The 1st XI had high hopes of further success in 2002 after winning the Division 3 Title the previous term. With new quality players arriving: Edward Buxton from Gidea Park and former Durham player Muazam Ali, as well as the returning of our Overseas player Kamran Ali who had an excellent first year in 2001, hopes were of another promotion charge.

However, the season started badly with the news that elected vice-captain Richard Swiles, who had joined the previous year from Billericay but due to work commitments was not able to play a League match, was more than likely to miss the whole season again due to work and personal matters. As it turned out, Richard did not play a single match again and his batting abilities at the top of the order were to be missed.

Prem Mannar was re-elected captain and got about the business with the first match of the season against Premier side Shenfield away in The League Cup. The draw was again not kind to us pairing us with yet more Premier opposition, but at one stage Shenfield were on the ropes, only to recover to make an imposing 236-7 from their 45 overs. Parks never seemed in the hunt once the two Ali’s were departed and collapsed to just 116 all out to lose by 120 runs.

If this was a sign of what was to come, then the win with the first League game of the season two weeks later against a Walthamstow side who were to take the second promotion slot showed this was just a minor blip. With Mannar away, 2000 club captain Kris Bostock lead the side to a great win by defending 188 all out to win by 85 runs at Oakfield. Robin Glassberg scored 78, whilst spinner Kieran Jones took 6-43.
Despite a defeat by only 3 wickets to Brentwood the following week in a tight game, the runaway Champions Hornchurch with Chris Drum in their ranks were given a run for their money at Oakfield a week later on May 25th. The visitors declared on 238-4, but with the Parks pitch being another batting beauty, Parks came close on 220-7 before time ran out. Kieran Jones scored yet another century (102) and had he stayed there would surely have won the game.

June was a fantastic month, as Parks remained unbeaten throughout, chalking up 3 wins. The first was a 10 wicket demolition of bottom placed Hutton thanks to Glassberg (83*) and Jones (68*). A win against a Leigh-On-Sea side by 6 wickets on the same day as England beat Denmark 3-0 in the World Cup, once again thanks to Messers Jones (5-47) and Glassberg (55), ended a terrific game for all!

However, the most spectacular of the wins in June was the win against Upminster the following week. Upminster raced to 259-7 declared thanks to their Aussie Lorne Sprigg, but Kieran Jones with 101 looked to have won a remarkable chase, until a late collapse saw Parks 9 down with still 5 needed. But newcomer Abdul Salom with a composed 31 not out and number 11 Allan Jones helped sneak Parks home by the margin of 1 wicket.

This win put Parks on top of the Division and the dreams of a second consecutive promotion were looking good. However, with the Division so tight, a draw the following week against West Essex with only 5 points taken put Parks back down to 5th and a position from which the team never really recovered.

3 defeats from July’s 4 matches proved this point and despite another win over Walthamstow, a second defeat to Brentwood in a tight match which Parks let slip again, told the . It meant an uphill struggle in the final two months to claim the second spot, with Hornchurch by now virtually sealing up the Championship.

A rain affected draw vs Old Brentwoods and another emphatic win over Leigh-On-Sea by 164 runs, with Kamran Ali finding some form at last with 100 gave Parks a glimmer. But a poor show vs Upminster the following week all but ended those promotion dreams and the season was rounded off by a 1 wicket defeat to Wickford, a performance that just about summed up the 2nd half of what started as a promising campaign, but was to end before it had started.

Relegation was never an issue though and Parks still ended in a decent position of 6th. Despite improvements being made, I’m sure the team will look back and think of a good opportunity missed with more than a couple of games that Parks were just pipped in. Prem Mannar once again leads the side in 2003 and I’m sure will be looking at the same goal of promotion and the team should have learnt a lot from 2002. Paul Robbins was Player Of The Year for the 1st team, after improving with the ball and scoring his maiden fifty.

Report by Dave Buxon