Ronnie Aird facts for kids

Ronald Aird MC (born May 4, 1902 – died August 16, 1986) was an English cricket player, a leader in cricket, and an officer in the British Army. He started his cricket career with Hampshire County Cricket Club in 1920. He played over 100 games for Hampshire and scored more than 3,600 runs.

After playing cricket for Cambridge University Cricket Club while studying there, Aird became an assistant secretary for the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) in 1926. This new job meant he played less cricket. He later became the MCC secretary in 1952 and stayed in that role until 1962. In 1968, he became the MCC president. He also led Hampshire County Cricket Club as president from 1971 to 1983. During Second World War, Aird served in the army and received an award called the Military Cross.

Early Life and Cricket Journey

Ronald Aird was born in Paddington, London, in May 1902. His grandfather was Sir John Aird, 1st Baronet. Ronald went to Eton College, a famous school, where he played cricket for the school team. He also played a sport called rackets at Eton.

In 1920 and 1921, while still at Eton, Aird started playing for Hampshire County Cricket Club. His first big cricket match was against Warwickshire in Portsmouth. After Eton, he went to Clare College, Cambridge. In 1923, he played cricket for Cambridge University Cricket Club. He earned a special award called a "blue" that year. He played 12 games for the university, and one of his best performances was scoring 64 runs against a strong Yorkshire team.

Playing for Hampshire

It took Ronald Aird a little time to get used to playing at a high level of cricket, but he soon became a regular player for Hampshire. In 1924, he played his only full season of county cricket. He played 28 games and scored over 1,000 runs that season, which was his only time doing so. He also scored his first century (100 runs in one game).

Aird continued to play for Hampshire until 1938, making 108 appearances for the team. Sometimes, he even filled in as captain for Lionel Tennyson. He scored 3,603 runs for Hampshire, with an average of 22.24. He made four centuries and ten half-centuries (scores of 50 or more runs). His highest score was 159 runs against Leicestershire in 1929. He was also a good fielder, catching over 50 balls in his career.

In 1926, Aird started working for the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) as an assistant secretary. This job meant he had less time to play for Hampshire. After 1926, he never played more than seven games for Hampshire in a season. He also played 15 first-class matches for the MCC between 1927 and 1939. Besides playing for Hampshire and the MCC, Aird also played in a special match called Gentlemen v Players in 1925.

War Service and Cricket Leadership

When the Second World War began in August 1939, Ronald Aird joined the British Army. He became a lieutenant in the Royal Armoured Corps. He fought in the North African campaign and was injured several times. He was very brave, surviving two times when his tank was destroyed and he was the only one left. In November 1942, he was awarded the Military Cross for his bravery.

After the war, he stayed in the army for a while. He was given another award, the Territorial Decoration, in 1951. He reached the rank of captain and later held the honorary rank of major.

Leading the MCC

After the war, Aird continued to work for the MCC. In 1952, he became the MCC secretary, taking over from Rowan Rait Kerr. One year into his new role, he allowed the BBC to show live TV coverage of a very important cricket match in 1953. This was because many people wanted to see England try to win back The Ashes for the first time in 19 years.

Ronald Aird retired from his secretary role in 1962. He was known for being calm and steady. In 1968, he became the president of the MCC. During his presidency, he led an important meeting about cricket relations with South Africa during the D'Oliveira affair. This event led to England's cricket tour of South Africa being cancelled. Aird was praised for how he handled this difficult situation.

He continued to be involved with the MCC, becoming a trustee in 1971 and a life vice-president in 1983. Besides his roles at the MCC, Aird also led Hampshire County Cricket Club as president from 1971 to 1983. He was also involved with a cricket club called I Zingari for over 50 years, helping it become popular again.

Later Life

Outside of cricket, Ronald Aird was also a talented real tennis player. He won the silver racket six times between 1933 and 1949, but he never won the gold racket.

In his retirement, he moved to a village in Sussex called Yapton. He lived close to Arundel, and he shared his knowledge and experience with the Friends of Arundel Castle Cricket Ground. Ronald Aird faced health problems in his later years and passed away in Yapton in August 1986, at the age of 84.