbyshire is a county in the East Midlands of England. A substantial portion of the Peak District National Park lies within Derbyshire. The northern part of Derbyshire overlaps with the Pennines, a famous chain of hills and mountains. The county contains within its boundary of approx...

. He made his debut for Derbyshire in the 1909 season

Derbyshire County Cricket Club in 1909

Derbyshire Country Cricket Club in 1909 was the cricket season when the English club Derbyshire had been playing for thirty eight years. It was their fifteenth season in the County Championship and they won two matches to finish fifteenth in the Championship table.-1909 season:Derbyshire played...

 against Sussex

Sussex County Cricket Club

Sussex County Cricket Club is the oldest of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Sussex. The club was founded as a successor to Brighton Cricket Club which was a representative of the county of Sussex as a...

 in May when he made 6 and 14. Over the next four years he played about five games a year, but in the 1914 season

Derbyshire County Cricket Club in 1914

Derbyshire Country Cricket Club in 1914 represents the last cricket season before World War I and was when the English club Derbyshire had been playing for forty three years...

 he played 16 matches for the club. Cricket was interrupted by the First World War, and Bowden did not return to the first class game until the 1921 season

Derbyshire County Cricket Club in 1921

Derbyshire Country Cricket Club in 1921 represents the cricket season when the English club Derbyshire had been playing for fifty years. It was their twenty-third season in the County Championship and they won five matches to finish twelfth..- 1921 season :...

. In that season he scored his first century of 108 against Gloucestershire

Gloucestershire County Cricket Club

Gloucestershire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the historic county of Gloucestershire. Its limited overs team is called the Gloucestershire Gladiators....

. He played steadily in the 1922 season

Derbyshire County Cricket Club in 1922

Derbyshire Country Cricket Club in 1922 represents the cricket season when the English club Derbyshire had been playing for fifty-one years. It was their twenty-fourth season in the County Championship and they won six matches to finish eleventh.-1922 season:...

 and in the 1923 season

Derbyshire County Cricket Club in 1923

Derbyshire Country Cricket Club in 1923 was the cricket season when the English club Derbyshire had been playing for fifty-two years. It was their twenty-fifth season in the County Championship and they won four matches to finish tenth.-1923 season:...

 scored 114 against Somerset

Somerset County Cricket Club

Somerset County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Somerset...

. After good but uneventful seasons in 1924

Derbyshire County Cricket Club in 1924

Derbyshire Country Cricket Club in 1924 represents the cricket season when the English club Derbyshire had been playing for fifty three years. It was their twenty sixth season in the County Championship and they failed to win a match, finishing seventeenth in the County Championship.-1924...

 and 1925

Derbyshire County Cricket Club in 1925

Derbyshire Country Cricket Club in 1925 was the cricket season when the English club Derbyshire had been playing for fifty four years. It was their twenty seventh season in the County Championship and they won five matches to finish fourteenth in the County Championship.-1925 season:Guy Jackson was...

, Bowden managed an average of 30.52 in the 1926 season

Derbyshire County Cricket Club in 1926

Derbyshire Country Cricket Club in 1926 represents the cricket season when the English club Derbyshire had been playing for fifty five years. It was their twenty-eighth season in the County Championship and they won five matches to finish eleventh in the County Championship..-1926 season:Derbyshire...

, clocking up 1221 runs and making 106 against Warwickshire

Warwickshire County Cricket Club

Warwickshire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Warwickshire. Its limited overs team is called the Warwickshire Bears. Their kit colours are black and gold and the shirt sponsor...

. He maintained form over the next three years and made his top score of 120 against Essex

Essex County Cricket Club

Essex County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the historic county of Essex. Its limited overs team is called the Essex Eagles, their team colours this season are blue.The club plays most of its home games...

 in the 1929 season

Derbyshire County Cricket Club in 1929

Derbyshire Country Cricket Club in 1929 represents the cricket season when the English club Derbyshire had been playing for fifty eight years. It was their thirty-first season in the County Championship and they came seventh in the competition after winning ten matches in the championship.-1929...

 when he partnered Harry Storer

Harry Storer, Jr.

Harry Storer was an English professional footballer, cricketer and football manager.-Early life:Storer was born in West Derby, Liverpool, the son of Harry Storer...

 who made 209 to put on 322 for the first wicket.
As of 2009, this remains the record first-wicket stand for Derbyshire.. In the 1930 season

Derbyshire County Cricket Club in 1930

Derbyshire Country Cricket Club in 1930 was the cricket season when the English club Derbyshire had been playing for fifty nine years. It was their thirty-second season in the County Championship and they won seven matches to finish ninth in the County Championship..-1930 season:Derbyshire played...

, which was his last, he played fewer matches and his average was down to 9.69

Bowden was a right-hand batsman and played 395 innings in 231 first class matches with an average of 20.57. He made over 7,600 runs and scored four centuries with a top score of 120. He was a right-arm medium pace bowler who took one wicket in 21 overs at an average of 54.00.

Bowden died at Glossop at the age of 73.