Born in Windsor, Berkshire on 9 March 1947, Stephen Richard Bielby was educated at Radley College, where he topped the batting and bowling averages in 1965. He played in the Minor Counties Championship for Buckinghamshire and in 1966 appeared for Notts Seconds. His First-Class debut for Nottinghamshire came at Fenner’s against Cambridge University in May 1967 and his first start in the County Championship was a year later against Middlesex at Trent Bridge. He took the field for his Championship debut alongside another Nottinghamshire new boy, Garfield Sobers and later that season he was in the Notts side when Sobers hit his famous six 6s in an over against Glamorgan at Swansea.
Bielby played 43 First-Class matches for Nottinghamshire, scoring 837 runs, with two fifties and a top score of 62. In addition, he made 17 List-A starts, scoring 169 runs. His top score in limited-overs matches was also 62, made against Derbyshire at Chesterfield in 1971. Bielby bowled off-breaks and claimed three wickets, with figures of 8-4-16-3, in his first List-A appearance against Somerset in the Player’s County League at Glastonbury in July 1969. He never bowled again for Nottinghamshire in limited-overs cricket and was called upon rarely in the First-Class game, claiming a career total of three wickets.
Richard Bielby’s final appearance for Nottinghamshire came in August 1971 against the touring Indians and he was released at the end of that season.
June 2020
Nottinghamshire First-Class Number: 448