Joe Thompson U15's bowler Basildon & Pitsea CC

Joe Thompson U15's bowler Basildon & Pitsea CC best bowling figures. (SEDCB)

Younger son Joe, has just had some good news, he's been selected to represent the South Essex District based on his recent bowling performances including the 10.4 - 2- 15 - 6 against Belhus in a 4th XI game (Adults).

He'd previously been trialled in the winter but was ill, so his performance at the trial was affected. The bloke who ran the trials was aware of this and said that despite what had happened at the trial, his name was in the frame and that they'd keep an eye on him over this season and he'd be offered games in the summer if he performed well at Basildon.

I don't know how this all happens, I think the club uploads the data on-line and forwards the info to SEDCB . With the Belhus performance one the clubs officials let me know that there's a process of letting Essex Cricket know about it and it's looked at in terms of being 'Performance of the week' or something and if it is, we win tickets to an Essex game. I did that and we're off to see Essex on the 29th playing Warwickshire in a one day game as an award for the performance.

 

He then followed that up with another good performance in the 4's playing against Hornchurch. Taking two key wickets - one bloke LBW that was well set and looking for a long innings and only playing loose balls and another younger bloke - 2nd XI player (Allegedly), who was smacking the ball out of the park for six as and when he wanted to. Joe got them both clean bowled. The 2nd XI player especially was a good wicket - Joe got hit for six off of a good ball and then bowled off-spin, running in off of his seam-up run up, the ball gripped and the bloke missed it completely hitting him in the body. He then followed that up with a leg-cutter on middle and leg that turned and hit the top of off.

 

 

In the following week I then got a call from a bloke at SEDCB saying that Joe's bowling hadn't gone un-noticed and that they had some fixtures for him to represent the South Essex District. Then checking back through my emails Michelle, my wife noticed with the email from Essex County Cricket Club there was an attachment...

 

 

A nice certificate from Essex Cricket commending Joe's 6-fer signed by Alastair Cook England captain and James Foster another Essex player!

 

Back to the district fixtures - he had three games offered, one of which he's not going to be able to make, but the other two he can. So, on Monday 27th he's at Harlow for a 40 over game and then on the Tuesday he's at Garon's Park in Southend which is a splendid venue used by the county teams for matches. Again another 40 over game. What with a game on Saturday as well and the game we're going to watch on 29th at Chelmsford it's going to be a busy cricket week for Joe!

 

This means in the clubs running totals for all wicket takers in adults games Joe is now 12th

 

 All this and he's only just turned 14 on the 9th of July! Well done Joe!

 

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