Devon Cricket Board - League honours player who refused to give up game

League honours player who refused to give up game

TIVERTON cricketer Brendon Parr refused to accept he would never play cricket again after suffering horrific injuries in a road accident.
Parr was only 16 when he was knocked off his motorbike by an oncoming car one autumn night in 2008.
The former Tiverton High School pupil had just started an apprenticeship in the building trade and enjoying his cricket with Heathcoat and Culmstock.
His life was turned upside down by the accident, which left him in hospital for more than a month recovering from surgery for is injuries.
“Both of my wrists were broken, my elbow was dislocated and was fractured. Two broken vertebrae and one fractured wedge vertebrae in my neck and I had a pneumothorax (air trapped next to the lung) during the operation,” said Parr.
“I had a broken femur in my right leg, my left knee was a mess. All my ligaments and my kneecap had to be reconnected – they basically rebuilt my left knee.
“I was told in no uncertain terms that I would never play any cricket, any sport again. There was no chance, that was final.”
Last season Parr made more than 500 runs at an average of nearly 60 for Tiverton and topped the F Division bowling averages with 19 wickets at 10.7 each.
And for that outstanding achievement in the face of adversity, Parr was given a player-of-the-year award at the Francis Clark Devon League prize-giving. He is pictured (right) collecting the award from league chairman Stuart Munday
Usually the league only gives out one player of the year award – in 2014 it was Sidmouth’s Josh Bess – but competition officials were so impressed by Parr’s determination they created a second one just for him.
Parr had to have another operation shortly before Christmas in 2008 to repair more damage.
“The knee surgeon I had was brilliant,” said Parr.
“He took a hamstring from the back of my right leg and grew ligaments to put in my left knee. He put them in the freezer and at Christmas I went in to have the ligaments put in.
“I've got five permanent screws in my left knee, two in my right, two in my left wrist – nine screws holding me together.”
Parr started physiotherapy after six months of being unable to walk and was able to jog after building up his strength in the gym.
“The physios thought that I'd spend 50 per cent of my time in a wheelchair – no chance,” said Parr;.
Getting back on the cricket pitch proved harder and there were two failed comebacks before he succeeded in 2013.
Parr notched more than 1,000 runs in all cricket in his first summer back and was appointed skipper at Tiverton last year.
“I didn't believe the consultant when he said I'd never play cricket again. It's so disheartening to hear that but I proved him wrong.”
Parr’s award was handed to him by Devon League chairman Stuart Munday as the prize-giving following the competition’s annual meeting in Exeter.
The annual meeting was a relatively calm affair with only one major rule revision.
The Duckworth Lewis formula will replace old-fashioned run-rate as the method used for calculating winners in ran-affected games in the Premier Division next season.
Gavin Lane, the rules officer for the league, negotiated a deal with ECB to licence Duckworth-Lewis in the Premier Division only.
Sam Smith, the Heathcoat captain, said it was about time the league adopted Duckworth-Lewis.
“I am always keen to modern approaches to the game implemented and to reduce the differences between professional and amateur rules and regulations,” said Smith.
“Previous run-rate rules had a direct and unfair influence on the outcome of matches.”

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