ONE of the most talented cricketers of his generation, David Parrott has died in Western Australia, aged 85.

A top scorer for many years, Mr Parrott was a former captain of Bicester Town Cricket Club (BTCC) and represented Oxfordshire and Leicestershire at county level.

An opening batsman, he scored more than 1,000 runs in the 1962 season and five centuries in 1965 alone.

Known as 'Polly' BTCC presented him with a silver salver in June 1967 in recognition of his more than 20 years service to the club.

A friend since the age of 10, Tony Hawtin remembers him as a lover of sports of all types.

He said: "We played all sport together - cricket, football, badminton, table tennis and golf. He was an excellent team mate and always competitive."

A builder by trade, Mr Parrott's first love was the cricket field and he turned out for Bicester's Thursday XI from the age of 13.

He was called up for national service in 1954 which took him to another cricket-loving island, Jamaica, where he played for the Garrison XI against leading local sides.

On his return in 1956 he turned professional and spent two years with Leicestershire.

He made his debut for Oxfordshire in the Minor Counties Championship in 1963, playing 17 matches over 10 years, scoring 700 runs with four half centuries and hitting his highest score of 85 against Wiltshire in 1964.

He was awarded his county cap alongside Peter Smith of Cowley St John by then captain Dennis Banton.

Home was Launton, near Bicester with wife Margaret and children Lorraine and Martin.

In 1967 the family bid farewell to Oxfordshire to emigrate to Perth in Western Australia.

Despite the dramatic change of location, cricket remained a constant and he represented the Australian team Subiaco, top-scoring with 75 in his first match and helping his side to win.

Three years later he was in Bicester again and was back playing for Oxfordshire and helping to coach younger players until finally retiring in 1973.

In 1978 the family were on the move again when they moved to the Lake District to take on the running of a 16-bed hotel in Ambleside.

They also ran a haberdashery for a short while before life eventually took them back to Australia where they kept in touch with many friends from Oxfordshire.

Mr Parrott died on August 25 after a long illness.

He is survived by Margaret, Lorraine and Martin and four grandchildren.