2'S BATTLE TO DRAW AT TABLE TOPPING CHESTER-LE-STREET

2nd Jul 2023

       NEPL Div 2: Sat 1^st July 2023: SNCC v Chester-Le-Street (a) 105o

Chester-Le-Street 223-7 dec (47o) Josh Metcalfe 21, Josh Wilson 61, Luke Allen 73*: Allan Davidson 2-64, Gavin Paton 1-48, Sadiq Khan 2-38, Ben Hobbs 0-36, George Gray 2-33.

SNCC 185-8 (52o) Alex Charnley 54, Sadiq Khan 19, Gavin Paton 60*, George Gray 32*: John Harrison 4-35, Josh Wilson 3-35, Liam Colledge 1-49, Josh Metcalfe 0-30, Gabriel Hughes-Pinan 0-22.

Match drawn: CLS winning draw 17 points, SNCC losing draw 10 points.

Winning the toss, & with an inexperienced batting line up, the Bulls asked the home side to bat. A rain delay mid innings lost 6 overs from the total. Metcalfe & Cranston faced the seam of Davidson & Paton. A strong start for the home team until at 15 Cranston (10) hit Allan to square leg where Alex C caught the first of his three catches.

At 52 Purdon (19) driving, was caught at extra cover by Alex C off Gavin. At the same score Metcalfe (21) lofted Sadiq over mid-on where a retreating Alex W held the catch, 52-3. At 78 George Harrison (15) was lbw to Sadiq's leg spin, 4 down.

Wilson & Allen then shared a stand of 80 with Wilson attacking & the left-handed Allen supporting. Wilson, on 20, gave a difficult chance, low to w/k Sam's right, off Ben that did not stick. At 158 Wilson (61, 74b,8x4,1x6) was caught on the extra cover boundary by Alex C off George.

At the same score Summers (0), pushing forward, was bowled by George. The spinners had slowed the scoring rate, Sadiq 38 off 11 overs, George 33 off 10, but as the seamers returned, Allen hit out, Ben & Allan suffering. At 199 Colledge (10), advancing, was stumped by Sam off Allan. Allen (73*, 85b,3x4,3x6) & John Harrison (10*) attacked & the declaration came at 223 after 47 overs.

A disastrous start for the visitors saw them slump to 11-5. Sam (0) strangled down the legside, a catch by w/k Hindmarsh off John Harrison without a run on the board in the first over.

Angus (4) adjudged lbw to off spinner Wilson bowling around the wicket. Jacob (0) lbw to a good one from Harrison that nipped back. Alex W (0) edging Harrison behind & Will (0) hit high on the pad, seemingly harshly also adjudged lbw off Wilson.

Alex C & Sadiq rebuilt carefully putting on 46 for the 6^th wicket when Sadiq (19) drove Colledge to mid-on where Allen took the catch, 57-6. Alex C was steadfast & in partnership with Gavin put on 57 for the 7^th wicket until at 114, Alex C (56, 108b, 5x4) skied a full toss off Wilson & was caught by Cranston, a vital innings of character, determination & patience. 

Ben (0) was then bowled by Harrison, 8 down for 115. There followed a match saving, undefeated partnership between Gavin & George adding 70. Gavin (60*79b, 6x4 2x6) not giving a chance & using his power when the opportunity arose & George, steady against the spinners but cutting to find the boundary behind point regularly when the seamers returned, to finish 32* (76b, 6x4), his best senior innings total.

The disciplined bowling lines of the CLS attack a lesson for the Bulls. 7^th place on 129 points at the halfway point of the season.

Onward to Sat 8^th July SNCC v Burnmoor (h) 105o from 1200. We hope you can be there to cheer the Bulls on.

Duncan.