two innings as an opening batsman, the latter his highest score to date. In the next first-class match, he made 127 against Combined Services for three centuries in consecutive innings. And only 10 days later, he hit 161 against Surrey, again bettering his personal best. This form propelled Parkhouse into the England team for the second Test in the 1950 series against the West Indies, played at Lord's. It was a somewhat makeshift side hit by injury to Denis Compton and late withdrawals by Reg Simpson and Trevor Bailey. Parkhouse batted at No 5 and faced 30 balls without scoring in the first innings against the spin of Sonny Ramadhin and Alf Valentine before Valentine bowled him. The second innings was better: he made 48 out of a partnership of 78 for the fourth wicket with Cyril Washbrook, and was second highest scorer behind Washbrook. The innings won praise from Wisden: "Parkhouse... signalised his first Test with a very good innings, in which he showed encouraging confidence and a variety of strokes until he hit a full toss straight to silly mid off in the last over of the fourth day when wanting only two runs for 50. This mistake came at a time when thoughts were raised that Washbrook might be capable of saving the match if someone could stay with him." The victory was West Indies' first over England in England. Returning to Glamorgan, Parkhouse equalled his best score with a second innings of 161 within a month, this time against Gloucestershire at Stradey Park, Llanelli. And in the very next game, he went one better, scoring 162 against Worcestershire at Kidderminster in a match ruined by rain. The third Test, at Trent Bridge, followed the pattern of Parkhouse's previous match, with a disappointing first innings followed by a better second. Batting at No 3, he made 13 in a first-innings collapse that saw England at 25 for four before recovering to 223 all out. After West Indies had replied with 558, Simpson and Washbrook opened England's second innings with a stand of 212, before both were out within a quarter of an hour. "Even then," Wisden reported, "England were far from finished, for (John) Dewes and Parkhouse, without looking as safe as the first pair, batted well, and at one period the score stood 326 for two with England only nine runs behind." But then Parkhouse was