Cricket
In cricket, Tindill played club cricket for the Midland club (now Eastern Suburbs Cricket Club). He played domestic first-class cricket for Wellington from 1932–33 to 1949–50 as a wicket-keeper/batsman and left-handed opening batsman. He made a century on his first-class debut in January 1933, scoring 106 as an opening batsman in a Plunket Shield match against Auckland at Eden Park.
He also played five Tests for the New Zealand cricket team. He toured England under Curly Page in 1937, playing in 25 tour matches, including the three Test matches at Lord's, Old Trafford and the Oval. The report of the tour in the 1938 edition of Wisden Cricketers Almanack stated that Tindill "did nothing out of the common with the bat, but as a wicket-keeper he was always worth his place". Later that year, in a match played against South Australia in Adelaide on the return journey to help cover the costs of the England tour, he caught Don Bradman for 11 - his only appearance against a New Zealand team - off the bowling of Jack Cowie in the opening over of the Saturday's play. Unfortunately, this caused large numbers of spectators who were queuing to enter the ground to leave, costing the New Zealand team the gate money and defeating the purpose of the game.
He served in the NZEF in the Second World War, in North Africa. He then played in the first two Test matches in New Zealand after the War. In the Test against Australia at Wellington in 1945-6, New Zealand were bowled out for 42 and then 54, Tindill adding 1 and 13. He also played in the only Test against the touring English side at Lancaster Park, Christchurch in 1946-47. His Test batting average of 9.12 did not reflect his talent.
He played his last first-class game for Wellington against the touring Australians in 1950. He scored 6 first-class centuries at an average of 30.35 in 116 innings in 69 first-class matches. He reached his top score – 149 – playing for Wellington against Auckland in 1948. As a wicket-keeper, he took 96 catches and 33 stumpings.
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