E.H. (Patsy) Hendren

5 February 1889 – 4 October 1962

England and Middlesex 

Right hand bat

One of the most popular cricketers of the inter-war period, Patsy Hendren made a name for himself not just for prolific run scoring, with his ability to hook fast bowling and use his feet against spin, but also for his humorous personality, particularly when it came to practical jokes and mimicking other players. 

Joining the Lord’s ground staff at the age of 16 in 1905 as a scorecard seller, his first-class debut was abandoned in 1907 due to fans damaging the pitch. His form prior to World War One was not note-worthy; he scored his maiden century in 1911 and never averaged higher than 40 prior to the war. During the conflict he was stationed with the Royal Fusiliers and also spent time working in a munitions factory.

Returning to cricket in 1919, Hendren quickly hit his stride, scoring 1,655 runs at an average of 61.29 and earning himself a nomination as a Wisden Cricketer of the Year for 1920. He repeated his exploits in 1920, this time scoring 2,520 runs at an average of 61.46. His form earned him a place on the 1920-21 MCC tour of Australia. He scored an impressive half-century in the second innings on debut and scored a further two fifties during the series. He couldn’t continue this form against Australia during the 1921 series in England, only achieving 17 runs over four innings.  

But he came back with a vengeance and between 1922 and 1928 his yearly average never went below 56. His runs and popularity with teammates saw him go on six MCC tours, his most successful being the 1929-30 tour of the West Indies where he scored 693 runs at an average of 115.50 in Test (135.76 for the whole tour) with a high score of 205. He made six consecutive half centuries in Tests, a feat only matched much later by Ted Dexter, Ken Barrington and Alastair Cook for England. 

His final Test appearance came on the 1934-35 tour of West Indies, a poor one for England on which he only averaged 28.85, a career low for overseas tours. He finished his Test career playing in 51 Tests, scoring 3,525 runs at an average of 47.63. He continued playing for Middlesex until retiring after the 1937 season. He finished his first-class career with 57,611 runs (still only behind Jack Hobbs and Frank Wolley in first-class aggregates) at an average of 50.80 and hit a total of 170 centuries, only second behind Jack Hobbs. 

He caused a stir in 1933 by inventing his own piece of protective headwear with his wife. A cap with three peaks, lined with sponge and also covering his ears and temples. Hendren said he needed protection after being struck on the head previously and the rise in short-pitched bowling, particularly from Manny Martindale and Learie Constantine. 

He combined his cricket career with playing as a forward in football, most notably for Brentford from 1911 to 1927 and played for England in an unofficial Victory International against Wales in 1919, making him a dual international. 

After retirement he followed Wilfred Rhodes as coach of Harrow School, where he was hailed for instilling a love and enthusiasm for the game, and led them to their first victory over Eton in 31 years. He also coached Sussex for four years, was made an MCC honorary life member in 1949, served on the Middlesex Committee and was Middlesex scorer from 1952 to 1960, a continuing friendly face on the county circuit. Ill-health brought this to a close and he passed away two years later from Alzheimer’s.