2015 2015
Review
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1st XI so close
By
finishing in 3rd place in Division 2 of the Shepherd Neame Essex League
and Runners-Up in the Premier Division of the Essex Sunday League (just
4 points behind Chelmsford who also won the 2015 SNEL Premier
Division), it was a frustrating season. Having missed out by a whisker
on promotion in SNEL in 2014, it was disappointing of course - but well
done to skipper Danny Joyce for such a grand effort and for providing much optimism for glory next season!
Brothers' centuries x 2
Brothers Joe Joyce (105) and Danny Joyce
(101) both struck centuries in the match against Old Brentwoods on 2nd
May. It was the first occasion of such a brotherly feat in the club's
history, and the eighth instance of two Belhus batsmen scoring centuries
in the same innings. Unfortunately, our 1st XI could only manage a
draw as three of the Old Brentwoods batsmen scored half-centuries.
Maiden century
George Maidment
(102) stroked his maiden century in 2015 - for the Sunday 2nd XI
against Noak Hill Taverners on 19th July. Unhappily, we lost by 5
wickets.
Maiden fifties for the club
Imran Mohammed (54) v Harold Wood on 25th April
Andrew Williams (54*) v Chingford on 2nd May
Lee Ranson (54*) v Walthamstow on 23rd May
Neil Sullivan (60*) v Hutton on 20th June
Ross Poulton (93*) v Upminster on 21st June
Azaz Khalil (76) v Horndon-on-the-Hill on 4th July
Connor Green (51) v Sprowston on 16th July
Billy Maidment (71) v Crusaders on 9th August
Max Osborne (54*) v Bardoli on 23rd August
Maiden '5for' for the club
Ross Poulton - 5 for 10 v Upminster on 21st June
4 x fifties
In the match against Old Victorians on 13th May, four of our batsmen scored fifties:
Connor Day 59 Jim Robertson 56
Roy Heffernan 54* Jack Martin-Hussey 53*
This was just the fourth occasion in the club's history when four of our batsmen each scored a fifty in the same match.
5 lbws
In
the 3rd XI match v Eltham on 25th April we took seven wickets, 5 of
which were adjudged lbw - the other two batsmen were clean-bowled
(proving that we can occasionally bowl on the stumps!). This number of
lbws in our favour in an innings is thought to be a club record.
Wicketkeepers x 2 x 5
In the 1st XI and 2nd XI SNEL matches against Harlow Town on 25th July, both Michael Fogg (5 catches) and Mark Sansom (3 stumpings 2 catches) made 5 w'keeper dismissals. Pleasingly, we won both matches.
Maiden 5 wicketkeeper dismissals
In the Midweek match against Disley on 18th August, Andrew Williams took his maiden wicketkeeper '5 for' dismissals.
Highest team total
The highest team total in 2015 was 308 for 7 by the Tour XI v Norwich on 7th July. Three of our batsmen stroked fifties - Danny Joyce (69), Wayne Read (60) and Michael Fogg (53). In 2014, the highest team total was 328 for 7 - again, coincidentally, in the tour match against Norwich.
Tied match
The
final match against Sprowston on the Norfolk tour on 16th July was not
only high-scoring, it finished in a tie - at 286 apiece. Terrific.
Club record run-chase
The
club record winning run-chase was broken by the 1st XI in their SNEL
match against Leigh-on-Sea on 8th August when they scored 299 for 3
(aided by no less than 52 extras!).
Carried his bat
In the 5th XI's SNEL match against Hutton on 20th June, opener Neil Sullivan carried his bat for 60 as we were dismissed for 165. The match was abandoned due to rain.
22% extras
In
the 1st XI's SNEL match on 27th June, we dismissed Wickford for 116 -
but 26 of their total score came from wides - 22% of the total.
Another successful Belhus tour
2015
saw the club's 13th senior tour to Norfolk having first visited the
county in 2003. Of the 4 matches played, we won 2, lost 1 and one
finished in a tie. This was the club's 29th senior tour to various
domestic and overseas locations.
Economical Alan
In the 3rd XI's SNEL match against Chingford on 25th July, Alan Maidment's bowling analysis read - 12 overs, 7 maidens, 3 wickets, 6 runs. Superb.
And
'Economical' Alan was at it again on 5th September in what was the
3rd XI's final SNEL match of the season against Horndon-on-the-Hil. He
sent down 18 overs for just 15 runs - and was rewarded with a '5for' in
the process.
Best bowling
The best bowling return of 2015 was by Rob Long with
his 6 for 17 in the SNEL match for the 4th XI against Basildon &
Pitsea on 4th July. It was also a career-best bowling performance for
Rob. Excellent.
Best batting
The
highest individual score in 2015 was the 171 by Joe Joyce in the SNEL
match against Horndon-on-the-Hill on 20th June when we posted 292 for 9
(unfortunately the match was abandoned due to rain).
Club record score by a No. 11 batsman
Scoring 71 for the 2nd XI against Crusaders on 9th August at North Stifford was not only Billy Maidment's
maiden fifty, it was a new club record score by a No. 11 batsman
(surpassing the 43* by Rob Long for the 3rd XI v Leigh-on-Sea in 2013).
Fantastic.
Billy Maidment
........................................
Oldest and youngest
Against Benfleet on 4th July, Alex Winder became our youngest bowler to take a hat trick (at 6 years 356 days), and Wayne Read became our oldest batsman to score 1,000 runs in a season (47 years 73 days - as at 26th September).
Too many fielders
After
5 overs of the 2nd XI's match against Old Brentwoods on 2nd May, it was
realised that there were 12 Belhus players on the field. However, this
was 'bettered' in the 2nd XI's match on 17th April 2011 when Abridge had fielded 12 players during the entire Belhus innings - without anyone noticing!
Our SNEL stars
In
the SNEL player performance statistics for 2015, our leading players in
their respective Division's table of 'Top 10' run-scorers and
wicket-takers were:
Batting:
Joe Joyce - was the leading run-scorer in the 1st XI's Division and, in League matches, Joe was the highest run-scorer in the entire League being the only batsmen to exceed 1,000 league runs.
Jack Plane - was 6th leading run-scorer in the 3rd XI's Division.
Bowling:
Rob Long - leading wicket-taker in the 4th XI's Division.
Mike Squires - 9th leading wicket-taker in the 4th XI's Division.
Alan Maidment - 4th leading wicket-taker in the 3rd XI's Division.
Imran Mohammed - 9th leading wicket-taker in the 2nd XI's Division.
Dan Norris - 2nd leading wicket-taker in the 1st XI's Division.
Dan Dreher - 6th leading wicket-taker in the 1st XI's Division.
Connor Day - 10th leading wicket-taker in the 1st XI's Division.
Fielding:
Michael Fogg - 3rd highest number of catches in the 1st XI's Division.
Joe Joyce - 6th highest number of catches in the 1st XI's Division.
Danny Joyce - 8th highest number of catches in the 1st XI's Division.
Sam Hall - Joint leading highest number of catches in the 2nd XI' s Division.
John Wilson - 3rd highest number of catches in the 4th XI's Division.
Rob Long - 9th highest number of catches in the 4th XI's Division.
Rob Long
Centuries and '5fors'
The 2015 season saw a total of 15 centuries (18 in 2014)
The 2015 season saw a total of 15 '5fors' (18 in 2014)
4 x 10-wicket wins
What
is believed to be a season's record, the Saturday 1st XI recorded no
less than 4 x 10-wicket wins in 2015 - against Wickford on 25th April,
Ardleigh Green on 9th May, Gidea Park & Romford on 16th May and
Wickford again on 27th June.
Most matches
In a year when we weren't always able to field our full complement of teams, Wayne Read
appeared in more matches (52) than any other player, showing his
continuing enthusiasm for the game. Wayne first played for the club in
1980.
Centuries x 3
No
less than three centuries were scored in the Saturday 3rd XI's match
against Goresbrook on 19th September. For Goresbrook, J Harris (126*)
and C Ivey (102) and for Belhus, Billy Winter (106*). This was only the second such occasion in the club's history - the first being in the 1st XI's match v Offham in 2004.
'The Double'
In the club's 55-year history, only 24 players had achieved the Double (a fifty and a '5for') in the same match. But in 2015, Ross Poulton joined the happy band when taking 5 for 10 and scoring 93* in the Essex Sunday League match against Upminster on 21st June
New members of the Hat Trick Club
Oliver Plunkett joined the Belhus CC Hat Trick Club when performing the feat for the under 11B team on 22nd May against Horndon-on-the-Hill. He was joined by Alex Winder who took his hat trick against Benfleet, also for the Under 11B team, on 4th July.
Leading wicket-takers 2015
Dan Norris 60
Rob Long 43
Dan Dreher 38
Connor Day 38
Alan Maidment 34
Leading run-scorers 2015
Joe Joyce 1,756
Wayne Read 1,153
Danny Joyce 869
Roy Heffernan 788
Jack Plane 721
Jim Banner x 2
In the midweek match at North Stifford on 18th August against the touring side Disley, each side fielded a player by the name Jim Banner. Other occasions have included Pete Clark x 2 in the match v Stork in 1980 and Pete Clark x 2 again in the match v Horndon-on-the-Hill in 2010)
Billy's match
In the Sunday 2nd XI's match against Crusaders CC on 9th August at North Stifford, Billy Maidment took 3 for 41, snared 1 catch and made 1 run out. And
in the run-chase after tea, Billy not only registered his maiden fifty,
he posted a new club record score (71) for a No. 11 batsman and shared
an 11th wicket partnership of 110+ with Matthew Williams. Excellent - what a pity we lost!
Joe Joyce
leading run-scorer in 2015
Dan Norris
leading wicket-taker in 2015
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