The Somerset cricketing community is mourning the sad loss of former player Graham Tripp who passed away on New Years Day 2024 at the age of 91.

Graham Malcolm Tripp was born in Clevedon, where he lived all of his life, on 9th June 1932 and was introduced to cricket by his father Charlie who was a stalwart member of Clevedon Cricket Club for many years, which is where his son also played.

Young Tripp made quite an impression in local cricketing circles as a classy solid stroke playing right handed batter and was invited to join the staff at Somerset which he duly did in 1952.

His National Service was spent in the Royal Air Force where he represented the RAF at cricket, before returning to Somerset, where he made his first class debut against the South Africans in June 1955, scoring two and 13.

Graham remained in the side for the following game and made his county championship debut against a strong Middlesex side that included his boyhood heroes Denis Compton and Bill Edrich at Lord’s. 

He scored heavily for the Second XI and in 1956 he enjoyed his best season playing in nine championship matches in which he scored 217 runs at an average  of 15.50 with a best of 50 which he achieved when promoted to open the innings against Derbyshire.

Graham’s highest score came in 1957 against Colchester against Essex where batting at three he made 62. He continued to score a lot of runs for the Seconds, topping the Somerset Minor Counties and Second XI competition averages. However he was unable to replicate this success when he appeared for the senior sided in 1958 and 59.

At the end of 1959 Graham left Somerset and played Minor Counties cricket for Devon which he continued to do until the end of 1964, after which he returned to play for his home club Clevedon.

In all Graham played in 34 first class matches for Somerset in which he scored 700 runs which included two half centuries and a best of 62

Graham was an all round sportsman and for a number of seasons played football for Clevedon AFC. He was a county standard badminton player and also had a spell with Clevedon Hockey Club. 

In later years Graham took up golf where at his best he enjoyed a handicap of four and played for Somerset Seniors.

Up until last summer Graham enjoyed coming to Taunton to watch Somerset playing and regularly attended the Former Player gatherings.  

Ken Palmer who was a team mate of Graham’s back in the 1950s said: “When I first joined the staff ‘Trippy’ was the senior one among us youngsters and he did a good job helping us all.  He was a good bat a good slip catcher and a brilliant fielder and knew the game very well.”

A private cremation will be taking place, followed by a Thanksgiving Service for Graham on Friday 19th January at Christchurch, Chapel Hill, Clevedon, BS21 7LL.