BULLS BIG OPENING PARTNERSHIP SETS UP WIN AT SACRISTON.

25th Jun 2024

  BULLS BIG OPENING PARTNERSHIP SETS UP WIN AT SACRISTON.

Sat 22 June 2024: NEPL Division 2: SNCC v Sacriston (a) 105o w/l/d.

SNCC 279-1 (45o) Ru Fletcher 100, Alex Charnley 141*, Will Alexander 12*: T Bulmer 1-71, J Atkinson 0-76, A Hart 0-35, J Rye 0-32,  L Waggott 0-28, L Small 0-23

Sacriston 171ao (52.2o) I Jones 62, M Brown 15, A Dixon 14, L Small 17, J Rye 25: Gavin Paton 2-42, Finlay Pearce 0-19, Will Alexander 1-10, George Gray 2-26, Nathan Gough 3-33, James Lunn 2-23, Ru Fletcher 0-12.

SNCC won by 108 runs- 30 points, Sacriston 2.

On a sunny day with a wicket towards the Clubhouse side, the Bulls were invited to bat. Opposing them were an array of youthful, right arm seam bowlers; Fletcher & Charnley faced Bulmer & Atkinson.

Alex's first 5 scoring shots were boundaries punching the ball through mid wicket & through extra cover to such an extent that his 50* came up in the 18th over with 11x4 by which time change bowlers Hart & Rye had been introduced.

 Ru complemented by cutting, driving straight & pulling, his 50 arriving in the 30^th over, 5x4 2x6. Surviving a chance to backward point in the 60's, Alex pushed on & his century arrived in the 35^th over as he hit his 20^th boundary.

Ru also got to a deserved 100 (112b 12x4, 2x6) in the 41^st over but 3 balls later was bowled by Bulmer, the opening partnership of 240 the best for many years. 

Will entered & struck 2x4 as Alex hit 3x4 off Bulmer in the 43rd. The innings was declared at 270 -1 after 45 overs, Alex 141* (150b, 25x4 1x6) a magnificent effort, Will 12* (9b, 2x4).

In reply Jones (rh) & Hubber (lh) faced 13 overs of Gavin Paton (rm) & Finlay Pearce (lm). At 22 in the 9^th Hubber (1) was undone by a swinging Paton delivery which hit middle stump. Will Alexander & George Gray entered the attack in overs 14 &15.

In George's first Jones hit 4,4,6  the latter a very long way over mid wicket! In the 16^th after a partnership of 55, Brown (15) drove Will to Nathan at cover, 77-2 & then, bouncing back, George persuaded Jones (62, 56b, 11x4, 2x6) to launch straight to Will at long on who took a good catch, having to retreat to take it at head height, 79-3. Given 2 lives, one straightforward, this was a pivotal wicket.

Another useful stand of 33 between Dixon & Small ended in Nathan's 4^th over when Small (16) was caught by James Ruddick at cover, 112-4 in the 30th. In tandem with Lunny, two wickets in the 35^th as Nathan  now around the wicket, bowled Dixon (14) & 5 balls later Hart (0) swung & was also bowled, 127-6.

Mel Betts (17) provided some stability but at 140 in the 41^st hit a short ball straight to mid wicket off Gavin where Will took the catch, 7 down. Two overs from Ru but then George & Lunny in tandem snared Bulmer (1) aiming to cut, very well caught by Ben Sid low, off Lunny, at 149 in the 46^th & at 165 Waggott (6) was wonderfully caught by Alex Weetman at short mid wicket, diving to his right & taking the catch one handed just above the turf, also off Lunny. C'est magnifique mes amis!

Rye (25, 39b, 4x4) had batted nicely but in the 53^rd over, he charged George & skied to mid off where James took the catch, 171 all out.

Seven catches taken, two not, fielding matters !! A good win for the 2's who now sit second in Division 2 on 151, by one point behind leaders Hetton Lyons.

Onward to Sat 29^th June : SNCC v Felling (h) 105o w/l/d 1200. We hope you can be there to cheer them on.

Duncan.