History
Club Team Honours
Saturday 1st XI
League Champions 1975, 1992, 1993
Division 1 Champions 1999
Saturday 2nd XI
League Champions 1982, 1991, 1992, 1995
Premier League Champions 2007, 2009
Saturday 3rd X1
League Champions 1993
Premier League Champions 2007, 2008, 2009
Division One Champions 2006
Division Two Champions 2004
Saturday 4th XI
3rd XI Division 2 Champions 2009
3rd XI Division 3 Champions 2008
Premier League Champions 2007
Division 2 East Champions 2004
Saturday 5th XI
4th XI Division 2 East Champions 2009
Sunday 1st XI
League Champions 1998, 2003, 2004, 2006
East Division Champions 2009
Under 16's
Matchplay 2004
Club Records (Subject to Confirmation)
Batting
Highest Score in Any Game: 256* Nick Bailey U16 Matchplay v Ardleigh Green (H) 2005
Highest score in League: 232* Steve Pleasant 4th XI v Hornchurch 5ths (H) 2005
Most League Runs in a Season: 925 Robbie Dalrymple (1st XI 2003)
Bowling
Best Bowling in Any Game: 10-37 Ian Hare 4th XI v South Woodford
Best Bowling in League: 9-26 Bob Shortman 1st XI v South Woodford 1993
Most League Wickets in a Season: 72 Keith Goodman (1st XI 1997)
Club Player Honours
Outstanding Individual Performance:
2008 - P. Jones, 2009 - R. Hayto
Batting Award - Allen Jerman Trophy:
2000 - T. Jones, 2001 - R. Iliffe, 2002 - D. Chidley, 2003 - R. Dalrymple, 2004 - A. Rycroft, 2005 - P. Jones, 2006 - D. Thrift, 2007 - B. Clayden, 2008 - P. Keaney, 2009 - N. Prowting
Bowling Award - Spencer George Memorial Trophy:
2000 - M. Poole, 2001 - D.P. Goddard, 2002 - E.W. Lawrence, 2003 - E.W. Lawrence, 2004 - U.S. Pandya, 2005 - E.W. Lawrence, 2006 - M.E.T Coups, 2007 - M. Drain, 2008 - R. Hayto, 2009 - T. Halsey
Thompson Cup for Outstanding Colt:
2008 - J. Sterland, 2009 - O. Devenish
Rawsthorne Trophy for the Most Promising Young Player:
2002 - M. Thurston, 2003 - G. Chidley, 2004 - C. Prowting, 2005 - R. Hayto, 2006 - M. Drain, 2007 - J. Moss, 2008 - R. Smith, 2009 - J. Sterland
Most Improved Player:
2008 - J. Moss, 2009 - T. Witham
Fielder/All Rounder of the Year:
2008 - N. Fergus, 2009 - L, Cramner
Prowting Hollamby Smith Trophy (Highest Score):
2008 - P. Keaney, 2009 - G. Chidley
Team of the Year Trophy:
2008 - Saturday 4th XI, 2009 - Saturday 3rd XI
Shirley Carter Club Person of the Year:
2000 - P. Jones/R. Shortman, 2001 - J.R. Dench, 2002 - R.A. Davies, 2003 - S.C. Doe, 2004 - Mr & Mrs S.N. Pandya, 2005 - J.R. Dench, 2006 - P.J. Drain, 2007 - TBC, 2008 - D.P. Goddard, 2009 - A. Shepherd
History of CCC
Chelmsford was one of the original members of the Essex League on its formation in 1972. Traditionally, Chelmsford was a strong club but that tended to be reflected in consistency. In the first 16 years of the league they were First XI Champions in 1975 and Second XI Champions in 1982. It was also one of the pioneer clubs in setting up a Colt’s section and a stream of good players flowed into the ranks. The torrent reached its height in the early 1990s.
In 1991, Barry Clayden led the First Team to second place and David Carr led the Seconds to the Championship. In 1992 both teams won their leagues and in 1993, the Third Team got in on the act as well, the Firsts retained the title and only a nasty accident in the final game of the season denied the second team a third straight Championship.
The U16s also reached the Matchplay finals in 1991 and 1993 so the future looked well set. Somehow, it never quite happened - the Second Team this time under Clayden won the league again in 1995 and Tom Iliffe’s 1997 First Team powered by an astonishing 72 wickets from Keith Goodman went through the season unbeaten but finished one point adrift of Wanstead – much of the ‘90s was a period of decline.
After 1998, the league structure changed from two divisions of 20 to four of 10 and Chelmsford found itself out of the top division in all three levels. The First Team under the leadership of Neil Fergus reacted smartly by winning the Division 1 title in 1999 but all day cricket did not prove to the liking of the older squad members. The rest came to terms rather late and despite ending the season with three wins, they were relegated. From 2001 to 2007 they stayed in Division 1, often flirting with promotion or relegation but usually ending in mid-table. Given the playing profile, stability through these years was a good achievement with the captaincy of Paul Jones doing a lot to bind the team together. In 2008, the young team fulfilled much of its potential and victory in the final game of the season leapfrogged Chelmsford into the runner-up spot, gaining them a place in the Premier league for 2009. A fantastic 877 runs from Nick Prowting powered the side to an encouraging 4th place finish.
The problems for the First Team helped the Second Team and they were promoted to the Premier League in 2000. Like the first team they have maintained their level, achieving a runner-up spot in 2006 and following that up with titles in 2007 and 2009.
Things proved much harder going for the Thirds. They hung in Division 1 for a few years but relegation in 2001 was followed by relegation to Division 3 in 2002.
That proved to be the nadir. Under Dave Chidley’s stewardship the side achieved promotion in 2003 and then the Division 2 title in 2004. Barry Clayden rejoined Chelmsford as Third Team skipper in 2006 and had instant success, the Division 1 title taking the Thirds into their Premier Division for the first time. First contact proved fruitful as the league was won on the final day of the 2007 season. A title that was successfully defended in 2008 and 2009.
The advent of Fourth Team league cricket (in 1998) came too early for a struggling club. It was only in 2004 that Chelmsford finally entered a Fourth team. The first season was fairly spectacular with 14 wins from 14 games in Division 2 East, under the captaincy of Steve Pleasant. That achievement was backed up by promotion from Division 1 in 2005 and a third place finish in the Premier League in 2006. Andy Thurston improved on that in his debut year as skipper, with the fourths completing a hat-trick of Premier League titles for the club in 2007. That led Chelmsford to be elevated to the Third XI League and for the second time, they performed a perfect season, winning all 16 games in Division 3 of the Third XI league. Dave Goddard took over the reins in 2009 and his side won a close tussle in Division 2.
The Fifth team entered the league structure for 2009, going unbeaten in Divison 3 Eeast of the 4th XI League.
The Sixth Team regularly turns out, providing cricket for a lot of members, most of whom have come through the colts system.
Sunday cricket similarly reached a low ebb in the mid-‘90s. To try and solve this Chelmsford were one of the founding members of the Essex Sunday League in 1997. A very young team won all their games to lift the title in 1998 but there were some lean years after that with some exceptionally casual cricket. The 2001 campaign was probably the most inept performance by any Chelmsford team. Attitudes improved markedly after that, 26 consecutive wins led to the Division 1 East title in 2002 and the Premier division title in 2003 and 2004. The Premier Division title was won again in 2006. The 2008 season was a bit of a disaster, resulting in relegation but as previously, they bounced back by winning the East Division.
The key to the two transformations of the club has been the state of the Colts section. This section was neglected in the salad days. The talent that was there was under-developed and forced to play with struggling adult sides.
The Club President Roy Cheek kept some semblance of youth cricket going and with the recruitment of Eddie Lawrence as a coach, the first step back was taken. A stormy development meeting in 1999 laid the foundations for the future. The discussions in this may have been rather poisonous but the results were positive.
It was decided to concentrate maximum energy on the Colts section and use the great advantage of Chelmer Park; three home pitches and the space this needs. The plan enabled the coaching skills of Keith Goodman to be utilised but most importantly encouraged the return to coaching duties of Bob Shortman. Just as he had been in the 1970s and 1980s, Bob is the guiding light for young players but is also now able to help integrate them into the adult club, acting as captain of the friendly sides for several years, now doing the job for the Sixth team.
There are now over 100 registered Colt members and given the numbers involved, two training nights each week. There are two teams at the under-11, under-13 and under-15 age groups plus the under-16 Matchplay side. From 2002, there was continuity with Eddie Lawrence, Bob Shortman and Peter Drain successfully coaching the Under 16, under 15 and under 11 sides whilst Alistair Fergus organises the under-13s. Eddie stepped down in 2007 and Chris Drain holds the reins now.
Many young players have forced their way into the high league sides and many more should follow. The high watermarks of achievement have been back-to-back victories in the Under 15 Essex Cup in 2004 and 2005, a superb Matchplay win in 2004 and the Under 13 Essex Cup in 2009.