Cowdrey made his first first-class century in 1951, 143 for the Free Foresters vs Oxford University, soon followed by 106 for the Gentlemen vs Players at Scarborough, captained by Len Hutton with Alec Bedser leading the bowling. After the match the Yorkshire captain Brian Sellers told him "If you are not playing for England and on that boat to Australia there'll only be one person to blame". He made 1,189 runs (33.02) in the 1951 season and was awarded his county cap by captain David Clark after making 71 against the touring South Africans, at 18 the youngest man to be capped by Kent.