Jim Parks, a former England cricketer, died at the age of 90. Parks was England’s oldest living Test cricketer at the time of his death.
Jim Parks, a former England wicketkeeper-batsman who played 46 Tests between 1954 and 1968, died on Tuesday at the age of 90, his county Sussex announced. He was England’s oldest living Test cricketer at the time of his death. “We are deeply sadden to announce the death of Jim Parks at the age of 90,” Sussex Cricket said in a statement. “Jim died this morning in Worthing hospital following a fall at home last week.” Parks, who was born in 1931, made his Sussex debut at the age of 18 and went on to play in 739 first-class matches and 132 List A games for the county.
He selected solely as a batsman for a single Test against Pakistan in 1954, but he really made an impact four years later when he took up wicketkeeping.
“It happened by chance,” he once said.
“At the start of my career, I didn’t keep wicket. I used to be a specialist batsman. A few years later, Sussex were playing Essex in a Championship match at Chelmsford when our wicketkeeper, Rupert Webb, injured.
“The Sussex captain, Robin Marlar, looked at me and said, ‘You’re doing it.'”
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Jim Parks, a skilled leg-break bowler, was a natural with the gloves and was recalled by England within 18 months.
He was to be a mainstay of the team for the majority of the 1960s.
As a batsman, he scored nearly 2,000 runs for England at an average of 32, including two centuries: 101 not out against the West Indies in Port of Spain in the 1959/60 series, batting at number eight, and 108 not out against South Africa in Durban in 1964.
As an attacking batsman, he adapted quickly to the introduction of one-day cricket in England in 1963, helping Sussex win the first two Gillette Cups.
Jim joined Somerset in 1973, after 23 years with Sussex, and stayed until his 47th birthday. He later returned to Sussex as marketing manager and served twice as president of the county.
His father, another Jim, also played for Sussex and for England in one Test against New Zealand in 1937, while his son Bobby was a long-serving Hampshire wicketkeeper.
“This is heartbreaking news,” England and Wales Cricket Board chief executive Tom Harrison said.
“Jim’s love of the game was obvious to everyone who knew him.”
“He had a remarkable career and served Sussex, Somerset, and England for many years.” “Our hearts go out to his friends and family.”
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