ACADEMY IN CLOSE CONTEST AT CHESTER WHEN THE RAIN CAME

26th Jun 2023

       NEPL Sunday Division 1: 25^th June 2023: SNCC v CLS (a) 40/40o

SNCC 199-8 (40o) Angus Southern 74, Will Alexander 22, James Lunn 64, Ben Sidney-Wilmot 16*: H Days 1-30, J Davie 0-32, M Jackson 0-28, S Goodwin 1-25, H Simpson 1-49, B Eagle 4-31.

Chester le Street 70-1 (14o) Liam Cook 34*, Luke Allen 18, Sam Goodwin 17*: Josephine Nkomo 1-27, Ben Hobbs 0-23, Aadesh Sahadevan 0-7, David Cragg 0-12.

Match abandoned - rain: CLS 7 points, SNCC 8.

An evenly poised game came to a premature conclusion at Ropery Lane as persistent rain curtailed play after only 14 overs of the second innings had been bowled.

The Bulls won the toss & chose to bat. The day was warm, the sky blue but there was a threat of rain later. Angus Southern & Charlie Wilson faced the seam of Harry Days & Jake Davie. An early breakthrough a Charlie (0) was caught & bowled by Days as one bounced a bit from the first ball of the third over.

Angus hit 2x4 in the next but the bowling was tight & the score rose to 30-1 after 10 overs. Some acceleration as bot Will Alexander & Angus found the boundary especially in over 13 which went for 11.

Jackson & the off spin of Goodwin took over the attack & Will, who had success straight, through mid-wicket & cover (22,41b,4x4), was caught by Days off Goodwin, 65-2 in the 17th.

Lunny joined Angus & the pair advanced the score nicely, in a partnership of 91 for the third wicket. 84-2 after 20 overs became142 after 30, as Goodwin & Simpson wheeled away. At 156 in the 33^rd Angus (74, 104b, 11x4) who had prospered through the off side & wanting to accelerate, hit Eagle hard to mid off where Metcalf took the catch.

Lunny & Will C both hit boundaries in the 34^th but in coming back for 2 in the next Will C (5) was run out, 168-4.  In over 37 Lunny (64, 60b, 7x4,1x6) was bowled attempting to hit Simpson's medium pace. 175-5.

Aadesh (5) succumbed to a catch at long off by Robson off Eagle & Josephine (0) edged behind first ball, 181-7. Ben Sid & Ben H put on 14 until Ben H (5) was adjudged caught & bowled by Eagle after the hit ball stuck his foot & lobbed into the air. Ben (16*) & George (2*) saw the close at 199-8 after 40 overs, a total maybe 20/30 under par.

Cook & Allen faced the seam of Josephine & Ben Hobbs. Positive batting saw the total reach 31 after 6 overs & then in the 7^th Allen (18) played on attempting to force through the off side off Josephine. 37-1. After 10 overs, at 50-1, a double bowling change saw Aadesh's right arm seam & David Cragg's sla enter the attack.

20 off the next 4 overs, Cook 34* (5x4) & Goodwin 17* (1x4 1x6) but at drinks the rain persisted & the players left the field. Optimism that conditions would improve meant a wait for an hour but with no let up in the now heavy rain, the match was abandoned at 1750.

The Bulls retain top spot in Sunday Division 1 having played 7, won 3 with 4 abandoned. Onward to Sun 2^nd July 2023 with a home game against Tynemouth, start 1330, 40/40o, we hope you can be there to cheer the Bulls on.

Duncan.