Our Sports Summary

New Zealand Tablet, Volume LII, Issue 11, 25 March 1925, Page 41

Our Sports Summary

CHRISTIAN BROTHERS' CRICKET CLUB. The Christian Brothers' 2nd grade eleven played a close match last Saturday against Dunedin, whom they defeated by only 5 runs—Christian Brothers, 105; Dunedin, 100. Toomey (44), Bond (19), and Burrell (10) batted well for Christian Brothers, while McOarten (7 wickets), Brookes (2 wickets), and Burrell (1 wicket) bowled well lor the winners. The 3rd grade added another victory to their long list by defeating Carisbrook — Christian Brothers, 109; Carisbrook, 03. MeClintock batted splendidly for 52, while Roughan (14 not out) and Parsons (11) also batted well for Christian Brothers. Lynskey (3 wickets for 4 runs) and Mattingly (2 for 4) bowled well, as did Cusack (3 for 20) and O'Connor (2 for 29). Christian Brothers' 4th grade (66 and 4 for 35) defeated Y.M.C.A. (41 and 67) by six wickets. McKewen (41 and 16) batted well for Christian Brothers, while n nil (10 wickets for 60). Sheehy (5 for 29) and McKewen (1 for 2) were the best bowlers. The Brothers' 2nd and 3rd grade teams are both t/*.p in their respective grades, whil? the 4th '>-rade team is second in l'-a grade. In the Boys' Association competition (here are two grades, and the Brothers 1 teams leading both. It is only one year since the club was reestablished, and its record is one to be proud of.

FAMOUS CATHOLIC CRICKETERS. Two of the eleven cricketers who played for England against Australia in the Fifth Test match arc Catholics; and, what is even more gratifying, they are practical Catholics, proud of the fact, and proud of the religion to which they belong (says the Catholic Press). "Patsy'' Hendren is one. If his soubriquet did not suggest it, his happy Hibernian disposition on and off the field might. If that failed, there is still one feature • about the great international that would never fail ihim, and that is his face. "Patsy's" features are typically Celtic, and he would appear quite as much at home in a representative hurling team from Cork or Tipperary as lie would among the crack cricketers of Middlesex or England. Tho other Catholic, just as keen, as practical, and. as courageous as the man from Mdidlesex, is Andrew Sandham, who would be cordially greeted at any Scotch kirk by tho Presbyterian minister who relied upon names or a study of psychology for his information. "Andy," as his comrades affectionately term him, is a very different type to his co-religionist, yet no more harmonious relationship exists between any two members of the team than between these two great batsmen, who have headed English first-class cricket averages between them for three consecutive years. ' rWhen Sandham was "caught" by the pressman he was enjoying a little respite at his hotel—the "Wentworth " j.

Sandham is about the same height as Hendren—both arc on the- slwt side—-but slimmer. When one sees him in street attire, one wonders where he gets the power behind thai cannon-ball shot through the covers, or that terrific drive between the bowler and mid-on, that helps to brighten the game and keep the scoring-board attendant on the move. Unfortunately for Sandham and for England, he did not get among the runs early in the tour. He appeared to ho wrestling with a 'hoodoo" that caught him unawares early in each innings on wickets much faster than those to which he had been accustomed. Perhaps, also, lie was not persevered with as much as he deserved. The man who topped England's averages just before leaving home, and who consistently opened with Hobbs for Surrey, might have bee i given more opportunities in the early important matches. His two centuries, 137 and 104, against New South Wales in the return match was declared by all to he class displays of the first degree. Sandham is just as sterling a Catholic as he is batsman, and is said to he "sound in defence" at both. Like Hendren, he is 34 years old. He started cricket when he was no bigger than the bat he attempted to wield. He was captain of the school XI at ten, and in his early 'teens he played for the Mitcham CO., where Strudwick and Tom Richardson learned much of their early cricket, At 21 years "Andy" joined the Oval staff. Ho played his first match for Surrey the same year, making his debut with the very respectable score of 60 against Lancashire. Then Tom Hayward dropped out of active play, and young Sandham was elevated to Hay ward's position as opening batsman for Surrey, with J. B. Hobbs, a. position he has retained till to-day. Hayward, Hobbs, and Sandham are indeed three opening batsmen of whom Surrey has every reason to be proud. In 1922-23 Sandham was picked to go with the English team to South Africa, He and Russell were the opening batsmen in the big matches of the tour, and Sandham finished with the highest aggregate number of runs — Prior to this match he has played in only one lest match against Australia, namely, in the last match of the 1021 tour by Armstrong's team at the Oval. He played only one innings, and got 21 runs. Last year, in England, he scored 2084 runs altogether, knocking up seven centuries and two other scores of 90 odd. In addition to being such a fine bat, he is considered one of the best outfields in the world. Hendren himself, and Johnny Taylor, being about his only rivals for the position. ... Sandham was very keen on coaching the boys. He said he had noticed that the big Catholic schools in Australia were holding their own. He expressed the hope that Morrissey and Schneider would both do exceptionally well. Pie advised the utmost care in coaching school boys, as he contended much depended upon the groundwork of cricket laid for the player at school.

St. Joseph's,-School-' Temuka, ■ ;., -M In addition to qualifying for a Junior National Scholarship, James Spillane, of St.' Joseph's School, Temuka, gained a St. Patrick's College Scholarship, as well as fifth place in the. Sacred Heart (Auckland) and third place in the St. Bede's (Christchurch) Colleges scholarship examinations.