while also scoring his maiden first-class century. He played first-class cricket for Hampshire until 1938, making 108 appearances for the county. He was known, on occasion, to deputise as captain for Lionel Tennyson, doing so for matches in 1924, 1926 and 1931. Aird scored 3,603 runs for Hampshire at an average of 22.24; he made four centuries and ten half centuries. His highest score of 159 came against Leicestershire in 1929, in a total of 272. A capable fielder, he took over 50 catches in first-class cricket. Aird began his association with the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) when he was appointed assistant secretary in 1926, with William Findlay succeeding Francis Lacey as 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 by Rowan Rait Kerr. In addition to playing first-class cricket for Hampshire and the MCC, Aird also played for the Gentlemen in the Gentlemen v Players fixture of 1925. War service and cricket administration Aird served in the British Army during the Second World War, being commissioned as a lieutenant into the Royal Armoured Corps in August 1939, a day before the outbreak of hostilities. He saw action during the North African campaign and was wounded several times, once severely. He had been the sole survivor of a destroyed tank on two occasions. He was awarded the Military Cross in November 1942. He remained in the military following the war, transferring to the 4th County of London Yeomanry. He was conferred the Territorial Decoration in April 1951, at which point he held the rank of captain. He exceeded the age limit for liability to recall in August 1952, at which point he ceased to belong to the Reserve of Officers, but was allowed to retain his honorary rank of major. 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 the BBC to broadcast live coverage of the