Colin McVicar
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Colin Cameron McVicar | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 3 June 1916 Palmerston North, New Zealand | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Died | 17 February 1987 (aged 70) Palmerston North | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Batting | Right-handed | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bowling | Slow left-arm orthodox | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Relations | Stuart McVicar (brother) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Domestic team information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1950/51–1951/52 | Central Districts | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career statistics | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Source: Cricinfo, 10 December 2017 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Colin Cameron McVicar (3 June 1916 – 17 February 1987) was a New Zealand cricketer who played five matches of first-class cricket for Central Districts between January 1951 and January 1952.[1]
McVicar was born in Palmerston North, and attended Palmerston North Boys' High School.[2] He served with the New Zealand Army in World War II and was taken prisoner during the Battle of El Alamein in North Africa in 1942.[3] He was held in prison camps in Italy before being transferred to a German camp near Potsdam, where he remained until the camp was liberated in early 1945.[4]
An opening batsman, McVicar made his first-class debut at the age of 34 in Central Districts' second match in the 1950–51 season. It was also Central Districts' debut season, and they had lost their first match, but this time, playing for the first time at home, they won, defeating Canterbury at Fitzherbert Park in Palmerston North. In a low-scoring match McVicar top-scored in the first innings with 42 and took three catches in Canterbury's first innings.[5] Central Districts also won their next match, another low-scoring match, McVicar making 29 and 40.[6] In subsequent matches he was less successful with the bat, and lost his spot after the first two matches of the 1951–52 season.[1]
Before his first-class debut, McVicar had already had a long and successful career for Manawatu in the Hawke Cup during Manawatu's period of dominance from 1934–35 to 1946–47. He was the competition's leading run-scorer in 1937–38, 1945–46 and 1946–47,[7][8][9] and had established the record for the most runs in Hawke Cup challenge matches, finishing his career with 1,754 runs at an average of 40.79.[10][11] His record stood until Ian Leggat broke it during the 1964–65 season.[12]
McVicar's brother Stuart also played first-class cricket, representing Wellington, and their father Alec was a stalwart for Manawatu for more than 20 years. The Colin McVicar Trust supported the Manawatu Cricket Association until 2008, when the trust's money was transferred to the Manawatu Cricket Investment Fund.[13] The practice facilities at Fitzherbert Park are named after the McVicar family.[14]
References
- ^ a b "Colin McVicar". CricketArchive. Retrieved 25 June 2022.
- ^ McCarron, Tony (2010). New Zealand Cricketers 1863/64–2010. Cardiff: The Association of Cricket Statisticians and Historians. p. 88. ISBN 978-1-905138-98-2. Retrieved 10 February 2026.
- ^ "Colin Cameron McVicar". Auckland Museum Online Cenotaph. Retrieved 10 December 2017.
- ^ "Near Bomb Havoc: War Prisoner's Experience". Manawatu Standard: 5. 21 July 1945.
- ^ "Central Districts v Canterbury 1950-51". CricketArchive. Retrieved 10 December 2017.
- ^ "Central Districts v Auckland 1950-51". CricketArchive. Retrieved 10 December 2017.
- ^ "Batting and fielding in Hawke Cup 1937-38". CricketArchive. Retrieved 10 December 2017.
- ^ "Batting and fielding in Hawke Cup 1945-46". CricketArchive. Retrieved 10 December 2017.
- ^ "Batting and fielding in Hawke Cup 1946-47". CricketArchive. Retrieved 10 December 2017.
- ^ Arthur H. Carman & Noel S. Macdonald (eds), The Cricket Almanack of New Zealand, Sporting Publications, Wellington, 1951, p. 56.
- ^ Francis Payne & Ian Smith, eds, 2021 New Zealand Cricket Almanack, Upstart Press, Takapuna, 2021, p. 173.
- ^ "I. B. Leggat Sets Hawke Cup Record In Bright 130". Press: 13. 5 December 1964.
- ^ "MCA stays well in the black". stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 10 December 2017.
- ^ Brown, Murray (25 June 2022). "Back Issues: The MCC and the cricketing engine driver". Manawatu Standard. Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 25 June 2022.