ACADEMY SCRAPE HOME IN TENSE ONE WICKET WIN AGAINST CHESTER-LE-STREET

19th Aug 2022

           NEPL Sunday Division 1, 14^th August 2022, SNCC v Chester-le-Street (h)

Chester-le-Street 150-8 (40o) Liam Cook 22, James Matthewson 17, Alex Graham 15, Brett Eagle 58*, Seth Atkinson 21: Simon West 1-34, Woody Wilson 0-13, Jenny McDowell 2-21, Ross Ward 0-30, Oliver Clark 2-23, Alex Charnley 1-19.

SNCC 151-9 (35.2o) Angus Southern 29, Ben Sidney -Wilmot 23, Tris Meears-White 16, Oliver Clark 20*, Ross Ward 25, Simon West 11*: Joe Riley 4-24, Alex Graham 1-25, Brett Eagle 1-27, Max Johnson 0-21, Chris Metcalf 0-12, Liam Cook 2-28.

SNCC won by 1 wicket - 17points, Chester-le-Street 7.

The visitors were invited to bat on another warm day in Gosforth. Cook & Matthewson faced the seam of West & Wilson. Woody Wilson bowled tidily & his 5 overs went for only 13. The opening partnership had reached 38 in the 13th when Matthewson (17) skied Jenny over cover where Oliver, running back, took a good catch over his shoulder.

Just 5 runs later Jan took another good catch, diving low to his right at point to dismiss Jackson (0) off Jenny, 43-2 in the 15th. At 57 in the 21^st Cook flat batted Clark to mid on where Anya took another sharp catch. The pair repeated the trick in over 25 when Graham (15) chipped Clark high to mid on where Anya judged the catch well, 74-4.

A steady partnership between Eagle & Atkinson took the score to 117 in the 33^rd when, after hitting a boundary from the previous ball, Atkinson (21) was bowled by a West yorker. Simon rolling back the years, swing & seam in evidence. One run later Riley (0) was lbw to Charnley's newly discovered leg breaks & googlies, 118-6.

The next two dismissals owe everything to Ross Ward's athleticism at long on. At 126 Rodger failed to get back for 2 as Ross's speed over the ground & quick release throw to Alex, the bowler, beat him & at 131 the same pair dismissed Wragg (0) in identical fashion. Fielding matters !!

Eagle (58*, 55b, 7x4) continued with Burdon & raised the total to 150 with a last wicket stand of 19. Alex Charnley 7 overs for only 21 & a wicket. Jenny 2-21 off 6, Oliver 2-25 off 6, Ross 0-30 off 8. Good fielding on a dry, bumpy in parts, outfield

Charnley & Southern faced Riley & Graham. Riley bowled well & took the first 4 wickets to fall. Charnley (6) was bowled at 7, Ozmen (0) was caught by Eagle, 7-2 in the 3rd. A good partnership of 53 between Angus & Ben took the score to 60 when Ben (23, 27b, 4x4) driving, edged to w/k Rodger. 5 runs later in the 15^th Angus, who had scored on both sides of the wicket, (29, 47b, 6x4), edged to slip.  A return to a bit of form for APS, Joe Riley 4-24.

An historic moment as Anya joined father Tristan at the wicket, the first occasion in the club's history when a father & daughter have batted together. Sadly Anya (3) was caught by Rodger off Eagle at 69, 5 down. In the 20th Tris took three boundaries off Jackson, but in the 21^st a leg bye possibility off Oliver, behind the bat & the keeper,  saw Tris (16, 4x4), say yes (his call) & be run out when Oliver failed to respond. Bother !

Ross Ward is dynamic. In 15 balls faced he scored 25 including 2x6, 2x4 & 2x2 to wrest the initiative back for the Bulls. From the 1^st X1 wicket the day before, one 6 disappeared into Moor Road North ! At 127, he mishit to cover to be caught off Cook. & next ball Jenny (0) was bowled, 127-8 in the 27th.

Woody Wilson (0) survived 11 balls in company with Oliver before he was lbw to Graham, 133-9 in the 30th. Tense ! Enter Simon West whose last innings was in 2019.  A 2 & a boundary & the rest in singles, a 3 to Oliver, as the pair inched, calmly toward the target & in 6.1 overs got there. Simon 11*, Oliver 20*. Bravo !

17 points for the Academy now up to 5^th with three games to go. Benwell Hill, Sun 21^st Aug (a), Sacriston, Sun 28^th August (h) & the postponed Newcastle game on a date to be confirmed. We must continue aiming to be better! 

Duncan.