Bournemouth youngster Chris Park honoured at Northants

Chris Park

Teenage Bournemouth cricketer Chris Park celebrated his debut season at the Northants Academy by landing two prestigious individual awards.

The lively 19-year old batsman-wicketkeeper, who lives in Dales Drive, Wimborne, was named Northants Academy/Colts Player of the Year.

And, after a string of fine performances with the bat for the County Colts, also carried off the Young Cricketer award in the Northamptonshire ECB Premier Championship, scoring 650 runs at an average of over 40.

Park's silverware double followed a season in which he graduated from the youth team and established himself in the Northants 2nd XI.

Originally spotted by Northants playing for Dorset YCs in a youth festival in Jersey, Park made a dozen Second XI Championship appearances, scoring 65 not out against Sussex, 62 v Derbyshire and snapping up nine catches behind the stumps in the match against Worcestershire.

"In the end, I was really pleased with the way my season went and am obviously delighted to have been offered a second season at Northants," he said.

But it wasn't all plain sailing for Park, who kept wicket on three occasions for Dorset in Minor Counties Championship cricket the previous 2001 season.

He hardly made the most auspicious of starts in Northants' colours, suffering an early season injury.

"I broke an index finger very early on and missed some of the initial matches, when I really needed to be out in the middle making my mark" he explained.

"It wasn't the best of starts in a completely new environment and, consequently, it took me a while to get going.

"Initially, I was batting down as low as 7 or 8 for the County Colts on Saturdays, but when the chance came to go in at three, I grasped the nettle with both hands and my season really took off from there."

Elevated to batting number three, Park rattled off a string a big scores in the Northamptonshire Championship, and began to show his talents in the county second team.

He combined the responsibility of batting three with keeping wicket - and, in addition to playing regularly for the county 2nd XI, went on to lead the Northants Cricket Board to victory over the Middlesex Board in his first outing as captain in the ECB 38-County Championship.

"The great thing about Chris is that, after a slow start, he quickly recognised the areas he needed to work on and concentrated hard on those areas," praised former England all-rounder David Capel, the Northants Academy Director.

"He's a lively personality who impresses with his interpersonal skills.

"His wicketkeeping was generally very good and he adapted well to moving into a professional environment and a new town, and has settled in very well.

"Chris's awards are well deserved. He's learned quickly, performed well on and off the field, and contributed well in all areas," Capel added.

Park, who originally cut his teeth in Dorset junior cricket with his local village team Kingston Lacey before moving to play Southern Electric Premier League cricket for Bournemouth, has spent the past three months keeping in trim.

"Once the cricket season ended, I came back to Wimborne and got a job working in a local supermarket.

"But every Wednesday, I travel back to Northampton for three days training in the Indoor School and will obviously step that up in the New Year," he said.

Park, whose ambition is to become a full-time professional cricketer, is under no illusions about what the task that lies ahead.

"I know I've only got my foot of the first rung of a very tall ladder and that it's up to me to work hard and improve all aspects of my game if I am going to make it.

"But I've set my stall on making it as a pro and know that the second season at Northants will be crucial.

"Opposing players get to know your strengths and weaknesses in your second season on the circuit, so the demands will be that much tougher next year," Park acknowledged.