Belhus Cricket Club News Flash

Colchester Royal Grammar School U14 266-4 dec
Essex Association of Boys Clubs U14 144-4 (match drawn).

The visiting Boys Clubs' representative team won the toss at Colchester and invited their Colchester hosts to take first knock on a warm but breezy day. The decision looked a good one as opening batsman King was caught by Joshi at cover point. Gardner soon followed for 17 with the score on 45. Unfazed by the early loss, Rich and West then put the Essex bowling to the sword as they added 215 for the third wicket in 23 overs taking the score to 260. West finished with a magnificent 127 to his name and Rich ending with a fine 76. The pick of the Boys Clubs' bowling being Bottoms 1-16 and Harry Levy (Belhus CC) 1-19. The declaration came after 31 overs, giving Essex a maximum of 29 overs to reach their target.

The two visiting openers, Tom Leach and Levy did well to put on 27 without loss in the seven overs bowled by Colchester before tea. Runs flowed after tea as these two put on 66 for the first wicket in 15 overs until Levy, drafted in at short notice from the U12 squad, was first to be dismissed for 28, a superb peformance, given that he was batting outside his normal age group. Hall came in and he and Leach put on 33 in quick time before Hall fell for 10 runs. Tom Wood's (Belhus CC) knock of 17 kept the scoreboard ticking over, putting on 30 runs with Leach, who reached his first 50 for the EABC, ending 58 not out as EABC reached a respectable 144-4 after 29 overs. The pick of the Colchester Royal Grammar School bowling was Dow with 2-19 in 6 overs. Essex Boys Clubs' cricket manager Dave Shelton said: "This was an honourable draw on a flat pitch. Before going into this game we had had mixed fortunes losing three games out of five and they boys wanted to finish their representative cricket in some style. Yes, they certainly achieved that".