Wayne Parnell

Wayne Dillon Parnell (born 30 July 1989) is a South African professional cricketer who most recently played for Northamptonshire in English county cricket.

Previously, Parnell played Test cricket, One Day International cricket and Twenty20 matches for South Africa.

At domestic level he played for Cape Cobras, having previously played for the Warriors and Eastern Province.

Parnell was born in Port Elizabeth in 1989.

Parnell made his first-class cricket debut for Eastern Province in October 2006, at the age of seventeen, against South Western Districts scoring 17 and taking one wicket.

In his second first-class match, he recorded figures of four for seven, and, in only his fifth first-class match, he took a hat-trick against Western Province: all three batsman were bowled.

He was described as "the most talked about cricketer to hit the first-class scene for some time."

He attended Grey High School in his home town, leaving in 2007.

He studied Human Resource Management at Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University in Port Elizabeth.

In 2008 Parnell was awarded the Coca-Cola Khaya Majola U19 Player of the Tournament and the CSA U19 Cricketer of the Year while representing Eastern Province.

In February 2022, Parnell was named as the captain of Western Province for the 2021–22 CSA T20 Challenge.

At the start of the 2009 season Parnell was signed as an overseas player by Kent County Cricket Club on a six-week contract, serving as a replacement for Stuart Clark.

On his county debut against Essex he took 4/78 in the first innings and top scored with 69 in the second, his maiden first-class fifty, going on to better this score in Kent's next County championship match, against Glamorgan with an innings of 90.

Parnell left Kent to join up with South Africa ahead of the 2009 World Twenty20 but after the tournament he returned for a further five weeks.

Though returning to South Africa after his second spell ended, Parnell was cleared by Cricket South Africa to return to Kent and played for the county on the competition's finals day.

Parnell was bought the Delhi Daredevils in auction for the 2010 Indian Premier League (IPL), after they outbid the Deccan Chargers for his services.

He was signed for a price that far exceeded his reserve price set at the start of the auction, becoming the third highest paid South African cricketer in the tournament but did not appear in any matches for Delhi during the season.

In 2011 Parnell played for Sussex County Cricket Club for the second half of the season although "he struggled for fitness and form" during his spell with the county.

Parnell went on to play for Pune Warriors in the IPL from 2011 to 2013 before returning to Delhi to play for the Daredevils during the 2014 season.

Whilst a Pune player he was one of 90 people detained by police after a rave party he was attending in a Mumbai suburb was raided in 2012.

Parnell subsequently appeared in court and was bailed on drugs related charges.

A further procedural court appearance took place whilst Parnell was in the South African squad for the 2014 World T20 competition which took place in India.

Parnell claimed he was innocent of any drug taking.

In 2015 he played for Glamorgan in eight matches in the 2015 NatWest t20 Blast group stages before joining South Africa on their tour of Bangladesh.

Parnell missed the first two matches of his planned ten with Glamorgan due to a groin injury.

During the 2016 Caribbean Premier League Parnell played for the Barbados Tridents.

Parnell joined Kent again in April 2017 for the first part of the 2017 season.

He was available for the first weeks of the 2017 County Championship and 2017 Royal London One-Day Cup matches until South Africa began their tour of England in May.

Parnell signed as an overseas player for Worcestershire CCC for the 2018 campaign.

Wayne played a vital role in the clubs season with the Worcestershire Rapids going on to lift their maiden Vitality T20 Blast Trophy at Edgbaston, were they endured success on finals day by beating Lancashire Lightning and Sussex Sharks in the semi-final and final respectively.

In September 2018, Parnell signed a Kolpak deal with Worcestershire, making him unavailable to play international cricket.

On 3 June 2018, Parnell was selected to play for the Edmonton Royals in the players' draft for the inaugural edition of the Global T20 Canada tournament.

He was the joint-leading wicket-taker in the tournament for the Edmonton Royals, with six dismissals in six matches.

In September 2018, Parnell was named in Kabul's squad in the first edition of the Afghanistan Premier League tournament.

He was the leading wicket-taker for Kabul Zwanan in the tournament, with thirteen dismissals in ten matches.

On 7 April 2023 Royal Challengers Bangalore signed Parnell as a replacement for Reece Topley in the 2023 Indian Premier League.

He joined RCB at a price of INR 75 lakhs.

He was released by Worcestershire at the end of the 2020 season following the abolition of Kolpak status.

He was picked up by Northamptonshire for the 2021 season as an overseas player and took ten wickets in his second match for the side against Yorkshire.

In April 2021, he was named in Western Province's squad, ahead of the 2021–22 cricket season in South Africa.