Vivian Purcell

{{short description|English cricketer and soldier}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2021}}

{{Infobox cricketer

| name = Vivian Purcell

| image =

| country = England

| fullname = Vivian Edward Purcell

| birth_date = 18 May 1882

| birth_place = Ipswich, Suffolk, England

| death_date = {{death date and age|1954|4|23|1882|5|18|df=yes}}

| death_place = Hove, Sussex, England

| nickname =

| family =

| batting = Unknown

| bowling =

| role =

| club1 = Europeans

| year1 = 1911/12

| columns = 1

| column1 = First-class

| matches1 = 1

| runs1 = 29

| bat avg1 = 29.00

| 100s/50s1 = –/–

| top score1 = 29*

| hidedeliveries = true

| catches/stumpings1 = –/–

| date = 8 December

| year = 2023

| source = https://www.espncricinfo.com/cricketers/vivian-purcell-32483 Cricinfo

}}

Vivian Edward Purcell (18 May 1882 – 23 April 1954) was an English first-class cricketer and an officer in the British Army.

The son of Colonel H. M. Purcell, he was born at Ipswich in May 1882. Purcell was educated at Wellington College,{{cite book|title=Wellington College Register, 1859-1923|first1=Joseph Louis|last1=Bevir|first2=Arthur Henry Fox|last2=Strangways|date=1923|page=217|publisher=Hunt|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dejBM16bTlEC|language=en}} before attending the Royal Military Academy at Woolwich, from where he graduated into the Royal Engineers (RE) as a second lieutenant in July 1901.{{London Gazette|issue=27348|date=23 August 1901|page=5590}} Promotion to lieutenant followed in April 1904,{{London Gazette|issue=27698|date=22 July 1904|page=4760}} with a further promotion to captain coming in January 1912.{{London Gazette|issue=28575|date=26 January 1912|page=642}} While in serving in British India, Purcell made a single appearance in first-class cricket for the Europeans cricket team against the Parsees at Bombay in the 1911–12 Bombay Triangular Tournament.{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/14/14379/First-Class_Matches.html|title=First-Class Matches played by Vivian Purcell|publisher=CricketArchive|accessdate=8 December 2023|url-access=subscription}} Batting twice in the match, he was dismissed without scoring by Maneksha Bulsara, while in their second innings he top-scored with an unbeaten 29 in the Europeans total of 85 all out.{{cite web|url=https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/8/8594.html|title=Europeans v Parsees, Bombay Triangular Tournament 1911/12 (Final)|publisher=CricketArchive|accessdate=8 December 2023|url-access=subscription}}

Purcell served in the RE during the First World War, during which he gained promotion to major in November 1916.{{London Gazette|issue=29833|date=21 November 1916|page=11388|supp=y}} Eight years after the end of the war, he was placed on the half-pay list on account of ill-health,{{London Gazette|issue=33208|date=5 October 1926|page=6369}} prior to retiring in October 1928.{{London Gazette|issue=33432|date=23 October 1928|page=6779}} Purcell died at Hove in April 1954.{{cite web |title=Vivian Purcell |url=https://www.espncricinfo.com/cricketers/vivian-purcell-32483 |website=ESPNcricinfo |access-date=6 January 2025}}