Belhus Cricket Club News Flash

Hadleigh and Thundersley 1st 228 all out
Belhus 1st 122 all out

An aggressive 39-ball innings of 66 from Hadleigh's Ritchie Revell was enough to put this Essex Invitation Sunday league game out of the reach of Belhus at the John Burrows sports ground on Sunday. Revell struck six sixes and two fours until he was caught at deep mid-off by Martin Guilbert off the bowling of Ian Wright. Home openers Paul Tibbenham and Oliver Wagstaff shared an opening stand of 51 but both were dismissed by first change bowler Billy Winter. Dan Robbins chipped in with 21, Adam Fleming 18, Charlie Gibbons 20 and Luke Smith 12. Hadleigh were looking comfortable on 89 for the loss of only one wicket, but then proceeded to lose three wickets without further addition. With Winter accounting for Wagstaff, the very next over saw skipper Michael Cansdale introduce himself into the attack and was immediately on a hat-trick, having taken a wicket with his first two deliveries. He accounted for Robbins, caught by Winter at backward square leg, then clean bowled Connor Hayes. 89 for 4 in the sixteenth over looked a different proposition, until Revell got the better of the Belhus attack. Cansdale finished his eight over spell with 3-19 which included two maidens, while Ian Wright also picked up three wickets, at a cost of 41 runs. Winter returned 2-42 from seven overs while Danny Norris picked up the remaining wicket. Belhus opening bowler Ian Harvard toiled away without reward, bowling one maiden in a fine eight-over spell.

As the players came off for their tea, the heavens opened but no delay in play occurred. Unsurprisingly, given the conditions, it was another spin bowler, this time in the form of Luke Smith to reap dividends in the damp conditions. Smith finished with 4-15 from his alloted eight overs, which also included a maiden. His victims were Richard Day, caught by Connor Hayes at deep long-on for 15, Brian Edwards bowled for five, then Wright and Norris both perished to excellent stumpings by Michael Tibbenham for 4 and 14 respectively. Tibbenham went on to claim a third stumping, that of Winter to add to a catch earlier in the piece.

Belhus number seven batsman Chris Didd put up considerable resistance with a fine knock of 39 from 55 deliveries which included five boundaries. He was last man out, eventually trapped leg before to give Dan Robbins a sole wicket. Also claiming a single wicket were Revell, Ian Harrison and Wagstaff, while Gibbons finished with 2-26 from six overs.