A Review of the 1933 Season
In May the Club was rocked by the tragic death of William Sandrock, the Guardian on 12 May 1933 picks up the story:
MR W F SANDROCK’S PASSING
Mr William Frederick Sandrock BSc , eldest son of Mr and Mrs W Sandrock of 61 Buxton Road Chingford died early on Monday morning after a long and tedious illness patiently borne. He was only twenty three years of age
His death will be deplored by a wide circle of friends. He had lived in Chingford all his life and was one of the most popular sportsmen in the district. As a cricketer he showed promise above the ordinary, and for the last four years had rendered splendid all-round service to the Chingford first eleven, He regularly scored a thousand runs in a season and in 1931-32 was vice-captain of the club.
A very useful golfer, tennis player and footballer, he was on the committee of the Chingford Association Football Club. By reason of his modest and generous disposition he was liked by all with whom he came into contact, both club colleagues and opponents alike.
Educated at the Central Foundation School London, he later went to East London College (London University) and afterwards to the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. He obtained his degree and became equipped for a successful career as an analytical chemist.
Much sympathy has been extended to the relatives in their bereavement.
Gordon Downes was 1st Eleven Captain with Reg Garner doing the 2A Eleven and Tim Spencer the 2B Eleven. According to the 1934 fixture card, the results for 1933 were as follows:
|
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Won
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Drawn
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Lost
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1st XI
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10
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9
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10
|
|
2A XI
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8
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8
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5
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|
2B XI
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7
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3
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10
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|
Sun
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10
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1
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5
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Leading the batting was Len Parslow, whose massive 1279 runs included 138 v B Roper’s XI in Cricket Week. Don Spencer also passed the thousand, with 1042 and for the 1st XI he hit 126 v Highams Park and 112 v Cheshunt.
With the ball, Alec Meston (68) and Gordon Downes (67) were the leading wicket takers, and the season’s best analysis came from W Spicer, with 8-18 in the Sunday game v Old Askeans .
It was a year of many happenings and some of these are reported below:
Sunday 7 May saw the birth of our sister club, the Chinghoppers which was formed by Gordon Downes and Freed Cheesewright. The first Chingfhoppers fixture was away to Norwood and the side fielded was as follows:
SC Spicer, N James, WG Spencer, NE Westerhout, S Welland, TW Thomas, FV Cheesewright, R Dalton, HW Hughes, G Downes, FG Cheesewright. Following a late start due to rain Chinghoppers declared on 112-7, Noel Westerhout top scoring with 40 and Norwood were dismissed for 78 with R Dalton taking 5-19 with his slows
The 2B eleven were at home to Highams Park on Saturday 13 May, and the match was reported as follows:
SPECTATORS JEER AT BATSMEN’S EFFORTS
Chingford 2B batted first against Highams Park II and on a tricky wicket failed to show an advantage. T Downs and Arkell scored 27 and 36 respectively and were the only batsmen to overcome the conditions. In dismissing them for 94, Highams Park had to thank E Gardiner for some good bowling, for he took 6 wickets cheaply. Highams Park started disastarously and lost 6 wickets for 23, but by determined batting C Caplen and R Roper added 42 runs of which Roper scored 17. At one period eight successive maiden overs were bowled, and it is to be regretted that certain spectators on the benches by the fence had not sufficient knowledge of the requirements of the game to refrain from jeering at the batsmen’s endeavours to pull the game round. Caplen continued to stay while Fairservice backed him up well and the game was won before either was dismissed for 37 and 16 respectively. Grey took 5 wickets for 20, T Downs 2 for 27 in 14 overs and Ford 2 for 7 in 11 overs. Chingford’s fielding showed much improvement.
On 27 May the 1st XI were away at North London and Alec Meston was in line for possibly the greatest bowling performance in Club history. North London, batting first were 76-8 and Meston had taken 8-22 with all his victims bowled when rain stopped play and the game was abandoned ! Meston was also in hostile mood in the game v Finchley, when he clean bowled six batsmen in just 5 overs.
Saturday 10 June saw Don Spencer (126) and Len Parslow (79) add 214, a record 2nd wicket stand and only three short of the club record in the drawn match at home to Highams Park
On 11 July Chingford entertained Essex Club and Ground and the match was reported as follows:
CHINGFORD SHOCK THEIR COUNTY VISITORS, DESPITE MANY INTERRUPTIONS
It was unfortunate that Chingford’s big game against the Essex Club and Ground side was seriously entailed by rain. As it was, in spite of frequent interruptions, some very interesting cricket was seen. The Club and Ground batted first and soon lost a wicket, Avery being caught behind the wicket with the score at 12. At 33 Castor left caught bty Spencer off Meston, while at 51 Bennett was caught behind the wicket for 28. AE Taylor and Rist then carried the score to 148 before the former was bowled for 31. Rist did most of the scoring and continued to hit whatever bowling was sent up to him to all parts of the field. When his score had reached 101 the innings was declared closed at the total of 181 for 4. Chingford opened with Meston and Parslow, and they laid the foundation of a good score, putting together 122 for the first wicket. Meston scored a little quicker than his partner, and was responsible for 66 of this account. Parslow was then joined by Spencer and they played out time with 81 and 19 to their credit without being beaten. The total was 166 for 1, Chingford thus being 16 runs short of obtaining the number set them for a win.
15 July saw rain in the region and the 2B Eleven away to Leytonstone. With the ball sodden and the wicket bumpy, Chingford adopted hit or be hit tactics. The defeat was made worse by frequent encroaching from fieldsmen in other games owing to too many wickets being pitched on the ground.
3 September saw the report:
COUNTY PLAYERS DELIGHT CROWD
From the purely cricketing point of view the interest in the annual charity match between Chingford and Mr LC Eastman’s XI of Essex County players evaporated early in the afternoon as a result of weak batting by the home men, for whom WG Spencer, who scored 35 out of a total of 95, was the only man to do well. This total was easily passed and the game developed into more an exhibition of cricket, which whilst it as most entertaining, and pleasant to watch lacked that little extra interest which would have been provided had the visitors been given a somewhat stiffer total to face.
However, the primary object of the match was to aid the funds of the Chingford Hospital Aid Society and a large crowd collected to help this worthy cause. The financial results should be entirely satisfactory, over £28 being taken, and this sum is by no means complete, as all the proceeds have not yet been handed in. During this series of charity matches over £200 has been passed on to various worthy objects, and Chingford and the County are to be congratulated on their efforts in this connection.
Chingford batted first and lost Meston in the first over, and this seemed to upset the whole side which batted feebly with the exception of Spencer (35) and to some extent Westerhout (14), none of the others shaping up at all well against Evans who took 5 for 28.
The County men took things very steadily and collected 248. Wade (58), Rist (54) and Pope (39) being chief scorers, while the veteran AE Russell got 23 not out. In bowling, Meston 3 for 63 and Harley 3 for 77 met with most success, while Adamson took 2 for 18 in eight overs, four of which were maidens.
In the Tennis Section the Cornish Challenge Cup was won by Mrs W J Birt (Ladies’ Singles) and Mr James Wisbey (Men’s Singles) and the Petingall-Norbury Trophy (Mixed Doubles) was not awarded . In matches the results were Played 10 W2 D3 L5