By Stan Nicholson
1 October 2016
Eddie Ballard, received his CCC Cap (No. 253) from Tour Manager, Simon Routh, prior to the CCC Representative XI's match v the Jersey National team, at Grainville Cricket Ground, just north of St, Hellier, Jersey, on Sunday 25 September.
Click here to see the tour party, results, scores, & reports of our 2 matches in Jersey over the weekend of 24 & 25 September, plus all our other CCC matches during 2016 (and previous years via the archive option). And here to our flickr website for photos of all CCC matches & events.
From 1922 to 1947, CCC Caps were awarded to any player representing the Conference in a full representative match for the first time. Thereafter Caps were awarded (& numbered) at the discretion of the CCC Executive Council, although since the mid 1970’s they have mainly been awarded to players undertaking a major overseas tour.
With the CCC tour programme now mainly short tours to ICC Associate countries, the CCC decided to award Caps to those who have played 25 or more Representative & Tour matches.
A talented, prolific batsman, Eddie has been on CCC tours to Italy in 2013, his debut year for the CCC, and our Centenary tour to Grenada & Barbados in 2015. His Cap presentation match was infact his 27 cap-qualifing match. Overall to date he has played 32 matches for the Conference, scored 1155 runs at an average of 39.83, with a highest score of 143*. That was against the MCC in 2013, for whom Eddie has played numerous games for since 2008. His other century for the CCC was also against the MCC ; 103* at Lord’s, as part of our Centenary matches in 2015. (he has 9 more scores over 50 for the CCC). 2016 was Eddie’s best for his club, Bishop’s Storford (for whom he is the captain) ; 1448 runs at 68.95 (1108 of those in the 18 Herts League matches). A regular in the Hertfordshire Minor Counties team since 2009, he also played for Cambridge University 2008 to 2010, Surrey CCC 2nd XI in 2010, and MCC Young Cricketers in 2011.
A full list of CCC Capped players since 1948 is here