A long innings

Happy birthday to Eric "Snowy" Tindill, who is 97 today, the second Test cricketer to reach that age. Francis MacKinnon, who died in his 99th year in 1947, is the only Test cricketer to have lived longer.

In addition to five Test caps as a wicketkeeper for New Zealand, Tindill played for the All Blacks at fly half against England at Twickenham in 1936 in the 13-0 defeat that became known as "Obolensky's match". He is believed to be the third-oldest surviving rugby international, after Ernest Pinkham, 99, who played on the wing for Canada against Japan in 1932, and James McLaren Henderson, 100, who played at No 8 in Scotland's triple crown-winning side of 1933.

Half a dozen New Zealand sportsmen have played rugby and cricket for New Zealand but Tindill is the only one to play Tests in each sport. Indeed, he has a strong claim to be New Zealand's most accomplished all-round sportsman: he also founded the Wellington Table-Tennis Association, was treasurer of the New Zealand Boxing Council from 1973-81 and played grade football. In later years, he was a New Zealand cricket selector, umpire and rugby referee. He was also, continuing this blog's recent theme, a qualified accountant.

Tindill is now very frail after a fall last year, when he broke his hip, but speaking through a friend he told Line and Length how his two tours of England differed. "We got paid a slightly better allowance with the cricket team but we had to play nearly every day," he said. "That's very demanding, especially for a wicketkeeper [he was the only one taken on a 23-match tour]. On the rugby tour, we often played just once a week, and had a lot of spare time."

Tindill only made the 1935-36 All Blacks tour at the last gasp. Chosen as a replacement for the final trials match, he came on with 20 minutes to go and dropped a goal on the stroke of full time to win the match and selection.

In cricket, he was a left-handed batsman, who made an impressive debut for Wellington in 1933, scoring 106 against Auckland. He was second-choice wicketkeeper for the state but took on the gloves when Ken James moved to England. Tindill first played for the New Zealand cricket team against Gubby Allen's MCC touring side in 1937 at the Basin Reserve, when he made 24 not out as the home side, following on, held on for a draw. It was a memorable match for him as he he was married on the final morning. Tindill was allowed to miss the official dinner that evening, but when New Zealand embarked the next day on their tour of England, his new wife had to follow on a later ship as New Zealand cricket regulations did not allow husbands and wives to travel together.

"Tindill was a good batsman, adept at placing the ball for singles and strong on the drive, and a clean efficient keeper who appealed only when necessary and then in a loud whisper," Joseph Ramanos, the New Zealand journalist, said. Perhaps that unwillingness to bellow "howzat" explains Don Bradman's reaction on being caught behind for 11 by Tindill at Adelaide in 1937.

"He didn't walk," Tindill recalled. "There was quite a delay before an umpire gave him out. There was a big crowd on their way to the ground – it was Saturday morning and the gate was supposed to help subsidise the New Zealand Cricket Council for losses incurred in England – but when they heard Bradman was out, the just turned around and left."

War took the best years of Tindill's career, but he was nearly selected for Walter Hadlee's team to tour England in 1949. Many expected him to earn the wicketkeeper's place after making 149 against Auckland shortly before the squad was announced, but the selectors went for youth and picked Frank Mooney.

Yet, Tindill's all-round sports career was nearly ended when he was 22. Playing a game of club rugby in 1929, Tindill went to tackle Alf Cleverley, an Olympic boxer, as he attempted to mark a ball. Cleverley fended him off in the way that most boxers would - by thumping him. "I was concussed and they carted me off to hospital," Tindill said. "My face the next day was just a mass of congealed blood. It turned sceptic and I had to have an operation. I was unconscious from Thursday until Monday, but managed to survive."

As one of the few remaining cricketers to have played against both Hammond and Bradman, he certainly is a survivor. Happy birthday, Snowy.