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Edward Liddle's International Profiles
Edward Richard Fox Vicars
  • Born 18 November 1835 Rugby, Warwickshire.
  • Died 25 October 1862 Rugby, Warwickshire.
  • Educated Rugby School
  • Occupation Army Officer
  • Debut 28 May 1857 v Gentlemen of England at Rotunda Gardens, Dublin
  • Cap Number 26
  • Style Right hand bat
  • Teams Phoenix

Edward Vicars owed his Irish selection to his military career which sent him to Ireland, as a Lieutenant, in 1857. He appeared for various military sides and for Phoenix and established himself as a good middle order batsman, even if he did not quite justify the comment made about him in his School Register, where he is described as, "the famous cricketer."

He showed his talents in his only match for Ireland, the third against the Gentlemen of England. The match was drawn, much in Ireland's favour. Had declarations then been allowed, or throwing wickets away to get the other side in not been considered "bad form", the hosts would certainly have won.

About 2000 people crowded into the ground, now on, in the Rotunda Gardens, and saw Edward make the second top score in Ireland's innings with a well played 31, before he was dismissed by a combination of the Fiennes brother ct WSTL Fiennes b CBTW Fiennes. The TW common to both brothers stood for Twistleton Wykeham! Fall of wickets details have not survived but Edward's 5th wicket stand with Charles Lawrence (46) must have been worth around half their sides' total. Edward did well again in the second knock, making 27 before being caught off the medium pace of former Oxford captain Reggie Hankey.

This was one of several good scores for Ireland, which meant that there was not enough time to bowl the visitors out. Edward now appears to have concentrated on his military career. He purchased a captaincy in 1858, a practice soon to be outlawed in the Army reforms which followed the Crimean War. Unfortunately Edward died four years later before his military capabilities could be fully judged.