Eric Senior

{{Short description|English cricketer and Royal Air Force officer}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}

{{Infobox cricketer

| name =

| image =

| country = England

| fullname = Eric Malcolm Senior

| birth_date = 6 October 1920

| birth_place = Shaftesbury, Dorset, England

| death_date = {{Death date and age|df=yes|1970|4|24|1920|10|6}}

| death_place = Oxford, Oxfordshire, England

| nickname =

| family =

| batting = Right-handed

| bowling =

| role =

| club1 = Oxfordshire

| year1 = 1939–1946

| club2 = Lincolnshire

| year2 = 1957–1958

| columns = 1

| column1 = First-class

| matches1 = 1

| runs1 = 1

| bat avg1 = 0.50

| 100s/50s1 = –/–

| top score1 = 1

| hidedeliveries = true

| catches/stumpings1 = –/–

| date = 16 February

| year = 2019

| source = http://www.espncricinfo.com/england/content/player/20661.html Cricinfo

}}

Eric Malcolm Senior (6 October 1920 – 24 April 1970) was an English first-class cricketer and Royal Air Force officer. Senior served in the latter stages of the Second World War with the Royal Air Force, in addition to playing first-class cricket for the Combined Services cricket team.

Senior was born at Shaftesbury in Dorset. He debuted in minor counties cricket for Oxfordshire in the 1939 Minor Counties Championship, playing in two matches.{{cite web|url=http://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/32/32664/Minor_Counties_Championship_Matches.html |title=Minor Counties Championship Matches played by Eric Senior |publisher=CricketArchive |accessdate=2019-02-16 |url-access=subscription}} He joined the Royal Air Force in the latter stages of the Second World War as a pilot officer.{{London Gazette |issue=37000|date=23 March 1945|startpage=1645|supp=y}}{{London Gazette |issue=37246|date=28 August 1945|startpage=4385|supp=y}} Following the war, he a handful of minor counties matches for Oxfordshire in 1946. Remaining in the Royal Air Force after the war, he was promoted to the rank of flying officer in May 1946.{{London Gazette |issue=37895|date=28 February 1947|startpage=1037|supp=y}} He became a flight lieutenant in October 1950,{{London Gazette |issue=39198|date=6 April 1951|startpage=1997|supp=y}} with promotion to squadron leader in March 1956.{{London Gazette |issue=40742|date=27 March 1956|startpage=1871|supp=y}} He appeared for Lincolnshire in minor counties cricket in 1957 and 1958.

Senior retired from active service at his own request in October 1961,{{London Gazette |issue=42535|date=8 December 1961|startpage=8975|supp=y}} five months after appearing in a first-class cricket match for the Combined Services cricket team against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge.{{cite web|url=http://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/32/32664/First-Class_Matches.html |title=First-Class Matches played by Eric Senior |publisher=CricketArchive |accessdate=2019-02-16 |url-access=subscription}} Senior scored one run in the match, which saw him dismissed by Roger Vowles in the Combined Services first-innings, and by Ian Davison in their second-innings.{{cite web|url=http://cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scorecards/24/24782.html |title=Nottinghamshire v Combined Services, 1961 |publisher=CricketArchive |accessdate=2019-02-16 |url-access=subscription}}

He died at Oxford in April 1970.