Belhus and Stanford le Hope opened their Shepherd Neame League division two campaigns when the two Thurrock clubs met at Stanford Recreation Ground on Saturday. But the match turned out to be a very one sided affair as Belhus stormed to a 165-run victory in this 50 overs per side match. Gavin Jefferies scored a half century and later claimed five wickets
Thurrock continued their successful start to the season with another resounding win in the Mid Essex Division 1 encounter away at South Weald on Saturday, thanks to excellent all round performance from all-rounder Dan Laird with contributed 50 and 5 wickets in an outstanding individual performance.
A counter-attacking partnership of 63 from O’Neill (26) and Ayub saw the home side retake the initiative before Whittaker removed O’Neill and no.4 Laird in successive deliveries to leave the match delicately poised. However after a couple of interruptions for rain, Henry and Ayub (77) put together a fine partnership of 123 to regain the upper hand, with Henry staying till the end to finish on 101 not out and the team posting a daunting 250 for 4, with Whittaker being the pick of the bowlers with 3-80.
RAYLEIGH Women picked up the Thurrock Sports Council’s indoor six a side cricket crown with a third consecutive title at Gable Hall School, Corringham on Thursday evening. Following wins over Stanford le Hope and Belhus, the Rawreth Lane based club stormed to a 58-run win over Thurrock.
THE Vortex Hammers failed to shine like the glorious Bank Holiday weather, crashing to a 57-33 defeat against The Coventry Bees.
Despite keep the scoreline within 4 points up to heat 6, the hosts then delivered heat advantages in the next six heats, succesfully negating two tactical rides from the away team in the process, the first by returning captain Davey Watt and then from Number 1 Peter Karlsson.
Time lost for rain meant that Belhus would need an intimidating 240 to win in 35 overs and never really got going against an accurate attack. Fogg and Jefferies went early before Joe Joyce and Ryan Wells came together for a half century stand making 29 and 33 respectively. When they departed Danny Joyce and Richard Day ran down the clock ensuring they got some quality time in the middle before next week’s start of the league season, by making 40 and 38 undefeated.
Belhus batted first with opening batsman Tracey Sloan striking a powerful 25 not out, in a knock which included one six and three fours and was supported well by Crystal Gansbuhler who struck two fours in an innings of 18 runs. The innings closed on 79 for the loss of four wickets as Jackie Trigg claimed one wicket for just nine runs from two wickets, her wicket being that of Belhus opener Tracey Fairweather. Second change bowler Sarah Fergey was also in the same league for the economy stakes, with only seven runs conceded, also from two overs. Meanwhile, Catherine Hodge picked up the wicket of Rhiannan Jefferies for one run from her fifth delivery and went on to finish her two-over spell with 1-5. Lynne Bonner also contributed to the Belhus scoresheet with five runs until she became the second run out victim of the innings.
BELHUS stormed to a 126-run victory in the first round of the Essex League Cup sponsored by Dukes at North Stifford on Saturday. Central to the home team’s success was a third wicket partnership of 214 between Joe Joyce and Ryan Wells. Joyce crashed his second century of the season with a magnificent 140 from 125 deliveries, which included twelve fours and one maximum, while Wells plundered 85 from 90 balls faced, hitting five fours and one six. Yet it was Harold Wood who made early inroads as they removed both Belhus openers relatively cheaply with only 45 runs on the board. Michael Fogg was caught by Peter Clarke off the bowling of Hamza Ikram (2-67) without score, while Gavin Jefferies became Ikram’s second and final victim courtesy of a catch behind by Colin Sher for 23. Shahbaz Khan (2-43) eventually picked up the wickets of Joyce and Wells after which there was no further addition to the Belhus total.
BELHUS got their season off to a winning start with a 65 run victory over newly promoted to division 1 Wickford at North Stifford. Captain Danny Joyce won the toss and elected to bat on what looked like to be as close to a batting paradise that is possible in April. Gavin Jefferies (11) went early, LBW to the typically accurate Pryke. The next 23 overs however were dominated by the bat as Wicket-Keeper Batsman Michael Fogg and Joe Joyce put on 140 for the second wicket.
FOUR womens’ cricket teams in South Essex are taking part in an indoor six a side cricket competition sponsored by Thurrock Sports Council over the next few weeks at Gable Hall School, Corringham. The first round of league fixtures took place last Thursday, with Stanford le Hope securing a win over Thurrock with just one ball to spare. Thurrock batted first and posted 62 runs for the loss of four wickets, for whom Catherine Hodge top scored with 13 not out.
BELHUS Cricket Club’s young stars clinched the South Essex District U16 west division title at Grays School with a narrow two-run victory over Stanford le Hope at Grays School on Friday evening. The match, which turned out to be a championship decider, started fairly tamely but Stanford made an early breakthrough when Elliott Playle was run out without scoring.
THREE Orsett batsmen took the indoor cricket competition by storm at Grays School on Friday evening as Tom Haden and Joseph Mitchell thundered their way to respective undefeated scores of 40 and 51 for the “A” team, while James Harvey from the Orsett “B” team plundered 58 runs to hold the current highest individual score of the event.
THURROCK Sports Council have agreed to sponsor the third annual Womens’ Indoor six a side cricket competition, which has again been organised by Matthew Walker for the South Essex District Cricket Board. This year, the event will take place over three consecutive weeks at Gable Hall School, Corringham and, for the first time, there will be three Thurrock-based teams taking part. Belhus, Stanford le Hope and Thurrock will be joining current champions Rayleigh in the four-team tournament.
STANFORD le Hope won their third match in as many weeks to take third place at the final week of U14 indoor cricket competition at Grays School on Friday evening. But their opponents, Horndon on the Hill started strongly by scoring exactly 100 for the loss of four wickets. Sam Smith led the way with 25 not out, while Zak Burdett also made a significant contribution by scoring 20 runs.
ORSETT Cricket Club became the South Essex District Cricket Board’s U14 indoor champions with one match still to play as their “A” team successfully chased a testing Horndon tally of 119 for the loss of four wickets at Grays School on Friday evening (8th February). Such was Orsett’s determination that they reached their target with one over to spare, with Connor Boreham leading the way with an impressive 34 not out. He received valuable support from Dylan Rose with 22 runs while Lewis Markham finished with 13 not out as Orsett reached their championship-winning total of 120 for the loss of three wickets within eleven overs. Earlier, Connor O’Neill of Horndon was everything that Boreham displayed later, as O’Neill crashed his way to a quick-fire 32 not out, supported by Callum Newton who had 18 runs to his name.
BELHUS Cricket Club, which has its main ground at the North Stifford village green, has secured Olympic legacy funding worth £40,000 from Sport England’s Inspired Facilities fund and the club has received a double boost with an identical amount from the Veolia Mardyke Trust. The funding will be used for a much-needed renovation of the club’s existing pavilion and dressing room accommodation.
Wins for Thurrock and Belhus as league continues to be very competitive.
ORSETT “A” remain the only undefeated team in the current U14 indoor six a side competition at Grays School following a 52-run demolition of Stanford on Friday evening. The School Lane team powered their way to an unassailable 114 for the loss of two wickets as Will Gibbon led the way with 26 runs to his name. He found valuable support as Connor Boreham hit 19 not out while Harry Lockyer chipped in with 17 and Dylan Rose contributed 16 runs. In reply, Stanford found Jack Plom to be too hot to handle as the Orsett bowler picked up four wickets at a cost of 24 runs and in doing so returned the second best bowling figures of the competition to date. Callum McCarthy was the top scorer for Stanford with 25 but he could not prevent his team from being dismissed for 62 runs.
Cricket results from the warmth of the Gateway Academy sports hall.
STANFORD-le-Hope’s U14 team raced to 95 for 3 after just 8.2 overs as indoor youth cricket returned to Grays School following its extended Christmas break. Jack Carter, 34 not out, and William Pearn, 27 not out, were the main punishers of the Belhus attack as they helped their team score at nearly two runs per ball and ensured a three-wicket win in double-quick time.
IT was the lowest test score since 1974 and has caused much weeping and grinding of teeth in the land of the Hobbit.
ESPN columnist Jarrod Kimber has written a damning column which bemoans the state of New Zealand cricket and quotes that it’s now the sixteenth most popular sport in New Zealand.
POPULAR Essex cricket coach Terry Hills (pictured) will again be leading a regional junior and youth indoor net teaching programme which starts at The Grays School Media Arts College in Hathaway Road on Sunday 6th January. The coaching scheme is now in its eleventh year and was originally started when Thurrock-based cricket clubs decided to pool their coach resources to enable quality tuition at the lowest possible cost. The courses proved to be an immediate hit, attracting teenagers and younger children not only from Thurrock but those from further afield, such as Romford and Brentwood.
ORSETT cricket club achieved a win double at Grays School on Friday (14th December) as their “B” team won a thrilling match by just one wicket and with only six balls to spare. Over 200 runs were scored in this U14 indoor encounter as the Orsett “B” team scored 106 for the loss of five wickets after Thurrock “B” had posted 105 for the loss of three. Harry Dove and Kieron Gore were in the runs for Thurrock “B” with 41 and 17 respectively, but Tom Duck ultimately proved to be the difference for Orsett “B” with a fine match-winning 52 not out. Joseph Surrey picked up 2-38 for Thurrock “B”.
THERE were runs galore as the U14 indoor six a side cricket league started at Grays School on Friday (7th December). The teams batting first in their respective fixtures scored in excess of 100 runs each. Brothers Shameer and Bilal Quershi hit 47 not out and 33 respectively as Thurrock “A” posted 120 for the loss of five wickets, but their opponents, Thurrock “B” made a valiant effort by achieving 106-5 mainly through the efforts of Alfie Feeney, 32, and Connor Ramm, with 22 runs to his name.
