Ronnie Aird

Ronnie Aird

Personal information
Full name	Ronald Aird
Born	(1902-05-04)4 May 1902 Paddington,London,England
Died	16 August 1986(1986-08-16)(aged 84) Yapton,Sussex,England
Batting	Right-handed
Bowling	Right-armmedium
Domestic team information
Years	Team
1920–1938	Hampshire
1923	Cambridge University
1927–1939	Marylebone Cricket Club
Career statistics
Competition First-class Matches 136 Runs scored 4,482 Batting average 21.97 100s/50s 4/14 Top score 159 Ballsbowled 526 Wickets 7 Bowling average 59.00 5 wickets in innings – 10 wickets in match – Best bowling 2/35 Catches/stumpings 52/–
Source:Cricinfo,22 September 2009

Ronald AirdMC(4 May 1902 – 16 August 1986) was an English first-classcricketer,cricket administrator andBritish Armyofficer. Aird began hisfirst-class cricketcareer withHampshire County Cricket Clubin 1920, making over 100 appearances for the county in which he scored over 3,600 runs. After also playing first-class cricket forCambridge University Cricket Clubwhile studying atClare College,Aird was appointed assistant secretary of theMarylebone Cricket Club(MCC) in 1926, which restricted his appearances in first-class cricket thereafter. He served as assistant secretary underWilliam FindlayandRowan Rait Kerr,and was himself elected secretary following Kerr's retirement in 1952. Aird remained in the post until 1962 and became MCC president in 1968, the year in which he chaired the special general meeting of the MCC over relations withSouth Africaduring theD'Oliveira affair.He later served as president of Hampshire County Cricket Club from 1971 to 1983. Outside of cricket, Aird served in theSecond World Warwith theRoyal Armoured Corpsand was decorated with theMilitary Cross.

Early life and cricket career

The son of Malcolm Rucker Aird, who was the son ofSir John Aird,he was born atPaddingtonin May 1902. He was educated atEton College,where he played for the college cricket team in the Eton vWinchestermatches. He was also active inracketsat Eton, reaching the pairs final atQueen's Clubtwice.During his final two years at Eton in 1920 and 1921, Aird trialled forHampshire,making his debut infirst-class cricketagainstWarwickshireatPortsmouth.From Eton, he matriculated toClare College, Cambridge.Despite featuring for Hampshire regularly in the1922 County Championship,it was not until 1923 that he played first-class cricket forCambridge University Cricket Club,having not been in the running for selection in 1922. He gained abluein 1923, a season in which he made 12 appearances for the university, largely due to his performance againstYorkshire,when he scored 64 against a strong bowling line-up containingGeorge Macaulay,Wilfred Rhodes,Emmott RobinsonandAbe Waddington.

For Hampshire, it took him time to acclimatise to the level of first-class cricket, but he soon became a regular member of the Hampshire side. In 1924, he played his only full season ofcounty cricket,making 28 appearances and passing 1,000 runs for the season for the only time, while also scoring his maiden first-classcentury.He played first-class cricket for Hampshire until 1938, making 108 appearances for the county.He was known, on occasion, to deputise as captain forLionel Tennyson,doing so for matches in 1924, 1926 and 1931.Aird scored 3,603 runs for Hampshire at anaverageof 22.24; he made four centuries and ten half centuries.His highest score of 159 came againstLeicestershirein 1929, in a total of 272.A capable fielder, he took over 50 catches in first-class cricket.

Aird began his association with theMarylebone Cricket Club(MCC) when he was appointed assistant secretary in 1926, withWilliam FindlaysucceedingFrancis Laceyas MCC secretary in the same year.He also played first-class cricket for the MCC from 1927 to 1939, making fifteen appearances and scoring 520 runs at an average of exactly 26.His administrative duties with the MCC had the effect of greatly reducing his appearances for Hampshire, so much so that after the 1926 season he never made more than seven appearances for the county in a given season.Aird maintained his role as assistant secretary in 1936, when Findlay was succeeded as secretary byRowan Rait Kerr.In addition to playing first-class cricket for Hampshire and the MCC, Aird also played for the Gentlemen in theGentlemen v Playersfixture of 1925.

War service and cricket administration

Aird served in theBritish Armyduring theSecond World War,being commissioned as alieutenantinto theRoyal Armoured Corpsin August 1939, a day before the outbreak of hostilities.He saw action during theNorth African campaignand was wounded several times, once severely. He had been the sole survivor of a destroyed tank on two occasions.He was awarded theMilitary Crossin November 1942.He remained in the military following the war, transferring to the4th County of London Yeomanry.He was conferred theTerritorial Decorationin April 1951, at which point he held the rank ofcaptain.He exceeded the age limit for liability to recall in August 1952, at which point he ceased to belong to theReserve of Officers,but was allowed to retain his honorary rank ofmajor.

Following the war, he continued to assist Rait-Kerr, until he succeeded him as MCC secretary in 1952.A year into the post, he gave permission for theBBCto broadcast live coverage of the decidingTestof the1953 Ashes Series,due to 'enormous public interest' as England sought to win backThe Ashesfor the first time in 19 years.The remainder of his secretaryship was summarised byWisdenas one absent of any startling reforms or innovations.He retired in 1962, being succeeded as secretary byBilly Griffith.Although known as a man who was imperturbable, he gained admiration from his peers during his presidency of the MCC in 1968, when he chaired the heated special general meeting over relations withSouth Africain light of theD'Oliveira affair,which led to the cancellation of England's tour of South Africa.He praised D'Oliveria for the great dignity that he had maintained throughout the affair.He was elected a trustee of the MCC in 1971, a position he held until his appointment as a life vice-president in 1983.In addition to his administrative roles within the MCC over a sixty-year period, Aird was also an administrator incounty cricket;he served as president of Hampshire County Cricket Club between 1971 and 1983, being succeeded byCecil Paris.He was also involved withI Zingarifor over fifty years, as secretary and treasurer, helping raise the club from the low esteem with which it had fallen to in the 1920s, to a club whose membership again became popular.

Outside of cricket, Aird competed atLord'sinreal tennis,winning the silverracketsix times between 1933 and 1949, though he never won the gold racket, being defeated twice byBaron Aberdareand four times by W. D. Macpherson.In retirement, he moved to theSussexvillage ofYapton,where he was resident at West Down House. His move there bought him close to nearbyArundel,with Aird becoming associated with the Friends ofArundel Castle Cricket Ground,to whom he provided much wisdom and experience.In his latter years, Aird struggled with illness and died at Yapton in August 1986, aged 84.

External links

• Ronnie AirdatESPNcricinfo