Eric Tindill
Relations | Paul Tindill (son) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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International information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
National side |
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Test debut (cap 31) | 26 June 1937 v England | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Last Test | 25 March 1947 v England | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Domestic team information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Years | Team | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1932/33–1949/50 | Wellington | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Umpiring information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Tests umpired | 1 (1959) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Career statistics | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Source: Cricinfo, 22 January 2017 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Height | 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Weight | 66 kg (146 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Eric William Thomas Tindill
Early life
Tindill was born in
Cricket
In cricket, Tindill played club cricket for the Midland club (now
He also played five
He served in the
He played his last first-class game for Wellington against the touring Australians in 1950. He scored six first-class centuries and finished with an average of 30.35 in 116 innings in 69 first-class matches. He reached his top score – 149 – playing for Wellington against Auckland in 1948. As a wicket-keeper, he took 96 catches and 33 stumpings.
Rugby
In rugby, Tindill alternated between
The vast supply of midfield talent in Wellington during the 1930s made it difficult for him to get noticed, but the selectors for the All Blacks were remarkably thorough at seeking out talent—the trials for the team that would tour Britain in 1935–36 would see 188 players take part to fill 30 places. He was selected for that tour, and played in New Zealand's first loss to a club side against Swansea, 3–11, but scored two drop goals against London Counties on 26 December 1935, and was selected to play one Test against England at Twickenham on 4 January 1936. The match is most famous for the two tries scored by England's Alexander Obolensky – the son of a Russian émigré prince, playing in his first Test – and England beat New Zealand for the first time, 13–0.
Tindill was unable to play against South Africa in 1937, having already departed to tour England with the New Zealand cricket team, but he joined the All Blacks tour to Australia in 1938, playing in three games against state sides. The match against England in 1936 remained his only rugby Test. In all, he played 17 matches with the All Blacks, including one Test, and scored 24 points for 6 drop goals. Famed rugby commentator Winston McCarthy was certain that Tindill would have won selection for the 1940 tour of South Africa had it not been scrapped due to the outbreak of World War II.[2]
Umpire and referee
After retiring from active sport, Tindill also refereed rugby at domestic and Test level. He was noted for his keen instinct of the game's progress; McCarthy would recall, "In one match in which six tries were scored I saw the six of them scored at Eric's feet as he waited for the player to ground the ball."[2] The pinnacle of his career as a rugby referee came in 1950, when he oversaw the first two Tests of the series between the Lions and All Blacks, in Dunedin and Christchurch.[2] He would later umpire a cricket Test at Lancaster Park in 1959, having refereed the rugby Test there in 1950. He also refereed the rugby match against Australia at Dunedin in 1955.
Tindill was later an umpire, standing in one Test at Lancaster Park in 1959 with Jack Cowie, which England won by an innings and 99 runs inside three days, thanks to Ted Dexter's 141 and Tony Lock's 5–31 and 6–53.[8]
Later life
Tindill was secretary of the Wellington Cricket Association, and a selector for both Wellington and New Zealand cricket teams. He was a member of the panel that selected the New Zealand team that achieved the country's first Test victory, against the West Indies in 1956. He was also Treasurer of the New Zealand Boxing Council from 1973 to 1981. In the
He also wrote a best-selling book, The Tour of the Third All Blacks, about the 1935–36 tour, with fellow All Black Charlie Oliver, and wrote a history of Wellington Athletic Rugby Football Club in 1976. Of his five children, his son Paul played for Wellington in both rugby and first-class cricket,[12] and another son Dennis played rugby for Wellington B in 1964.[13]
Tindill died in Wellington in 2010 and was buried at Karori Cemetery.[14]
Records
While Tindill is the only person to have played Tests in both cricket and rugby union for New Zealand, six other players have represented New Zealand in both rugby union and cricket – the others being
Tindill became the
He became the oldest living All Black on 8 October 2001, on the death of Ray Williams,[18] and was the last surviving All Black who played a Test before World War II. The oldest ever Test rugby player remains Scotland's Mac Henderson, who died on 5 March 2009 aged 101 years and 309 days.
After Tindill's death, the oldest living Test cricketer became former South African fast bowler Norman Gordon,[10] and the oldest living All Black was Morrie McHugh.
Notes and references
- The Dominion Post. Retrieved 29 September 2011.
- ^ a b c d e Richards, Huw (31 October 2009). "The oldest All Black in town". Scrum.com. Retrieved 31 October 2009.
- ^ Obituary, The Daily Telegraph, 2 August 2010
- ^ "Wellington Cricket- Double cricket and rugby international Eric Tindill passes away". Archived from the original on 21 July 2011. Retrieved 5 August 2010.
- ^ Quoted in Richards, Huw (2 August 2010) Eric Tindill, Cricketer, Rugby Player and Referee, Dies at 99. New York Times
- ^ Only Test, Australia tour of New Zealand at Wellington, Mar 29–30 1946 | Match Summary | ESPNCricinfo. Cricinfo.com (30 March 1946). Retrieved on 2018-07-02.
- ^ Only Test, England tour of New Zealand at Christchurch, Mar 21–25 1947 | Match Summary | ESPNCricinfo. Cricinfo.com (25 March 1947). Retrieved on 2018-07-02.
- ^ 1st Test, England tour of New Zealand at Christchurch, Feb 27 – Mar 2 1959 | Match Summary | ESPNCricinfo. Cricinfo.com (2 March 1959). Retrieved on 2018-07-02.
- ^ "No. 48641". The London Gazette (3rd supplement). 13 June 1981. p. 44.
- ^ a b Oldest Test cricketer Eric Tindill dies, Cricinfo, 2 August 2010
- ^ "2000-2009 Halberg Award Winners". Archived from the original on 9 July 2010. Retrieved 5 August 2010.
- ^ Paul Tindill | Cricket Players and Officials | ESPNcricinfo. Cricinfo.com (6 November 1939). Retrieved on 2018-07-02.
- ^ a b Eric Tindill #417. Stats.allblacks.com. Retrieved on 2 July 2018.
- ^ "Cemeteries search". Wellington City Council. 12 July 2012. Retrieved 7 September 2014.
- ^ Eric Tindill | Cricket Players and Officials | ESPNcricinfo. Cricinfo.com. Retrieved on 2 July 2018.
- ^ Don Cleverley, oldest Test cricketer, dies aged 94 | Cricket | ESPNcricinfo. Cricinfo.com (16 February 2004). Retrieved on 2018-07-02.
- ^ The oldest All Black in town, Cricinfo, 10 November 2009
- ^ "Rugby: Tindill oldest All Black". New Zealand Herald. 11 October 2001. Retrieved 25 May 2013.
External links
- Eric Tindill at AllBlacks.com
- Eric Tindill at CricketArchive (subscription required)
- Eric Tindill at ESPNscrum
- Eric Tindill at ESPNcricinfo
- Eric Tindill at the New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame