Benjamin Bellamy
Encyclopedia
Benjamin Walter Bellamy (born 22 April 1891 in Wollaston, Northamptonshire
, England
) was a professional cricketer who spent his entire career at Northamptonshire. His career spanned 16 years, retiring in 1935 by which time he had played 351 first-class
matches, but returning in a crisis for two games two seasons later. Benjamin Bellamy died in Wellingborough
in his home county on 22 December 1985, aged 94.
as an inside forward. Bellamy joined the ground staff of Northamptonshire, which shared its ground with the soccer club, in 1912, but his powers as a cricketer ripened very slowly indeed. He was denied a regular place in the county team until 1922, due to the First World War
and the long career of Walter Buswell. By this time he was thirty-one years old. Bellamy then remained the first choice wicket-keeper
for 14 seasons, making his last appearance for the county as a batsman
with Ken James
having become the preferred wicket keeper.
He was a most unusual wicket-keeper - along with Clyde Walcott
probably the tallest to regularly play this position - and his clumsy build suggested a complete lack of style behind the stumps. His debut behind the stumps came in one of the most remarkable county matches of all time. When Northamptonshire played Surrey at Northampton
in 1920 the match produced 1,475 runs (a championship record which stood for nearly seventy years), including a century
in around 35 minutes by Percy Fender
. Bellamy's first victim
was Jack Hobbs
, and he conceded only 11 byes as Surrey totalled 619-5 declared and 120-2. Initially he was not regarded as a serious batsman, but as early as 1922 Bellamy scored his career best batting total of 168 against an admittedly weak Worcestershire
bowling attack. Three years later, after Northamptonshire lost nine wickets for 216 he put on 93 with Phillip Wright for the ninth wicket and with fellow Wollaston boy Vernon Murdin
148 runs for the last wicket against Glamorgan, which is still a county record. Bellamy reached his peak in 1928, when he scored 1,116 runs with two centuries, but injury and age gradually began to catch up with him in the 1930s. He missed the last eighteen games of 1931 and never reached the same records he had in the previous decade during his last four seasons with the side.
Ben Bellamy was well regarded by his county, and as the team were struggling around the time of his career, his competence in cricket was very welcomed. Many famed him for his routine of leaving his motorbike at Wellingborough train station en route to away fixtures. After his retirement, Bellamy spent 22 years as the coach at Wellingborough School
. When he died in 1985, aged 94, he was the oldest surviving County Championship cricketer.
Wollaston, Northamptonshire
Wollaston is a large village in the borough of Wellingborough. in Eastern Northamptonshire, England. The name is derived from the Saxon "Wulfaf's Town" - named after a Saxon chief of that name.-Wollaston Today:...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
) was a professional cricketer who spent his entire career at Northamptonshire. His career spanned 16 years, retiring in 1935 by which time he had played 351 first-class
First-class cricket
First-class cricket is a class of cricket that consists of matches of three or more days' scheduled duration, that are between two sides of eleven players and are officially adjudged first-class by virtue of the standard of the competing teams...
matches, but returning in a crisis for two games two seasons later. Benjamin Bellamy died in Wellingborough
Wellingborough
Wellingborough is a market town and borough in Northamptonshire, England, situated some from the county town of Northampton. The town is situated on the north side of the River Nene, most of the older town is sited on the flanks of the hills above the river's current flood plain...
in his home county on 22 December 1985, aged 94.
Career
In his youth, Bellamy focused chiefly on soccer, at which he was good enough to play for Northampton TownNorthampton Town F.C.
Northampton Town Football Club are an English professional football club based in Northampton, Northamptonshire. They currently play in Football League Two, the lowest league division, after being relegated from League One on the last day of the 2008–09 season...
as an inside forward. Bellamy joined the ground staff of Northamptonshire, which shared its ground with the soccer club, in 1912, but his powers as a cricketer ripened very slowly indeed. He was denied a regular place in the county team until 1922, due to the First World War
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and the long career of Walter Buswell. By this time he was thirty-one years old. Bellamy then remained the first choice wicket-keeper
Wicket-keeper
The wicket-keeper in the sport of cricket is the player on the fielding side who stands behind the wicket or stumps being guarded by the batsman currently on strike...
for 14 seasons, making his last appearance for the county as a batsman
Batting (cricket)
In the sport of cricket, batting is the act or skill of hitting the cricket ball with a cricket bat to score runs or prevent the loss of one's wicket. A player who is currently batting is denoted as a batsman, while the act of hitting the ball is called a shot or stroke...
with Ken James
Ken James (cricketer)
Kenneth Cecil James , was a cricketer who played for Wellington, Northamptonshire and New Zealand.A wicket-keeper and a useful batsman, James first played for Wellington in 1923 and came to England with the first New Zealand touring party in 1927 ostensibly as second string to Tom Lowry...
having become the preferred wicket keeper.
He was a most unusual wicket-keeper - along with Clyde Walcott
Clyde Walcott
Sir Clyde Leopold Walcott, KA, GCM was a West Indian cricketer. Walcott was a member of the "three W's", the other two being Everton Weekes and Frank Worrell: all were very successful batsmen from Barbados, born within a short distance of each other in Bridgetown, Barbados in a period of 18...
probably the tallest to regularly play this position - and his clumsy build suggested a complete lack of style behind the stumps. His debut behind the stumps came in one of the most remarkable county matches of all time. When Northamptonshire played Surrey at Northampton
County Cricket Ground, Northampton
The County Ground, is a cricket venue on Wantage Road in the Abington area of Northampton, UK. It is home to Northamptonshire County Cricket Club....
in 1920 the match produced 1,475 runs (a championship record which stood for nearly seventy years), including a century
Century (cricket)
In the sport of cricket, a batsman reaches his century when he scores 100 or more runs in a single innings. The term is also included in "century partnership" which occurs when two batsmen add 100 runs to the team total when they are batting together. A century is regarded as a landmark score for...
in around 35 minutes by Percy Fender
Percy Fender
Percy George Herbert Fender was an English all-round cricketer who played 13 Tests for England. He was a middle order batsman and bowled mainly leg spin.-Biography:...
. Bellamy's first victim
Dismissal (cricket)
In the sport of cricket, a dismissal occurs when the batsman is out . Colloquially, the fielding team is also said to have snared, bagged or captured a wicket. At this point a batsman must discontinue batting and leave the field permanently for the innings...
was Jack Hobbs
Jack Hobbs
Sir John Berry "Jack" Hobbs was an English professional cricketer who played for Surrey from 1905 to 1934 and for England in 61 Test matches from 1908 to 1930....
, and he conceded only 11 byes as Surrey totalled 619-5 declared and 120-2. Initially he was not regarded as a serious batsman, but as early as 1922 Bellamy scored his career best batting total of 168 against an admittedly weak Worcestershire
Worcestershire County Cricket Club
Worcestershire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Worcestershire...
bowling attack. Three years later, after Northamptonshire lost nine wickets for 216 he put on 93 with Phillip Wright for the ninth wicket and with fellow Wollaston boy Vernon Murdin
John Murdin
John Vernon Murdin was a professional Cricketer who spent his entire career at Northamptonshire. Although he was predominantly a Bowler, the highlight of his 14-year playing career was his County record last wicket partnership with fellow Wollaston-born player Ben Bellamy of 148...
148 runs for the last wicket against Glamorgan, which is still a county record. Bellamy reached his peak in 1928, when he scored 1,116 runs with two centuries, but injury and age gradually began to catch up with him in the 1930s. He missed the last eighteen games of 1931 and never reached the same records he had in the previous decade during his last four seasons with the side.
Ben Bellamy was well regarded by his county, and as the team were struggling around the time of his career, his competence in cricket was very welcomed. Many famed him for his routine of leaving his motorbike at Wellingborough train station en route to away fixtures. After his retirement, Bellamy spent 22 years as the coach at Wellingborough School
Wellingborough School
Wellingborough School is an independent fee-paying day school in Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, England. It was established in 1595 and is one of the oldest schools in the country.-History:...
. When he died in 1985, aged 94, he was the oldest surviving County Championship cricketer.