Parkes cracks century in match-winning debut

Former Poverty Bay cricketer Thorn Parkes, pictured in action for Otago Volts in Queenstown last year, has made an instant impact for Sussex Premier League side Three Bridges. Picture by Blake Armstrong/Photosport

Thorn Parkes has played his first great knock in England.

The former Poverty Bay cricket captain played a match-winning unbeaten knock of 105 off 104 balls on his 50-over debut for Three Bridges against Mayfield in the Sussex Premier League.

The 22-year-old left-hander, who scored his maiden first-class century — 115 off 193 balls for Otago against Central Districts in Palmerston North — on March 24, hit nine fours and four sixes at second drop, at Mayfield’s Wellbrook Ground in a 127-run win on Saturday.

Mayfield, having won promotion back to the Premier League for 2023, put Three Bridges in to bat on a perfect day for cricket.

Parkes shared a 199-run stand for the third wicket — the biggest partnership of the match and the competition to date — with first drop Connor Golding (87).

Parkes brought up his century with a single off West Indies paceman Keon Harding — a textbook forward defensive stroke, running the ball behind point.

It was a 360-degree innings during which Parkes peppered all points on the compass off both front foot and back, playing sweep shots, reverse sweep shots, pull shots, lofted drives, cuts and leg glances.

Parkes fell to a catch by Harding at long-on off Harding’s new-ball partner, Frankie Cripps with the score at 321-4.

Three Bridges’ 371-5 was their highest-ever team total in the league. Cripps took 3-111 from 10 overs, Harding none for 77 from 10.

Three Bridges rebounded in style from a 130-run loss to Bexley at their Manor’s Way ground the previous Saturday. Parkes made a run-a-ball seven as first drop in the first dig.

Aside from the eight-wicket hammering of Gravesend at the Bat and Ball Ground in the National Club Championship 40-over competition (Parkes hit a six and was 13 not out off 10 balls as first drop) on May 1, this was only his third turn at bat for the Crawley-based Three Bridges.

The spearhead of Mayfield’s bowling attack on Saturday was Harding, who made his one-day international debut for the West Indies against Bangladesh two years ago.

Three Bridges took 30 points for the win. They have 50 points in total and are placed fifth of 10 teams in the Sussex Premier League. They finished sixth last year, fourth in 2021 and last won a league title — Division 2, as opposed to premier league — in 2018. Their first premier league season was 2019. Their highest placing has been third, for the division and limited-overs cricket in the division, in 2019.

“It was a good wicket for both sides, with a bit in it for the bowlers,” Parkes said.

“Mayfield had decent spinners but I managed to hit a couple of big bombs. I’m pretty happy to have scored a ton this early in the English summer.”