Grahame Clinton

Grahame Selvey Clinton (born 5 May 1953) is a former English professional cricketer. He was an opening batsman who played for Kent County Cricket Club from 1974 to 1978 and for Surrey County Cricket Club from 1979 to 1990.

Early life Clinton was born at Sidcup in Kent in 1953. He was educated at Chislehurst and Sidcup Grammar School. He played cricket for the English Schools Cricket Association and England Young Cricketers from 1970 to 1972.

Cricket career Clinton first played for Kent's Second XI in 1971 and made his first-class cricket debut for the county against the touring Pakistanis at Canterbury in July 1974. He did not play again for the county until 1976 and, with the exception of 1977 when he made 18 first-class appearances, his opportunities for Kent were limited in a team which won the 1978 County Championship and Benson & Hedges Cup and shared the 1977 title. He joined Surrey prior to the 1979 season having played 32 first-class and 10 List A matches for Kent.

At Surrey he immediately formed a successful opening partnership with Alan Butcher which lasted until the 1986 season when Butcher suffered a loss of form and was dropped down the order and then omitted from the team before being released by Surrey at the end of the season. Their first wicket stands included 277 against Yorkshire in 1984, when Clinton made his highest score of 192, and 266 against Cambridge University in 1980. Butcher and Clinton shared 19 century opening partnerships for Surrey. Clinton top-scored with six runs in the first innings before scoring 65 not out as Surrey batted through their second innings to draw the match.

With all partners, Clinton took part in 31 century opening partnerships, and 73 century stands when all wickets are considered. He scored over a thousand runs in his first season with Surrey, a feat he achieved on six other occasions: 1980, 1981, 1985, 1986, 1988 and 1990. His best seasons, when he averaged in the 40s, were 1984, 1985, 1988 and 1990, although he had poor seasons in 1983 and 1989, when his average fell below 25.

His son, Richard Clinton, played for Essex, Loughborough UCCE and Surrey where he sometimes appeared in the same team as Mark Butcher, the son of Grahame Clinton's old opening partner.