BULLS BATTLE WELL THEN SUBSIDE TO ASHINGTON

29th Jul 2024

               BULLS BATTLE WELL THEN SUBSIDE TO ASHINGTON.

NEPL Division 2: Sat 20^th July 2024: SNCC v Ashington(h) 105o w/l/d

Ashington 201 ao (49o) Josh Robinson 37, Michael Levison 62, David Rutherford 25, Gregg Williams 20, Charlie Harmison 17: Nathan Gough 2-40, Joe Dresser 0-13, Missy Banks 2-49, Gregor Pearce 1-34, James Lunn 4-46, George McConnell 0-12.

SNCC 127 ao (37.3o) Angus Southern 21, David Edwards 13, Nathan Gough 59, Ben Sidney-Wilmot 20: Callum Storey 0-23, Charlie Harmison 2-21, Graham Whitworth 2-16, David Rutherford 2-43, Paul Rutherford 3-19.

Ashington won by 74 runs- 26 points, SNCC 5.

A sunny day, but with the threat of rain later, saw the Bulls, missing Ru Fletcher, Alex Charnley, Alex Weetman, George Gray & Gavin Paton give league debuts to Joe Dresser, Missy Banks, Will Carr, George McConnell & Gregor Pearce, win the toss Ashington were invited to bat. Robinson & Levison faced the seam of Nathan Gough (lm) & Joe Dresser (rm).

A steady start saw the score at 29 after 10 overs, Joe bowling his first 5 for just 13 runs with one maiden. Ben Sid's athleticism behind the stumps was called upon as bowlers direction was variable. Missy (rm) & Gregor (lb/g) took over, both Robinson & Levison took boundaries in overs 19 & 20 after which the score was 71.

Missy's 5 overs one maiden, went for 20 & then in the 22^nd over Robinson (37) mistimed a pull from Lunny's first ball for George McConnell to take a low catch, moving in from square leg, 76-1.

Levison, who reached his 50 in the 31^st over, & D Rutherford took the score to 129 after 33 overs. 6 overs from Gregor, 2 from George & 6 from Lunny unable to fashion a chance.

In the first over after second drinks, David Rutherford (25) overstretched to Lunny & Ben Sid accomplished a smart stumping, 133-2. Lunny struck again in the 38^th when Levison (62) was lbw on the crease, 150-3.

In the ensuing 11 overs, 7 wickets fell for the addition of 51 runs. Quick reactions by Ben Sid ran out Woolley (3) as Williams optimistic call for a very quick single on the offside found him failing to beat Ben's turn & throw to the striker's stumps 161-4.

 In the next over Missy gained an lbw decision against Williams (20), a wicket maiden, & one over later Lunny bowled Storey (0), 4 wickets for Lunny in a good spell of slow bowling, 161-6. Charlie Harmison hit straight for 4 & then 6 but in the 45^th Missy, now from the Grove end, struck again as Hetherington (4) edged to w/k Ben Sid,182-7.

Nathan then got some rewards for earlier inside edges, especially by Levison, as Harmison (17) skied to point where David Edwards took the catch & 3 balls later Collis (0) was bowled. Gregor returned for the 49^th , Whitworth (11*) swung the bat but from the last ball Paul Rutherford skied & Ben Sid took his third catch, 201 all out.

56 overs available as Jacob McCord & Angus Southern faced the right arm seam of Storey & Harmison. Angus drove Storey for 3x4 in the third over but In the 4^th, Jacob (0) edged to first slip off Harmison, a good head high catch by Levison, 14-1. At 27 in the 10th, Angus (21) aiming Harmison to leg, leading edged to mid off, a disappointing end to a promising innings.

Whitworth & D Rutherford took up the attack & with his second delivery David Edwards (13) succumbed to one that nipped back from DR, 55-3. This became 61-4 as Will Carr (1) drove towards mid wicket where David Rutherford took a left handed catch with aplomb.

At the same score, after drinks, George McConnell (0) drove straight only to see Whitworth take a tumbling c & b to his left, 61-5. There followed an enterprising partnership of 56 between Nathan & Ben. Nathan pulling David Rutherford for 6 to deep backward square & driving down the ground & Ben rotating well & then driving through extra cover & pulling to mid wicket for 4.

The Rutherford's combined to bowl overs 23 to 38. David, off a shorter run, & Paul whose very sla is teasing on a slow wicket. At 118 in the 31^st Nathan (59, 7x4, 1x6) out of the blue, had the misfortune to see a well timed drive to mid wicket off DR plucked out of the air, left handed, by Paul Rutherford, an outstanding catch!

25 overs remained & the task was to bat them. Sadly Lunny (3) was adjudged caught by w/k Collis & two overs later Ben Sid (20) adjudged lbw both off Paul Rutherford 123-8. There was some debate about both decisions.

Missy's optimistic call for a single in the next over gave Gregor (0) little chance to defeat Harmison's throw from point & with three short mid offs waiting in Paul Rutherford's next over, Missy (5), with too much right hand, pushed toward the waiting trio where Robinson took the catch falling forward, 127 all out in 37.3 overs. 

Some good bits to admire but missing the depth of batting experience proved a bridge too far against an experienced attack on a slow wicket backed up by some good catching.

Onward to: 

Sat 27^th July 2024 NEPL Div 2: SNCC v Castle Eden (h) 1200 105o w/l/d

Sun 28^th July Banks 100 Bowl 2^nd X1's: Group E SNCC/ Burnopfield/ Seaham Harbour from 1100.

We hope you can be there to cheer them on.