BULLS BEAT LEADERS TYNEMOUTH: WILL ALEXANDER STARS WITH 6 WICKETS

1st Aug 2022

                NEPL Division 2, Sat 30th July 2022, SNCC v Tynemouth (h)

Tynemouth 189-9 (55o) Patrick Hallam 26, Barry Stewart 70, Andrew Davison 39*: Allan Davidson 0-21, Nathan Gough 0-34, Will Alexander 6-48, Jacob McCord 0-19, Ru Fletcher 1-25, Sadiq Khan 2-40.

SNCC 190-3 (38.1o) Parth Mannikar 68, Alex Charnley 45, Nathan Gough 55*, Angus Southern 9, Alex Weetman 8*: James Carr 1-48, Josh Koen 0-37, Dan McGee 1-41, Barry Stewart 1-27, Matty Walton 0-25, Chris Beever 0-8.

SNCC won by 7 wickets - 25 points, Tynemouth 3.

After overnight rain & on a humid day,  SN won the toss & invited the league leaders to bat. Hallam & Stewart faced Davidson & Gough. 22-0 at the end of over 7, Allan accurate, Nathan a tad legside, 14 year old Will Alexander took up the attack, opening with a maiden.

The score had advanced steadily to 67 at the beginning of the 18th when Alexander had Hallam (26) lbw to a full delivery. Two balls later, around the wicket, the left-hander Koen (0) appeared to leave but edged onto his stumps as the delivery shaped in, 68-2. A good 6 over spell for Will, 2-20.

Stewart was batting nicely, Fletcher & Khan bowled in tandem & after a Khan maiden Ru had Hull Denholm (7) edging behind for Parth to take the catch, 79-3 in the 23rd. Bowman (1) drove but edged to slip off Sadiq, where Allan took an instinctive catch clasped to his chest. 28 league wickets for Sadiq so far.

4 overs & 20 runs later, Lineham (9) essayed a big drive & was bowled by Sadiq, 96-5. There followed a handy partnership of 47 between captain Davison & Stewart until Stewart (70, 96b, 9x4), drove hard to mid off where Charnley caught the ball head high off Alexander, an important breakthrough. Two balls later, Nathan, diving forward at cover, caught McGee (0) off Will, 143-7 in the 42nd.

Allan returned & bowled another maiden, Will continued & in the 46th Walton (5) drove to extra cover where Alex took a splendid catch to his left, one handed. Two overs later Carr (4) was bowled by Will in his last over. 12-2-48-6 for Will, a very fine return from two accurate spells with enough movement to trouble all the batters. 

Allan 12-3-21-0 also concluded an excellent spell keeping the scoring rate down. The innings closed after the full 55 overs at 189-9, Davison 39* (80b, 5x4). The ground fielding had been good & important catches were well taken.

Mannikar & Charnley faced Carr & Koen. Grey clouds hovered. Regular boundaries to the right & left handed partnership, kept the score ticking, 47 off 10 as the introduction of McGee & Stewart made little difference, until at 85 in the 17th, Alex 45 (48b, 8x4), having taken two boundaries off McGee in the previous over, drove expansively at Stewart & was bowled, an enterprising knock.

Gough joined Mannikar & after a watchful start drove Walton straight for 2x4 in the 20th. Parth repeated the dose in the 24th backward of square off the luckless Walton & in the 27th Nathan did the same, driving Stewart handsomely. In the 29th, on a day when a first senior century beckoned, Parth 68, (77b,10x4) drove to cover where Davison took a good low catch, 149-2.

Southern (9) joined Gough & after one nice clip through mid wicket was, surprisingly, bowled sweeping McGee in the 36th, 176-3. A light drizzle threatened but timely boundaries to Weetman (8*) & a pulled 4 to mid wicket by Gough claimed the victory after one ball of the 39th over, Nathan 55* (69b, 9x4). Yet to have a batting average, Nathan's Division 2 league not outs are 59*, 3*, 110*, 105* & 55*. The rain was heavy 10 minutes later.

A convincing & encouraging win over the current leaders takes the Bulls within 4 points of them in 2nd place with 6 games to go, one more of 105 overs, then 5 of 50/50 including Ashington & Benwell Hill, closest pursuers. A T20 finals day to look forward to on Sunday 14th August at Hetton Lyons. We hope you can be there.

Duncan.