OLD PARKONIANS CC 2007 REPORT
2007 was a return to enjoyable and competitive cricket at Oakfield with major improvements having been made in league positions.
1ST XI:
The 1st XI was an unfortunate exception to the rule having encountered a rather disappointing season after relegation to the bottom division three the previous year. The batting was often weak and the bowling not penetrative enough to knock over the better sides in the division. A new captain in Bobby Curtis took over the reigns but even he couldn’t resurrect the team with only 359 runs @ 29.92, a drop from previous years. Late season recruit James Swash smashed this in nine innings with a remarkable 421 runs @ 60.14 with two tons and two half centuries. Ed Buxton (204 runs @ 18.55) and James Foley (252 runs @ 22.91) struggled in 2007 although 15 year old colt Viz Balakumar showed much promise with 130 runs @ 21.67 in 8 knocks.
Despite struggling with the bat, Ed Buxton improved as a bowler collecting the highest total haul of 17 wickets including a stunning 6-34 in the rout of Woodford Green including a hat-trick. Unfortunately Ed has decided to seek pastures new but the club are hopeful of attracting one or two quality first XI players before the start of the season to improve the side.
Bobby Curtis continues the captaincy in 2008 along with new vice James Foley as he looks to improve on the poor showing of 2007 which saw the side finish 5th and a huge 69 points from 4th place Buckhurst Hill with only six wins.
2ND XI:
The 2nd XI were the most improved team of the season as they pushed all season for promotion and just missed out by 25 points in finishing 4th after being rock bottom with no wins in 2006. A return to the captaincy for Nick Thorpe with his very able assistant Andrew Beaven was a major factor in the upturn of fortunes on and off the field, but the recruitment of several new faces along with the older colts performing their part helped to rejuvenate the team.
One of the older colts who performed brilliantly was Farhad Yusaf who smashed bowling attacks to all parts in collecting an excellent 504 runs @ 42 with his maiden league ton at Ongar in the final match of the season. Farhad outscored his opening partner – father Waqar – although the elder Yusaf still collecting a healthy 438 runs @ 24.33 with three half centuries. Their opening partnership saw Parks get off to great starts and with new keeper/batsman Sathesh Divakaran (200 runs, ten catches and five stumpings), Tish Ganandran (192 runs @ 38.40), Zafar Khan (221 runs) and cousin Haris (217 runs) the batting was strong throughout, especially with occasional appearances too from 1st XI players John Richards (249 runs @ 83 in six inns) and 131 not out from Ari Jayadevan vs Billericay helping the cause.
The bowling was also fairly strong with one of the new recruits, Shahzad Ahmad, collecting 24 wickets @ 20.83 in an excellent debut season and having been pushed up to the twos, Ian ‘Bart’ Simpson responded by bamboozling batsman with slower balls in taking 21 wickets @ 19.19. Beaven and Zafar Khan took 14 wickets-a-piece with the captain himself amassing 13 scalps.
Thorpe continues his fantastic work in 2008 with new vice Waqar Yusaf and promotion is again a realistic aim in the coming season.
3RD XI:
The 3rd XI again enjoyed another successful season under the enjoyable stewardship of Vijay Vijayanathan and were promotion contenders for the whole campaign, even topping the table for a few weeks during the early-middle exchanges of the year. However, the ability in losing two matches that should have been won from strong positions in the Southend area (Southend-on-Sea by 25 runs and Leigh-on-Sea by five runs) plus the failure to beat relegated Stanford and then Benfleet both at home within the space of three weeks in August in two drawn matches again from strong positions cost the side a place in division two for 2008, with promotion missed by just 14 points. Add to that the dominance of Wanstead and Brentwood 4th XI’s having been promoted from the 4th XI premier and to finish in 3rd place for the third successive year was an excellent effort once again. In fact Parks were the only team to beat both Wanstead and Brentwood although with the two top 4th XI premier teams being promoted every year, whilst the standard of cricket will be stronger, this limits the chances of Parks and those on the fringes of winning promotion.
In terms of averages, a good team effort saw Y. Karuna top the runs scored column with 335 @ 27.92 including three 50’s and a highest of 67. Talented 15 year old colt Jamie Porter was exceptional in his first full season of adult cricket and scored 239 runs @ 19.92 including his maiden adult fifty and then a ton scored in the 4th XI (108 not out vs Brentwood 6th XI) and the captain also chipped in with 230 runs himself and again lead the bowling averages with 21 wickets @ just 15.67 a-piece with an incredible best haul of six wickets for four runs in the first game of the season at Ongar. The captain’s son at just 13 years old played a few games when required but with 12 wickets from his leggies he held a regular place in the side late in the season and rewarded this faith by taking a brilliant 5-30 in the win at Brentwood 4th XI. Nick Weekes was back to his best with his leg spinners and collected 15 wickets with a best of 5-40 having originally been 4th XI vice captain. Special mention must be made to Alex Grayburn who had the game of his life at home to Stanford-le-Hope by smashing his first ever ton of 132 and then bagging 6-28 after tea!!
Vijay continues as captain for 2008 with Amit Kalley joining him as vice and another successful season is expected.
4TH XI:
The 4th XI were probably the team of the season as they finished in 2nd place behind Harold Wood in division west. Promotion was missed by 39 points but Parks were 41 points ahead of 3rd place Upminster 6th XI showing that the only promotion place was contested between the two best sides in the division. One promotion place hardly seems fair in a league of 8 sides but Parks have been given some reward for their efforts by being added to the newly created division central for 2008.
'Big’ Jim Martin lead his troops admirably throughout the campaign especially with his run scoring as he helped himself to his 2nd league ton vs Loughton (101 not out in the 138 run thumping) and in total 327 runs @ 54.50 for the season. Next best was ‘Zim’ Dave Allbury who repaid the faith shown by being used more as a batsman than a front line bowler and returned 235 runs @ 21.36 with a maiden club fifty of 73 in the easy win over Loughton. Neil Cox only played four innings but showed consistency with 106 runs whilst newcomer Shohaib Ahmed hit 194 runs @ 27.71 in his first year with a highest of 65 in the final match of the campaign.
On the bowling front, the evergreen Jim Gambleton collected 38 wickets @ just 12.82 including a best of 7-24 vs eventual champions Harold Wood and also picked up two further five wicket hauls in 2007, quite remarkable. Shankar Manicks (18 wkts @ 19.17), off spinner Max Mukesh (17 wkts @ 16.35) and another newcomer Sachin Fing (13 wkts @ 21.85) all showed promise.
Jim continues the captaincy again for 2008 along with Nick Weekes once more as his vice and promotion will again be the goal.
The colts section at OPCC continues to flourish under Peter Simpson with the under 13’s performing very well in the Peter Coe Cup and the under 15’s losing in the final of the Cox and Kings Cup at Woodford Wells. More and more young and senior colts have risen into the senior teams and proved their worth which is further credit to Peter and his few helpers.
Finally, it should be mentioned of two club records having been broken in 2007 in the same match. Ed Buxton smashed his own club record of 192 not out by hitting an incredible 269 not out in a Sunday friendly vs Leyton Orient Supporters Club at Oakfield. The second record broken was the total score Parks amassed one sunny September afternoon of 395-1.
Parks look forward to welcoming all visiting clubs, officials and spectators to Oakfield for the coming season, so bring on 2008 and hopefully improved weather!!