Eric Leslie Kidd

Born on 18 October 1889 in Westminster, London, UK, the grandson of Joseph Kidd (1824-1918) and son of Percy Marmaduke Kidd (1851-1942), both eminent doctors, E. L. Kidd was educated at Wellington College, and went on to study at Cambridge University[3] where he made his first-class debut, playing for the university team against Essex in May 1910 and gained his blue when he played against Oxford University later in the year.[4] He remained in the University side for four years[3] and also began to play county cricket for Middlesex, making his debut for them in August 1910 against Yorkshire.[4]

He also played for the MCC and in a few Gentlemen v Players matches,[4] and at the outbreak of World War I was considered as someone who could possibly play Test cricket for England.[3] He graduated from Cambridge with a first in Engineering.[5]

After the war, he had moved to Dublin where he worked for Guinness,[3] and his appearances for Middlesex became rather sporadic by the standards of the time,[4] only playing when on vacation from work in Dublin.[3] He made his debut for Ireland in August 1921, playing against Scotland[2] in a first-class match.[4]

He continued with his occasional appearances for Middlesex, occasionally appearing for other first-class teams such as the Free Foresters,[4] and played for Ireland five more times, once against Scotland and four times against the MCC. His last game for Ireland was in August 1930 against the MCC in Dublin,[2] His last game for Middlesex was a County Championship match against Essex in June 1928, while his final first-class match was for the Free Foresters against Cambridge University.[4] He died on 2 July 1984 in Dún Laoghaire, County Dublin, Ireland.

In matches for Ireland, Kidd scored 376 runs at an average of 34.18, with a top score of 73 against Scotland in July 1925. He took 23 wickets at an average of 20.00, with best bowling figures of 5/63 against the MCC in August 1924, the only time he took five wickets in an innings for Ireland.[2] In first-class cricket, he scored 5113 runs at an average of 24.94, with a top score of 167[1] for Cambridge University against Sussex in 1912.[6] He took 186 wickets at an average of 24.62, with best innings bowling of 8/49[1] also for Cambridge University against Sussex, this time in 1911.[6] His highest first-class score for Middlesex was 150 not out[7] and his best bowling for them was 4/39.[8]