Grahame Parker
Encyclopedia
Grahame Wilshaw Parker OBE (February 11, 1912 – November 11, 1995) was an English
sportsman who played first-class cricket
for Gloucestershire
and represented the England national rugby union team
.
Parker, who was educated at The Crypt School
, opened the batting for Gloucestershire regularly throughout the 1930s and was also a useful swing bowler. While at Cambridge University early in the decade, he earned blues in both cricket and rugby. He performed well for their cricket team
in the 1934 University Matches with a century against Glamorgan
to go with a pair of 90s that year, one of those when he was for 94 in the match
with Oxford. He captained Cambridge University in 1935, having twice led Gloucestershire in the 1932 County Championship
.
With Gloucestershire, he had his stand out season in 1937 when he made 662 first-class runs at an average of 44.13. Amongst his three hundreds was a first innings score of 210 against Kent
at the Crabble Athletic Ground in Dover, which he followed up with bowling figures of 3/78. He had also made a century in his previous match and continued his form with 155 against Nottinghamshire
a week and a half after his double hundred.
He was capped the first time for the national rugby union team during the 1938 Home Nations Championship
, when England defeated Ireland
36 to 14 at Lansdowne Road. Parker, playing as a full-back, contributed 15 of those points with six conversions and a penalty kick. England had been captained by Warwickshire cricketer Peter Cranmer
. He also took part in England's five point loss to Scotland
at Twickenham and kicked three penalties.
Following the 1938 county season, Parker joined the military and wouldn't return to cricket until 1947. During this time he served as a major in the Royal Army Service Corps
, seeing action in both North Africa
and Italy
which won him a military MBE
. This was later upgraded to an OBE following his command of the Combined Cadet Force
at Blundell's School
(he taught at Blundell's for 22 years, and, simultaneously, with Ted Crowe, was coach of the 1st XV rugby team).
He struggled on his return to first-class cricket and could only manage 103 runs at 11.44 from five matches in 1947. After scoring three centuries in a month with the Gloucestershire Second XI in the 1949 Minor Counties Championship, Parker was recalled into the county squad for the 1950 County Championship campaign and he made five appearances that year but just two the following season. He then captained Devon
in the Minor Counties Championship from 1953 until 1956 when he retired.
Parker took over the secretary managership of Gloucestershire CCC and transformed the team to championship runners-up in 1969 and winners of the Gillette Cup in 1973 and the Benson and Hedges Cup in 1977. In 1986 and 1987 he would serve as president of Gloucestershire CCC.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
sportsman who played first-class cricket
First-class cricket
First-class cricket is a class of cricket that consists of matches of three or more days' scheduled duration, that are between two sides of eleven players and are officially adjudged first-class by virtue of the standard of the competing teams...
for Gloucestershire
Gloucestershire County Cricket Club
Gloucestershire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the historic county of Gloucestershire. Its limited overs team is called the Gloucestershire Gladiators....
and represented the England national rugby union team
England national rugby union team
The England national rugby union team represents England in rugby union. They compete in the annual Six Nations Championship with France, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, and Wales. They have won this championship on 26 occasions, 12 times winning the Grand Slam, making them the most successful team in...
.
Parker, who was educated at The Crypt School
The Crypt School, Gloucester
The Crypt School is a grammar school for boys with a mixed Sixth Form, located in the city of Gloucester, England, founded in 1539 by Joan Cooke with money inherited from her husband John....
, opened the batting for Gloucestershire regularly throughout the 1930s and was also a useful swing bowler. While at Cambridge University early in the decade, he earned blues in both cricket and rugby. He performed well for their cricket team
Cambridge University Cricket Club
Cambridge University Cricket Club is a first-class cricket team. It now plays all but one of its first-class cricket matches as part of the Cambridge University Centre of Cricketing Excellence , which includes Anglia Ruskin University...
in the 1934 University Matches with a century against Glamorgan
Glamorgan County Cricket Club
Glamorgan County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the historic county of Glamorgan aka Glamorganshire . Glamorgan CCC is the only Welsh first-class cricket club. Glamorgan CCC have won the English County...
to go with a pair of 90s that year, one of those when he was for 94 in the match
The University Match (cricket)
The University Match in a cricketing context is generally understood to refer to the annual fixture between Oxford University Cricket Club and Cambridge University Cricket Club...
with Oxford. He captained Cambridge University in 1935, having twice led Gloucestershire in the 1932 County Championship
County Championship
The County Championship is the domestic first-class cricket competition in England and Wales...
.
With Gloucestershire, he had his stand out season in 1937 when he made 662 first-class runs at an average of 44.13. Amongst his three hundreds was a first innings score of 210 against Kent
Kent County Cricket Club
Kent County Cricket Club is one of the 18 first class county county cricket clubs which make up the English and Welsh national cricket structure, representing the county of Kent...
at the Crabble Athletic Ground in Dover, which he followed up with bowling figures of 3/78. He had also made a century in his previous match and continued his form with 155 against Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club
Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Nottinghamshire, and the current county champions. Its limited overs team is called the Nottinghamshire Outlaws...
a week and a half after his double hundred.
He was capped the first time for the national rugby union team during the 1938 Home Nations Championship
1938 Home Nations Championship
The 1938 Home Nations Championship was the thirty-fourth series of the rugby union Home Nations Championship. Including the previous incarnations as the Five Nations, and prior to that, the Home Nations, this was the fifty-first series of the northern hemisphere rugby union championship. Six...
, when England defeated Ireland
Ireland national rugby union team
The Ireland national rugby union team represents the island of Ireland in rugby union. The team competes annually in the Six Nations Championship and every four years in the Rugby World Cup, where they reached the quarter-final stage in all but two competitions The Ireland national rugby union...
36 to 14 at Lansdowne Road. Parker, playing as a full-back, contributed 15 of those points with six conversions and a penalty kick. England had been captained by Warwickshire cricketer Peter Cranmer
Peter Cranmer
Peter Cranmer was an English sportsman who captained Warwickshire in first-class cricket and earlier in his career represented England at rugby union. After World War II he gave up on rugby and focused purely on cricket....
. He also took part in England's five point loss to Scotland
Scotland national rugby union team
The Scotland national rugby union team represent Scotland in international rugby union. Rugby union in Scotland is administered by the Scottish Rugby Union. The Scotland rugby union team is currently ranked eighth in the IRB World Rankings as of 19 September 2011...
at Twickenham and kicked three penalties.
Following the 1938 county season, Parker joined the military and wouldn't return to cricket until 1947. During this time he served as a major in the Royal Army Service Corps
Royal Army Service Corps
The Royal Army Service Corps was a corps of the British Army. It was responsible for land, coastal and lake transport; air despatch; supply of food, water, fuel, and general domestic stores such as clothing, furniture and stationery ; administration of...
, seeing action in both North Africa
North Africa
North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, linked by the Sahara to Sub-Saharan Africa. Geopolitically, the United Nations definition of Northern Africa includes eight countries or territories; Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, South Sudan, Sudan, Tunisia, and...
and Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
which won him a military MBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
. This was later upgraded to an OBE following his command of the Combined Cadet Force
Combined Cadet Force
The Combined Cadet Force is a Ministry of Defence sponsored youth organisation in the United Kingdom. Its aim is to "provide a disciplined organisation in a school so that pupils may develop powers of leadership by means of training to promote the qualities of responsibility, self reliance,...
at Blundell's School
Blundell's School
Blundell's School is a co-educational day and boarding independent school located in the town of Tiverton in the county of Devon, England. The school was founded in 1604 by the will of Peter Blundell, one of the richest men in England at the time, and relocated to its present location on the...
(he taught at Blundell's for 22 years, and, simultaneously, with Ted Crowe, was coach of the 1st XV rugby team).
He struggled on his return to first-class cricket and could only manage 103 runs at 11.44 from five matches in 1947. After scoring three centuries in a month with the Gloucestershire Second XI in the 1949 Minor Counties Championship, Parker was recalled into the county squad for the 1950 County Championship campaign and he made five appearances that year but just two the following season. He then captained Devon
Devon County Cricket Club
Devon County Cricket Club is one of the county clubs which make up the Minor Counties in the English domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Devon and playing in the Minor Counties Championship and the MCCA Knockout Trophy....
in the Minor Counties Championship from 1953 until 1956 when he retired.
Parker took over the secretary managership of Gloucestershire CCC and transformed the team to championship runners-up in 1969 and winners of the Gillette Cup in 1973 and the Benson and Hedges Cup in 1977. In 1986 and 1987 he would serve as president of Gloucestershire CCC.