1864'S TRIUMPH IN ¼ FINAL OF DIV 1 KO CUP AT RIDING MILL

22nd Jun 2023

        Wed 21^st June 2023, WTL Div 1 KO Cup: SNCC v Riding Mill (a)

SNCC 1864 189-5 (20o) George McConnell 11, Belinda Wewalage 25, Ben Sidney-Wilmot 16, Oliver Young 64, Will Hall 22, Gregor Pearce 13*, Rory Cartmell 1*: Jon Bennett 0-29,Tim Willis 0-33, James O'Donnell 1-33, Andy Watson 2-21, Kiel Zurawlew 0-38, Usman Elahi 1-21.

Riding Mill 121-5 (20o) James O'Donnell 36, Kiel Zurawlew 18, Malik Afzal 12, Steve Norris 21*: Gregor Pearce 0-21, Alan Roskilly 1-15, Patrick Hatcher 2-18, Charlie O'Brien 0-31, Zach Henderson 1-18, Rory Cartmell 0-11, Belinda Wewalage 1-5.

SNCC 1864 won by 68 runs.

After the frustration of Sunday, when the rain spoiled a likely winning chase at Stamfordham, the 1864's bounced back to comfortably defeat Riding Mill to progress to the semi-final of the WTL Division 1 KO Cup.

A young side, in which Rory Cartmell & Zach Henderson made their debuts & Oliver Young his first appearance of 2023, won the toss & chose to bat.

George & Belinda faced Bennett & Willis. A fast start saw George hit 2x4 in the second over & Belinda 2x4 + 2x6 in the third before George (11,9b, 2x4) was unfortunately run out responding to Belinda's over optimistic single to cover from the last ball of the third over, 42-1. This became for 2 as Belinda (25,15b,3x4 2x6) was caught by Kent at cover off O'Donnell after 4.1o , 43 the total.

Ben Sid & Oliver progressed the score nicely, (10, 7, 9 ,12 & 7), a partnership of 47 with good running, despatching the bad ball, to 90 in the 10th when Ben (16, 18b,2x4) was bowled by a Watson in ducker. Oliver & Will Hall pressed on. Oliver exploiting the mid-wicket region & Will driving down the ground, both running well. 

At 132 in the 16^th Will (22, 23b 4x4) advanced to Elahi & was bowled. Gregor scampered, Oliver smote, both ran & from the penultimate ball Oliver (64, 44b 9x4) was caught at mid-wicket by O'Donnell off Watson, a match defining innings. Rory Cartmell strode out, hit his first ball, the last of the innings, for a single & walked off 1* on debut, Gregor (13*,11b, 1x6). The total was 179-5 but the umpires decreed that the time of 75 mins had been exceeded substantially & imposed a 10-run penalty, so 189.

O'Donnell & Zurawlew faced the leg spin of Gregor & the seam of Alan Roskilly. 23-0 from 3 overs but then Patrick & Alan bowled straight & contained the scoring such that Alan bowled the only maiden of the night in the 8th, after which the score was 43-2.(64's had been 73 at the same stage) In the 5^th Zurawlew (18) had missed a straight one from Patrick at 32 & Bennett (3) had been bowled by Alan at 44.

After 10 overs the score was 55-2. Charlie O'Brien suffered a little but in the 11^th Kent (5) hit Patrick to cover where Rory took a neat catch, 65-3. Zach Henderson came on in the 13^th & bowled O'Donnell (36, 34b, 3x4 1x6) first ball, top of off, it doesn't get much better ! (Proud Dad was watching too !!), 75-4.

80-4 after 14 when Gregor went for only 1.Rory & Zach continued & then in the 19^th Belinda enticed Afzal to hit high to long on where Oliver took the catch, 111-5. The game was already gone for Riding Mill who finished 121-5 with Norris 21* & Davison 2*.

A win by 68 runs for the 64's, where the values of rotating the strike, bowling straight & fielding well enabled pleasing debuts for young players.

The semi-final is away to Haltwhistle on Wed 5^th July. We hope you can be there. One senses this is the furthest the 1864's have ever been in this Div 1 KO Cup. Onward !