But after yesterday's swashbuckling effort with the blade, that perception will need revising.
The Otago opener smacked 105 from 85 balls to help her side post a formidable 291 for eight in a one-day match against Northern Districts at the University Oval.
The visiting side managed 200 in reply and lost by 91 runs. Cowan, who took one for 47, secured the initial breakthrough to cap off a stunning individual performance with the bat.
The right-hander, who plays representative hockey for Southern, shovelled the ball over midwicket, slapped it through the covers and barely played a forward defensive shot during her stint at the crease.
Her bottom hand dominates every swing of the bat and her grip and stance is, well, not exactly orthodox. But she certainly displayed fantastic hand-eye co-ordination and hit the ball hard, crunching 17 boundaries and tonking one six over wide midwicket.
It was a breakthrough performance for the 23-year-old, who a day earlier posted a career-high 48. Her previous best before that had been just 29.
''It feels good,'' Cowan said.
''I've found some good form finally.
''It has been a few years coming,'' she added. Cowan is in her fifth season with the Sparks.
The team has tended to rely on the likes of Suzie Bates and Katey Martin to do the bulk of the scoring at the top of the order and the pair have delivered more often than not. But Cowan's effort yesterday will ensure she gets more opportunities up the order in the future.
''Suzie has finally gone off to Aussie and given the rest of us a chance,'' Cowan joked.
Cowan's trip through the 90s was pretty much painless. She dispatched back-to-back boundaries to move to 98.
A push into the off side took her to 99 and her century came up in style. She clipped a delivery off her pads down to backward square for a boundary.
''I looked up at 90 and the next time I looked at the scoreboard I was on 98 so there was not really time to get too nervous.
''Leigh [Kasperek] was at the other end telling me to chill out but the heart was beating a wee bit.''
Cowan's effort was part of another cracking innings from the home team. She combined with Kasperek to put on 169 from 157 balls for the first wicket.
That partnership was broken when Emma Parker yorked Cowan shortly after she reached the milestone.
Kasperek went on to score 68 before she was trapped lbw.
In-form all-rounder Victoria Holden scored an undefeated run-a-ball 37 to help Otago close in on 300.
Natalie Dodds shaped as the key batsman if Northern was going to get close to the target.
But her innings came to a premature end when she was run out for 34.
Northern captain Brooke Halliday and Bernadine Bezuidenhout were injured during the match and were unable to bat.
But Kate Anderson and Kerry Tomlinson threatened to take the game away from Otago with a dangerous partnership.
They put on 80 at almost a run a ball before Otago opening bowler Beth Langston returned and got the important breakthrough, bowling Anderson for 39.
Tomlinson's bold innings of 43 ended with the ball clattering into her stumps and Langston celebrating. The England international then bowled Kari Carswell two balls later for a duck.
Northern had slumped from 185 for four to 193 for seven and, all the while, the run rate was climbing out of reach.
When Langston, who took four for 24, bowled Katie McGill for four, Northern had run out of fit players and its innings was completed at 200 for eight.
In other games, the match between Auckland and Wellington was abandoned without a ball bowled and at Hagley Oval, Central Districts had reached 85 for three against Canterbury when the weather closed in, forcing the game to be called off.
The match between Otago and Auckland at the National Provincial A tournament in Lincoln yesterday was called off after just five overs.
