Frank Vigar
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Frank Henry Vigar | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born |
14 July 1917 Bruton, Somerset, England |
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| Died | 31 May 2004 (aged 86) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Batting style | Right-hand bat | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bowling style | Legbreak | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Domestic team information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1938–1954 | Essex | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| First class debut | 28 May 1938 Essex v Glamorgan | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last First class | 28 August 1954 Essex v Sussex | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career statistics | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Source: Cricket Archive, 22 September 2009 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Frank Henry Vigar (14 July 1917 – 31 May 2004) was an English cricketer who played first class cricket for Essex between 1938 and 1954. A right-handed batsman, and leg break bowler, Vigar served as an all-rounder with 8,858 runs at 26.28 and 241 wickets at 37.90. From his rained-off debut in 1938, Vigar went on to play 257 matches for his county. His greatest success came in the "golden summer" of 1947, where he scored 1,735 runs and took 64 wickets. A partnership with Peter Smith of 218 for the final wicket remains an Essex record.
He spent the Second World War serving in the Royal Air Force. As his career progressed, his once useful bowling became both less successful and subordinate to Smith's, though he remained a sound and reliable batsman until a decline in form prompted the end of his playing career in 1954. He made minor county and invitation appearances on occasion up to 1965, and spent three years coaching West of Scotland before retiring.
Vigar was born on 14 July 1917 in Bruton, Somerset. An "ungainly" batsman, Vigar developed into a "determined middle order" player, though he would never been known as a "hitter."Trevor Bailey recalled him to be "a very unusual mix – a very sound batsman, solid and stubborn, and a useful leg-spinner," while Wisden described him as "a tall, Somerset-born leg-spinner who turned into one of Essex's most reliable batsmen in the decade after the war," and "tweaked a few." Vigar began his cricketing career as a young amateur, playing for the Essex's Young Amateur team against a similar development squad for Surrey in early September 1935. Vigar scored 30 and took three wickets.
Vigar's first match, on 28 May, was rained off after Glamorgan had been dismissed for 100 runs on the first day, and Vigar did not bat or bowl. By 1 June, however, he was contributing to Essex's efforts. That day, Essex faced Worcestershire and was bowled for a duck by Peter Jackson before making 24 not out in the second innings. Worcestershire took the full 12 points following a 60 run victory. He played four more matches that season, amassing a total of 50 runs at 8.33, and taking four wickets at 58.75, including a career-best 2/39 against Derbyshire on 25 August.
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