Graham Skinner (cricketer)

Alfred Graham Skinner (11 August 1910 – 19 January 1997) was an English cricketer. Skinner was a right-handed batsman who bowled right-arm off break. He was born in Calcutta, Bengal Presidency and educated at Oundle School in England.

Skinner made his debut for Buckinghamshire against the Kent Second XI in 1927. He played Minor counties cricket on a regular basis up to 1933,[1] even making two first-class appearances for the Minor Counties in 1933, against Oxford University and the touring West Indians.[2] While serving in the Raj in 1935, Skinner made his debut for the Europeans against the Muslims. Early the following year he made his debut for Bengal against Central Provinces and Berar in the Ranji Trophy. He would make 6 further first-class appearances for Bengal, the last of which came against Southern Punjab in 1938/39 Ranji Trophy.[2] In his 7 first-class appearances for the team, he scored 365 runs at an average of 33.18, with high score of 125.[3] This score, which was his only first-class century, came against Nawanagar in the final of the 1936/37 Ranji Trophy.[4] He also took 7 wickets for Bengal, which came at a bowling average of 36.85, with best figures of 3/44.[5] Late 1936 saw him make a further first-class appearance for the Europeans against the Parsees.[2]

Skinner next made appearances for Buckinghamshire in the Minor Counties Championship in 1938, making 9 appearances in that season.[1] With the start of World War II, he was mentioned in dispatches in the London Gazette in June 1940 as having passed out of the Officers' Training Corps with the rank of 2nd Lieutenant.[6] While on active service in the Raj, he later made his final first-class appearance for the Europeans, which came against the Hindus in the 1943/44 Bombay Pentangular Tournament, as well as making his final career first-class appearance for a Services XI against an Indian XI in February 1944.[2] Following the war, he returned to play for Buckinghamshire in 1952, making an appearance each against Berkshire, Oxfordshire and Norfolk.

He later died in Kensington, London on 19 January 1997.