Vacation by boundary ton of fun, Parker declares

HOLIDAYMAKER: The Wanganui Festival of Cricket has been former New Zealand cricketer John Parker's holiday destination for the past four years. PHOTO/STUART MUNRO 070115WCSMCRICKET2

Former New Zealand cricketer John Parker has had his summer holidays mapped out for the past four years.

For the first two years, his eldest daughter Emma competed for Northern Districts at the national under-15 girls tournament in Wanganui, while her younger sibling Sarah dictated the family summer break for the past two seasons.

The tournament that marks the beginning of the Wanganui Festival of Cricket has been a holiday destination Parker has enjoyed rather than endured.

"This is a fantastic tournament at a fantastic venue and so good for the development of girls' cricket," Parker said from Victoria Park yesterday.

"It gives the girls the chance to gauge themselves against players of similar ages from other parts of the country. But not only does it give them an idea of their level, it also helps in the decision of whether they will continue in the sport or seek other activities."

Parker said elder daughter Emma was injured this season, so unavailable, but Sarah was happy to carry the family flag.

"This tournament was valuable for Emma as she went on to play for Northern Districts and it will do the same for Sarah. It's all about developing skills. Since I've been coming, I've seen some talented young players," he said.

Parker, who was born in Dannevirke, is a former New Zealand cricketer. He played 36 test matches and 24 ODIs for New Zealand, also serving as interim captain in the third test against Pakistan in 1976-77.

Since leaving the first-class cricket scene, he has been involved in setting up Sport Waikato.

In 1997 he travelled to Cork, Ireland, where he set up an international sports consultancy business. Parker now runs the business from home in Kaipaki, near Cambridge.