Patsy Hendren: A Different Kind of English Hero is the fascinating story of a unique sportsman. Middlesex’s record runscorer and a superb fielder, Hendren appeared 51 times for England and was in two Ashes-winning sides in the 1920s. A fast and tricky winger, he also played more than 400 professional games for Brentford and was inducted into the club’s ‘Hall of Fame’ in 2015. When Hendren finally retired as a Middlesex player aged 48 in 1937, only Jack Hobbs and Frank Woolley had scored more first-class runs, only Hobbs more centuries.
A natural entertainer, too often Hendren has been seen simply as a comic figure, but there was so much more to him. Orphaned at 14, he was a devout Catholic who devoted much time and energy to church and hospital causes in west London and ran a successful indoor cricket school. This book tells the full story of one of the game’s most popular personalities, highlighting his relentless sporting life and his wider contributions to cricket, including as mentor to future stars Denis Compton and Bill Edrich.
Patsy Hendren: A Different Kind of English Hero is published by Pitch Publishing (hardback, 256 pages, 38 photographs, £25) and is available now from bookshops or online.
