Challen Skeet Explained

Challen Hasler Lufkin Skeet (17 August 1895 – 20 April 1978) was an English first-class cricketer who played for Middlesex and Oxford University between 1919 and 1922.[1]

Skeet was born in Oamaru, Otago, New Zealand. His family moved to England when he was a boy and he was educated at St Paul's School, London, and Merton College, Oxford. He served as a second lieutenant in the 12th Royal Fusiliers during World War I and was taken prisoner during the Battle of Loos in September 1915.[2]

Skeet was "a solid bat rather than a stroke player" but was "one of the great fieldsmen of his time".[3] In the last match of the 1920 season he played an innings for Middlesex that helped them win the County Championship: against Surrey at Lord's they were 73 behind on the first innings but Skeet (who scored 106, his only first-class century) and Harry Lee opened the second innings with a partnership of 208, and Middlesex went on to win.[3]

He served the British government in Sudan for many years as a District Commissioner.[3] [4] He married Aileen Grace Rand in London in 1926.[5] He died in West Tytherley, Hampshire.[6]

Notes and References

  1. Book: Levens. R.G.C.. Merton College Register 1900–1964. 1964. Basil Blackwell. Oxford. 121.
  2. The Fight at Loos: New Zealander Captured . Otago Daily Times . 16 December 1915 . 4 .
  3. "Obituary, 1978", Wisden 1979, pp. 1086–87.
  4. Book: Anderson . Casper . The Government and Administration of Africa, 1880-1939 Vol 1 . 2017 . Routledge . London . 107.
  5. Web site: London, England, Church of England Marriages and Banns, 1754-1932 . Ancestry . 16 December 2020.
  6. https://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/32/32789/32789.html Challen Skeet at CricketArchive