Belhus Cricket Club

The club's 2010 Cricket Week begins on 29th August and the full programme of matches at North Stifford Village Green (all commencing at 2.00 p.m. except Tuesday 31st which starts at 1.00 p.m. and Thursday 2nd and Friday 3rd which both start at 1.30 p.m.) will be:

Sunday 29th August
Belhus Present v Belhus Past

Monday 30th August
Belhus XI v Dartfordians CC

Tuesday 31st August
Belhus XI v Essex Over 60s

Wednesday 1st September
Belhus XI v Hornchurch Athletic CC

Thursday 2nd September
Belhus XI v Prague CC (Czech Republic)

Friday 3rd September
Belhus XI v Ardleigh Green CC

Many members will be working hard to make the Week a success for members and vistiors alike, and we look forward to welcoming everyone for what will be a thoroughly enjoyable cricketing and social occasion.

For the full Programme for the Week, please click Cricket Week Programme 2010

The 2010 season has so far produced a record number of different Belhus batsmen (18) who have scored centuries in senior matches.

Michael Fogg made 108 not out to register his maiden century in senior cricket in the impressive run-chase of 274 against Basildon & Pitsea in the Essex Sunday League, and Joe Joyce recorded his maiden century for the club with 118 against Locksbottom.  Meanwhile, Jim Robertson recorded a career-best 109 for the 3rd XI against Epping and Nathan Turner (pictured) made 101 for the 4th XI against Shenfield - both in Shepherd Neame Essex League matches.

And this season's total (with 6 weeks still remaining) of 22 individual centuries has exceeded the record number in a season (16 - scored in 2009).  Along with 7 other scores in the nineties, a superb effort by all concerned.

For individual playing records of our members please see STATS above or visit the RECORDS and OUR MEMBERS sub-menus on the left-hand side of our website.

To mark our 50th Anniversary, the Thurrock Museum is staging a mini-exhibition to acknowledge the club's outstanding achievements since its formation in 1960.

From Saturday 7th August through to October, the Museum (on the 1st Floor, Thameside Complex, Orsett Road, Grays - car park is in Cromwell Road) will be displaying various club memorabilia and is open to the public between 10.00 a.m. and 5.00 p.m. Monday to Saturday (closed Bank Holiday Monday, 30th August).

The Museum's first ever sport-related public display pays tribute to the club's loyal and dedicated volunteers and players who have built one of the most successful sports clubs in the borough.

Congratulations to all members, both past and present, who have contributed so much over the past 50 years.

I am delighted to report that Veolia Cleanaway Mardyke Trust has kindly supported, by way of part, yet significant, funding, the purchase of a new electronic scoreboard for use at South Ockendon Recreation ground.  This will replace the existing scoreboard that has reached the end of its natural life, having been in situ for more than 25 years!

This is very welcome news indeed and enables us to continue to improve our facilities for the benefit for our increasing membership numbers, particularly junior members.

Our grateful thanks to Veolia.

Jim Robertson, Treasurer.

Fine weather ensured another successful senior tour to Norfolk when plenty of runs were racked up.  Of the four matches played, we won two and lost two.  Against Happisburgh CC, the 21-year old club record highest team total was broken when we scored 346 for 6, and the highest individual score by a No. 6 batsman was registered when Scott Bayford scored 125 not out surpassing the 124 by Nick Marns against Norwich in 2006.  Results:

Belhus 253 for 9 (Richard Day 58)
Norwich CC 245 for 8

Vauxhall Mallards CC 262
Belhus 250 for 9 (John Lewis Jnr 144)

Belhus 346 for 6 (Scott Bayford 125 not out, Richard Day 70, Roy Heffernan 65)
Happisburgh CC 257

Belhus 221 for 4 (Peter Clark 82 not out, Jim Robertson 57, Paul Whitlock 52)
South Walsham CC 222 for 5.

Pictured: Team at Vauxhall Mallards CC
Back (L to R): John Lewis Jnr, Tom Thompson, Scott Bayford, Martin Guilbert, Ben Marns, Richard Day.
Front (L to R): Jim Robertson, Roy Heffernan, Nathan Turner, Wayne Read, Paul Whitlock.

For the third time this season, all four of our Saturday XIs won their Shepherd Neame League matches (on 24th July).  Unusually, all teams batted second and showed fighting spirit in successfully chasing down relatively modest targets thanks to some fine spells by our bowlers.

The 1st XI lost 6 wickets in overhauling Epping's total of 172 (Billy Winter 4 for 20) as Gavin Jefferies crafted 52, Michael Fogg 25 and the 15 from Richard Day took his total runs tally for the season to 903.  Dale Kenyon collected his seventh caught and bowled of the season.

The 2nd XI owed the dismissal of Epping for just 143 to the father and son combination of Michael Cansdale and Cliff Cansdale who took 6 and 3 wickets respectively.  Like the 1st XI, they too lost 6 wickets in the run-chase but Ian Joyce (24) and Michael Cansdale (29 not out) steered us home.

The 3rd XI should have dismissed Buckhurst Hill for far fewer than 154 (Owen Jefferies 3 for 35 and skipper Paul Hall 3 for 46).   But with a skilful 50 from Jim Robertson along with 27 from Brian Edwards and 20 from Ben Kent,  we got home to win by 3 wickets.

And the 4th XI maintained their position at the top of the table after Lee Hawkes took 4 for 24 to bowl out Billericay for 170.  And we comfortably chased down the runs for the loss of only 4 wickets thanks to 43 from veteran Barry Ruck and yet more mature displays from Mathew Lewis Jnr (45), Alfie Rowley (29 not out ) and Jack Panteli (21).

Excellent performances.

In an astonishing four-week period, Belhus batsmen have been piling up the runs. And in the space of eight days, they exceeded 300 in team totals on three occasions:-

346 for 6 - Tour XI v Happisburgh CC (a club record total)
318 for 1 - 1st XI v Billericay CC
303 for 5 - 2nd XI v Old Parkonians CC.

The number of our batsmen to score centuries in senior matches this season has now reached 11 -  already exceeding last year's record of 9 - and we are only halfway through the season.  Congratulations are due to:

Lee Webber
148 - 4th XI v Orsett (a career best and the highest individual score for the 4th XI)
Steve Huckstepp
145 not out - 4th XI v Hornchurch
John Lewis Jnr
144 - Tour XI v Vauxhall Mallards
Scott Bayford
136 not out - 4th XI v Harold Wood (a career best)
Scott Bayford
125 not out - Tour XI v Happisburgh (highest score by a Belhus No. 6 batsman)
Gavin Jefferies
125 not our - 1st XI v Billericay (a career best)
Peter Clark
100 not out - 3rd XI v Horndon-on-the -Hill (maiden century)

And Michael Fogg and Lee Webber fell just short of tons in making 90 and 98 respectively.

Pictured: Peter Clark who recorded a well-deserved maiden century.

Playing for the Essex Boys and Girls Clubs Under 12 team against Colchester Grammar School, Mathew Lewis Jnr stroked his maiden century.  In chasing the CGS total of 172, Mathew produced a stunning performance in striking 14 fours and 6 sixes in his 109 not out as the total was reached in just 26.3 overs. 

In front of a large crowd, it has been hailed as one of the finest individual innings by a EBGC batsman, and followed his match-winning 70 against Chigwell school last month which included 11 fours and 3 sixes.

Well done Mathew.