In 1927–28 Lowry scored 317 runs at 63.40 in the Plunket Shield, coming second in the national aggregates and averages and helping Wellington to the championship. In the last match of the competition he made 181, his highest score, in a 276-run victory over Auckland. He captained New Zealand in the two representative matches against the touring Australian team in 1927–28. He took over the captaincy of Wellington in 1928–29, scoring 251 runs at 50.20, and leading the team to second place. In the lead-up to New Zealand's first Test series against England in 1929–30 he led Wellington to victory in the Plunket Shield, scoring 255 runs at 42.50.