James Michael Parks (21 October 1931 – 31 May 2022) was an English cricketer. He played in forty-six Tests for England, between 1954 and 1968. In those Tests, Parks scored 1,962 runs with a personal best of 108 not out, and took 103 catches and made 11 stumpings.
Parks was an attacking batsman, athletic fieldsman and a spin bowler who made his first-class debut for Sussex in 1949. By 1958, and with Sussex struggling for a reliable stopper, Parks made a successful switch to wicketkeeping.[2]
Parks describes the unusual circumstances in which he first began keeping wicket:
It came about by accident. I didn't keep wicket at the start of my career. I was a specialist batsman. A couple of years after that, Sussex were playing against Essex in a Championship game at Chelmsford, when our wicketkeeper, Rupert Webb got injured. There we were in the Chelmsford dressing room before the start of play and we suddenly realised we've got no wicketkeeper. Robin Marlar, the Sussex captain, looked at me and said "You're doing it". I didn't have any kit and so had to borrow Essex keeper Brian Taylor's gloves.[5]
Prior to that, in 1954, Parks had been picked, purely as a batsman, for one Test against Pakistan at the age of 22. He made little impact and had to wait until early in 1960 to score an unbeaten century, batting at number seven, to help England gain a draw and clinch the series whilst touring the West Indies.[2] He then remained England's first choice wicket-keeper through to the mid-1960s.[2] In the 1965–66 Ashes series he made 290 runs (48.33) and hit his fair share of boundaries, but a missed stumping off Peter Burge in the Second Test cost England a chance of regaining the urn.[6]
The cricket writer Colin Bateman commented, "Parks was a gifted batsman and a most effective wicketkeeper". Bateman added "although he never suggested he was in the same class as Godfrey Evans before him or Alan Knott after, Parks had safe hands and was a good stopper".[2]
Parks captained Sussex from 1967 to 1968,[1][3] before he was succeeded by Mike Griffith.[7] He left Sussex following the 1972 season, and joined Somerset on a three-year contract.[1] He retired from first-class cricket in 1976.[8] In 739 first-class matches, he scored 36,673 runs at an average of 34.76, with 51 hundreds and 213 fifties. He took 1,087 catches and made 92 stumpings. He also took 51 wickets, with a personal best of 3 for 23.[1]
Later lifeedit
After retiring from cricket, Parks was employed by Whitbread.[8] He subsequently went back to Sussex to be its marketing manager and went on to serve two terms as club president starting in 2013.[1][3] He also acted as manager of the Old England cricket team for several years.[1] From August 2021 until his death, Parks was the oldest surviving male England Test cricketer.[9]
Personal life and deathedit
Parks was married to Jenny (née Rogers) from 1973 until his death.[4][3][10] His previous marriages, to Irene Young and then Ann Wembridge, both ended in divorce.[10] He had three children with Irene, Andrew (d. 2004), Bobby, who played county cricket for both Hampshire and Kent, and Louise.[3][8]
Parks died on the morning of 31 May 2022 at Worthing Hospital. He was 90, and suffered a fall at his home in the week prior to his death.[4][3][10]
Citationsedit
^ abcdef"Jim Parks". ESPN Cricinfo. ESPN Internet Ventures. Retrieved 1 June 2022.
^ abcdefBateman, Colin (1993). If The Cap Fits. Tony Williams Publications. pp. 130–131. ISBN1-869833-21-X.
^ abcdef"Former Sussex and England keeper Jim Parks dies aged 90". ESPN Cricinfo. ESPN Internet Ventures. 31 May 2022. Retrieved 1 June 2022.
^ abc"Remembering Jim Parks — 1931–2022". Sussex County Cricket Club. 31 May 2022. Retrieved 1 June 2022.
^Parks, Jim (10 April 2016). "Back then, wicketkeepers never worried about scoring hundreds" (Interview). Interviewed by Crispin Andrews. ESPNcricinfo.
^"Ashes Chronicles – Part 6: Air travel spooks England in 1965/66". The Cricketer. 9 November 2021. from the original on 1 June 2022. Retrieved 1 June 2022.
^Jones, Allan (6 February 2009). "Dad's lad". ESPN Cricinfo. ESPN Internet Ventures. from the original on 1 June 2022. Retrieved 1 June 2022.
^ abcBerry, Scyld (31 May 2022). "Jim Parks, former England wicketkeeper, dies aged 90". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 1 June 2022.
parks, cricketer, born, 1931, father, parks, cricketer, born, 1903, james, michael, parks, october, 1931, 2022, english, cricketer, played, forty, tests, england, between, 1954, 1968, those, tests, parks, scored, runs, with, personal, best, took, catches, made. For his father see Jim Parks cricketer born 1903 James Michael Parks 21 October 1931 31 May 2022 was an English cricketer He played in forty six Tests for England between 1954 and 1968 In those Tests Parks scored 1 962 runs with a personal best of 108 not out and took 103 catches and made 11 stumpings Jim ParksPersonal informationFull nameJames Michael ParksBorn 1931 10 21 21 October 1931Haywards Heath Sussex EnglandDied31 May 2022 2022 05 31 aged 90 Worthing West Sussex EnglandBattingRight handedBowlingRight arm leg breakRoleWicket keeperRelationsJim Parks Sr father Bobby Parks son International informationNational sideEnglandTest debut cap 375 22 July 1954 v PakistanLast Test5 March 1968 v West IndiesDomestic team informationYearsTeam1949 1972Sussex1973 1976SomersetCareer statisticsCompetition Test FC LAMatches 46 739 132Runs scored 1 962 36 673 2 832Batting average 32 16 34 76 26 22100s 50s 2 9 51 213 1 13Top score 108 205 102 Balls bowled 54 3 837 Wickets 1 51 Bowling average 51 00 43 82 5 wickets in innings 0 0 10 wickets in match 0 0 Best bowling 1 43 3 23 Catches stumpings 103 11 1 087 94 113 7Source CricInfo 1 October 2009 Contents 1 Early life 2 Career 3 Later life 4 Personal life and death 5 Citations 6 General and cited references 7 External linksEarly life editParks was born in Haywards Heath on 21 October 1931 1 2 His father Jim Sr was a prolific all rounder for Sussex and played once for England in 1937 2 while his uncle Harry played over 400 games for Sussex 3 Parks attended Hove County Grammar School for Boys 4 Career editParks was an attacking batsman athletic fieldsman and a spin bowler who made his first class debut for Sussex in 1949 By 1958 and with Sussex struggling for a reliable stopper Parks made a successful switch to wicketkeeping 2 Parks describes the unusual circumstances in which he first began keeping wicket It came about by accident I didn t keep wicket at the start of my career I was a specialist batsman A couple of years after that Sussex were playing against Essex in a Championship game at Chelmsford when our wicketkeeper Rupert Webb got injured There we were in the Chelmsford dressing room before the start of play and we suddenly realised we ve got no wicketkeeper Robin Marlar the Sussex captain looked at me and said You re doing it I didn t have any kit and so had to borrow Essex keeper Brian Taylor s gloves 5 Prior to that in 1954 Parks had been picked purely as a batsman for one Test against Pakistan at the age of 22 He made little impact and had to wait until early in 1960 to score an unbeaten century batting at number seven to help England gain a draw and clinch the series whilst touring the West Indies 2 He then remained England s first choice wicket keeper through to the mid 1960s 2 In the 1965 66 Ashes series he made 290 runs 48 33 and hit his fair share of boundaries but a missed stumping off Peter Burge in the Second Test cost England a chance of regaining the urn 6 The cricket writer Colin Bateman commented Parks was a gifted batsman and a most effective wicketkeeper Bateman added although he never suggested he was in the same class as Godfrey Evans before him or Alan Knott after Parks had safe hands and was a good stopper 2 Parks captained Sussex from 1967 to 1968 1 3 before he was succeeded by Mike Griffith 7 He left Sussex following the 1972 season and joined Somerset on a three year contract 1 He retired from first class cricket in 1976 8 In 739 first class matches he scored 36 673 runs at an average of 34 76 with 51 hundreds and 213 fifties He took 1 087 catches and made 92 stumpings He also took 51 wickets with a personal best of 3 for 23 1 Later life editAfter retiring from cricket Parks was employed by Whitbread 8 He subsequently went back to Sussex to be its marketing manager and went on to serve two terms as club president starting in 2013 1 3 He also acted as manager of the Old England cricket team for several years 1 From August 2021 until his death Parks was the oldest surviving male England Test cricketer 9 Personal life and death editParks was married to Jenny nee Rogers from 1973 until his death 4 3 10 His previous marriages to Irene Young and then Ann Wembridge both ended in divorce 10 He had three children with Irene Andrew d 2004 Bobby who played county cricket for both Hampshire and Kent and Louise 3 8 Parks died on the morning of 31 May 2022 at Worthing Hospital He was 90 and suffered a fall at his home in the week prior to his death 4 3 10 Citations edit a b c d e f Jim Parks ESPN Cricinfo ESPN Internet Ventures Retrieved 1 June 2022 a b c d e f Bateman Colin 1993 If The Cap Fits Tony Williams Publications pp 130 131 ISBN 1 869833 21 X a b c d e f Former Sussex and England keeper Jim Parks dies aged 90 ESPN Cricinfo ESPN Internet Ventures 31 May 2022 Retrieved 1 June 2022 a b c Remembering Jim Parks 1931 2022 Sussex County Cricket Club 31 May 2022 Retrieved 1 June 2022 Parks Jim 10 April 2016 Back then wicketkeepers never worried about scoring hundreds Interview Interviewed by Crispin Andrews ESPNcricinfo Ashes Chronicles Part 6 Air travel spooks England in 1965 66 The Cricketer 9 November 2021 Archived from the original on 1 June 2022 Retrieved 1 June 2022 Jones Allan 6 February 2009 Dad s lad ESPN Cricinfo ESPN Internet Ventures Archived from the original on 1 June 2022 Retrieved 1 June 2022 a b c Berry Scyld 31 May 2022 Jim Parks former England wicketkeeper dies aged 90 The Daily Telegraph Retrieved 1 June 2022 Wisden Cricketers Almanack 2022 John Wisden Bloomsbury 2022 pp 255 amp 259 ISBN 978 1 4729 9110 2 a b c Mason Peter 2 June 2022 Jim Parks obituary The Guardian Retrieved 4 June 2022 General and cited references editWatts Derek 2005 Young Jim The Jim Parks Story Stroud Gloucestershire UK Tempus Press ISBN 9780752435503 OCLC 132290796 External links editJim Parks at ESPNcricinfoSporting positionsPreceded byThe 9th Nawab of Pataudi Sussex county cricket captain1967 1968 Succeeded byMike Griffith Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Jim Parks cricketer born 1931 amp oldid 1183747695, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
