In every sport there is always someone that would have been a great but for a misfortune of timing.
Partly because he was slow to develop, paritally because World War One got in the way and the fact he was in a Surrey side which included Jack Hobbs and Sutcliffe.
Hobbs did retire but by then Sandham was too old to take his place.
His career for Surrey began in 1911.
Although a solid and impressive bat for whatever reason he found it difficult to keep a place in the team.
He took till 1919 to secure a place which he retained till 1937.
He also had the misfortune of making a Test debut in the 1921 Test against Australia which was hardly a happy English memory.
As a boy he watched the great Tom Hayward and took much of his stroke play from the master.