Tubby Vials

Wisden obituary
George Alfred Turner Vials, who died on April 26, aged 87, was a grand old man of Northamptonshire cricket, serving the county he loved for seventy years. Son of the club's honorary secretary, he was born at Northampton on March 18, 1887, and his characteristic confidence and coolness were duly felt at Wellingborough Grammar School. He made his debut for Northants in 1904 and, when they were promoted the following year, he proved himself a polished batsman who could defend or attack admirably and a very sure outfielder. Frequently, during the ensuing years, he opened the batting. He was the determined and thorough captain from 1911 until 1913, and Northants finished second in 1912; for several years they were a strong, combative force. In 1910 when, at Sheffield, they defeated Yorkshire for the first time-comfortably by five wickets-Vials, exercising extreme care and then hitting fiercely, made 100, the first century ever taken by a Northants player off the Tykes. The previous year he hit 129 against Hampshire at Northampton, and Northants triumphed by one wicket. Those were his only hundreds in first-class cricket. The effects of a knee injury and his work as a solicitor curtailed his appearances after 1912, and, by his retirement in 1922, he had made 3813 runs, average 18.15, and held 105 catches. Always energetic in the cause of Northamptonshire, the stocky G. A. T. `Tubby' Vials was president from 1956 until 1968 and a trustee for many years until his death.
The Cricketer, June 1974