Belhus CC Annual Review 2012


                                                                                                                                                                
2012                        2012
Review
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As everyone knows, it was the wettest cricket season on record.  On good days it rained - and on bad days it just didn't stop!  Cancellations, abandonments and disruptions made for a disappointing summer for batsmen and bowlers who were unable to get into any kind of groove.  Consequently, and compared to previous seasons, player performance suffered.

  Our fourth season in the Shepherd Neame Essex League produced only moderate success.  Our 3rd, 4th and 5th XIs can all look back with a degree of satisfaction and much optimism for 2013.  And our still young 1st XI, having been promoted in 2011, delivered performances that were greater than their final League position would suggest.  The magnificent success of our 2nd XI in 2011 could not, unfortunately, be repeated, and they will have to regroup for next season. 

In the Essex Sunday League, and despite being undefeated for the second successive season, we finished third in the East Division.  Our Sunday 2nd XI won one-half of their matches and we won all of our matches on our 10th tour to Norfolk.

Our Under 15s won their division in the South Essex District Cricket Board League, as too did our undefeated Under 11s. And with our Under 16s reaching the area semi-finals of the Essex Match Play competition (when we were beaten by Bishop's Stortford CC - a town that is in Hertfordshire!), our youth sections enjoyed highly satisfactory seasons.  
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Our Bowlers
Whereas four of our bowlers claimed more than 50 wickets in 2011, not one achieved the milestone in 2012.  Spinner Cliff Cansdale was the club's leading wicket-taker for the third successive season (46 wickets @ an average of 22.41), followed closely by Jack Plane with 42 wickets @ an average of 21.50.  Other bowlers who took a total of more than 20 wickets in either or both senior and junior matches, and in all matches in all teams, were:

Billy Winter - 35 @ 25.60 Alan Maidment - 33  @ 17.30  Connor Day - 28  @ 24.21 
Sam Hall - 28 @ 28.71 Jack Martin-Hussey - 26 @ 16.65  Dale Kenyon - 24  @ 19.00
Josh Reynolds - 22 @ 21.18  Rob Long - 21 @ 19.95  Owen Jefferies - 20 @ 31.55 
Dan Norris - 21 @ 29.29  Paul Whitlock - 20 @ 17.75

                                                                                                
    Cliff Cansdale                           Paul Whitlock

Paul Whitlock produced the best bowling return of the season - 7 for 53 for the 4th XI against Harlow CC on 4th August - and Joe Downes broke the record for best bowling for the 5th XI when taking 5 for 10 against Harlow Town CC on 23rd June. Overall, a total of 19 x '5 fors' were recorded by all bowlers across all teams (22 in 2011 and 24 in 2010). 

In SNEL, the season's best performances were:

 5th XI - 5 for 10 by Joe Downes v Harlow Town CC
4th XI - 7 for 53 by Paul Whitlock v Harlow CC
3rd XI - 6 for 26 by Cliff Cansdale v Southend-on-Sea & EMT CC
2nd XI - 5 for 58 by Dale Kenyon v Westcliff-on-Sea CC
1st XI - 6 for 65 by Billy Winter v Wickford CC
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Our Batsmen
Not surprisingly, fewer runs were scored in 2012 than in previous seasons.  Joe Joyce was the club's leading run-scorer for the third successive season with a total of 1,200 @ at an average of 38.71, followed closely by Ryan Wells with 1,128 runs at an average of 34.18.  Others who scored more than 500 runs in either or both senior and junior matches, and in all matches in all teams, were:

Michael Fogg - 870 @ 30.00  Danny Joyce - 810 @ 40.50  Gavin Jefferies - 771 @ 48.19 Michael Cansdale - 770 @ 28.52
Roy Heffernan - 722 @ 27.77  Mike Randall - 698 @ 36.74 Mathew Lewis Jnr - 573 @ 30.16  Jim Banner - 566 @ 43.54 
Stuart Morris - 534 @ 53.40  Richard Day - 530 @ 29.44  Ben Kent - 528 @ 20.31

The highest individual score of the season was registered by Ryan Wells who crashed 151 not out for the 2nd XI against Orsett CC, going on to stroke another 4 centuries and passing 1,000 runs in a season for the first time.  Other batsmen who scored centuries were Joe Joyce (3), Michael Fogg (2), and 1 each for Michael Cansdale, Danny Joyce, Stuart Morris, Mathew Lewis Jnr, Dan Norris, Paul Bennett and Carl Lees. Overall, 18 centuries were scored  - compared to 17 in 2011 and 24 in 2010.

                           
               Joe Joyce                                         Ryan Wells
 
There were no new members of The 90s Club although three players holed out in the 90s -
Joe Joyce (98), Gavin Jefferies (97) and Mark Sansom (95).

In SNEL, the season's best performances were:

5th XI - 45* by Paul Hall v Wanstead & Snaresbrook CC
4th XI - 88 by Jim Banner v Harlow Town CC
3rd XI - 128* by Michael Cansdale v Pegasus & Corringham CC
2nd XI - 151* by Ryan Wells v Orsett CC
1st XI - 109 by Joe Joyce v Stanford-le-Hope CC
 
. . . and for any specific team performances (e.g. Saturday 3rd XI or Sunday 2nd XI), please see Averages on the top bar
of this website.
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Some memorable moments in 2012 included:

All 6 Victims Clean-Bowled
Alan Maidment's best bowling return of the season was his 6 for 14 for the 4th XI against Harlow Town CC on 30th June
- and all of his victims were clean-bowled: a lesson for others!  Outstanding.

Last Ball Win
In the Sunday 2nd XI match against Eversley Park CC on 1st July, and chasing 159, Scott Stonham stroked an exquisite cover
drive to the boundary off the last ball of the match to secure an exciting win.  Excellent.

5th XI Record for Joe Downes
 Joe Downes' 5 for 10 in the 5th XI SNEL match against Harlow Town CC on 23rd June created the new best bowling record
for the 5th XI (previously held by Barry Ruck with 5 for 22 v Hainault & Clayhall CC on 31st July 2011).  Marvellous.


Joe Downes
Record Best Bowling for 5th XI

Hat Trick of Catches
If our bowlers and batsmen weren't quite at their level of previous seasons, our outfielders certainly enjoyed a good season.  Three catches in an innings were taken by Lee Hawkes, Lee Webber, Sam Hall, Dale Kenyon and Luke Clements.  Well held gents.

Record-Equalling Run-Chase
In chasing the Pegasus & Corringham CC total of 274 for 6 on 2nd June, our 3rd XI raced to 279 for 5 in just 42 overs - thanks to a career-best 128 not out by Michael Cansdale who helped to equal the club record run-chase (held by the 1st XI against Southend-on-Sea CC in 2009) by blasting 11 sixes (the third highest number of sixes in an individual Belhus innings).  Magnificent.

353 . . . But No Sixes
The 1st XI's total of 353 for 5 in the SNEL match against Basildon & Pitsea CC on 26th May, was the second highest score in the club's history.  Surprisingly however, they didn't hit one single boundary six during the innings. Class.
Highest Score. . . 'Mr Extras'
In the lowest total of the season, our 4th XI were dismissed for just 52.  Not one Belhus batsman reached double figures and 'Mr Extras' made the top score of 17.  A day best forgotten.

8 Belhus Batsmen 'Clean-Bowled'
In the 2nd XI SNEL match against Wickford CC on 16th June, 8 of our batsmen were clean-bowled.  Oh dear.

Maiden Fifties and Centuries
The 2012 season saw maiden fifties scored by Paul Hall, Naveed Mirza and Mathew Lewis Jnr.  And maiden centuries were registered by Ryan Wells and Mathew Lewis Jnr.

Maiden '5 Fors'
This season saw maiden '5 fors' taken by Jamie Riley, Mark Fogg, Jack Plane, Connor Day, Joe Downes, Callum Thomas, Ryan Wells and Terry Squires.

Two Centuries in Belhus Innings
In the 1st XI's Essex Sunday League match against Benfleet CC on 20th May, we racked up 305 off the allotted 40 overs and both Danny Joyce (120*) and Paul Bennett (119*) scored centuries.  This was only the fifth occasion of two Belhus batsmen scoring centuries in the same match.

Largest Wickets and Runs Victories
On 23rd June, in a SNEL match against Upminster CC, the 4th XI won by 191 runs - and on 8th September, again against Upminster CC, they won by 191 runs - a unique double and the largest wickets and runs victories of the season.  Superb.

  Record 5th Wicket Partnership
On 7th July at North Stifford, our 2nd XI were struggling at 32 for 4 in the SNEL match against Leigh-on-Sea CC, but Dan Norris (110) and Mathew Lewis Snr (70*) combined together to steer the ship around and put on 171 to create a new club record 5th wicket partnership previously held by Richard Day and Paul Bennett (141 for the 1st XI v Benfleet CC on 30th May 2010).

Dan Norris (left) and Mathew Lewis Snr
Record 5th Wicket Partnership

Lost 7 Wickets for 9 Runs
In the 1st XI SNEL match against Stanford-le-Hope CC on 23rd June, we were sitting reasonably comfortably at 71 for 3.  But then came a classic 'Belhus Collapse' as 7 wickets fell for just 9 runs to be all out for 80.  We lost.

DK Double
Dale Kenyon scored a fifty and took a '5 for' when scoring 63 and taking 6 for 18 for the 4th XI in the SNEL match against
Upminster CC on 23rd June.

Three x 2
In the Under 15B match against Rayleigh CC on 1st August, we fielded three pairs of brothers - Josh and Toby Reynolds, Matthew and Daniel Wakeling, and George and Billy Maidment.

Youngest and Youngest
Mathew Lewis Jnr became the youngest batsman, at 14 years 204 days, to score a fifty in a  senior match when making 61 for the 3rd XI against Gidea Park & Romford CC on 19th May, and Mark Fogg became the youngest bowler, at 13 years 164 days, to take a '5 for' in a senior match with his 5 for 23 for the 5th XI against Stanford-le-Hope CC on June 30th.  Well done.

Wides and Ducks
In the 1xt XI's 50/50 SNEL match against Gidea Park & Romford CC on 12th May, no less than 52 wides were bowled.  And the 2nd XI registered 5 ducks in their innings in the SNEL match against Southend-on-Sea & EMT on 11th August.  Dear oh dear oh dear.

Scorers and Catering and Bar
Throughout the season we were fortunate to have the excellent services of a number of dedicated scorers, as well as a committed catering and bar team who served teas and drinks without fuss and always with a smile.  Thank you all.
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Not forgetting . . .

  The club scored favourably in the annual Shepherd Neame Essex League Umpires' Assessment tables, finishing in 1st place in the 'Best Pitch' category and 1st (for the second successive year) in the 'Best Hospitality' category. 

For a pictorial account of the season, please see Photo Galleries (2012 Memories) on this website.

We hosted the borough's KWIK Cricket festival for local boys and girls; delivered an extensive programme of coaching lessons in many local primary schools under the ECB's 'Chance to Shine' scheme; established the Belhus CC Ladies XI; opened a new ground with a non-turf pitch at Thames Rugby Club and welcomed the refurbishment of the clubhouse at South Ockendon Recreation Ground. 

So by any measure, it can rightly be said that Belhus CC enjoyed yet another successful season.
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2012                          2012
Review
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