Tribute to ex-Werneth wicketkeeper

CRICKET:

KEITH Andrew, the Oldham-born wicketkeeper who went on to play cricket for England, has died at the age of 81.

Mr Andrew, who was raised in Eldon Street, attended Waterloo School and first showed his cricketing ability in the playground.

He went on to play for Oldham boys before joining Werneth in the Central Lancashire League after being recommended to the club by Lancashire stalwart Malcolm Hilton, a revered figure at the Coppice.

After a spell at Werneth, Andrew was plucked from the local cricket scene by Northamptonshire, for whom he went on to play 390 matches, scoring 4,230 runs and taking 904 victims behind the stumps.

He represented England on two occasions. The first — poignantly considering the ongoing Ashes series — came in Brisbane in 1954 when Godfrey Evans went down with sunstroke on the eve of the first Test.

Andrew’s second Test appearance came against the West Indies at Old Trafford in 1963.

Andrew’s career at the highest level was hindered by his limitations with the bat, which meant that he had to compete for the England selectors’ attention with the likes of Roy Swetman, Geoff Millman, John Murray and Jim Parks.

But he always had the reputation of being one of England’s finest glovemen and is fondly remembered by members at Northampton.