Lives in Cricket No 45 - Brief Candles 2

53 Number 11 Army in 1928 he spent 13 years as an instructor of surveying at Oxford University, where he was awarded an MA degree in 1929. He remained in Oxford after retiring from the academic life, and died there in April 1942 at the age of 68. His service in India had left him relatively little time for cricket. CricketArchive records his appearance in only two matches there, but one of these was the first-class match which led to his appearance in these pages. Around the turn of the 20th century the only matches in India now recognised as first-class were the two games played each August and September between teams of Europeans and Parsees, with one match in Bombay and one in Poona. In 1900 the Europeans - their side included long-time servant of cricket in India and Hampshire, Captain John Greig, with Douglas Jardine’s father - lost the August match at Bombay inside two days by 155 runs, and had to regroup for the match at Poona a month later. Captain Tandy, as he then was, was one of the newcomers to the team, but he could do little to stem the flow of wickets in the Europeans’ first innings: batting at number seven he was bowled for a single as his side was dismissed for 119. The Parsees then made 336, and despite greater resistance in their second innings the Europeans looked to be heading for defeat when, at 284 for nine, Tandy - batting at number 11 because he was suffering from a stiff neck - joined William Drysdale, a Scottish- born civilian also making his first-class debut. 34 Together they added 124 34 Drysdale was to play three further first-class matches over the next two years, all for Europeans v Parsees; he lost his life in action in 1916. Tandy standing (back row, extreme left) in a Free Foresters XI in 1893. Next to him is W.D.Bovill, who played one first-class match for MCC in 1874 when, allegedly, only 16 years old.