Bulls bounce back with dominant victory over Whitburn

9th May 2022

On a sunny Saturday 7^th May, & after last week's disappointment v Felling, a proper South North performance saw the 1^st X1 defeat Whitburn by 8 wickets. Oli McGee excelled with ball, 4 wickets & bat 45* & together with Rob Peyton, undefeated on 50 in a partnership of 104​, maturely saw the Bulls home in 23.5 overs.

Whitburn 122all out (38.1 o) Lee Henderson 20, Jack Burnham 24, Ross Richardson 21, Gareth Welsh 22: Jonny Wightman  0-22, Sean Tindale 2-30, Lee Crozier 2-24, Oli McGee 4-26, Gavin Paton 2-19.

SNCC 124-2 (23.5o) Sol Bell 16, Oli McGee 45*, Rob Peyton 50*: Craig Smith 2-26, Mason Bell 0-18.

SNCC 20 points Whitburn 0.

Whitburn chose to bat & lost Tripathi (2) to the 5^th ball of the second over, lbw to Sean, half forward. Enter Jack Burnham, last week's centurion, who began with two leg side boundaries & another in the next over. After 10 overs, with the score at 40, a double bowling change saw Lee from the Park & Oli from the Grove.

The third ball of Oli's first over was driven hard & low but Oli reacted quickly to pick up a very good catch & dismiss danger man Burnham (23), 44-2. In his next over Oli trapped Henderson (20) lbw, 51-3. In the next two overs a thick edge offLee from Welsh was dropped by w/k Parth, who then had the misfortune to be unsighted as Richardson advanced to McGee & the stumping was missed.

As Welsh & Richardson advanced the score to 88, Gavin Paton began a spell from the Park. In his 3^rd over, the 25th, Welsh (22) drove to midwicket where Adam Cragg took a tumbling catch. At 97, in the 28^th over, visiting captain Paul Shields edged Paton to be caught by w/k Parth Mannikar.. a little redemption! A good, tidy spell from Gavin.

Three overs later McGee bowled Richardson advancing (108-6) then, without addition, May was caught by Wightman at point off Crozier, Khan caught by Sol at cover off McGee, Bell  taken at slip by Adam Cragg, again off Crozier. Wightman returned but it was Tindale who finished off the innings with an excellent yorker to dismiss Muchall, stumps everywhere, & give him his 200^th NEPL Premer Division wicket. 122 all out in the 39^th over.

4 boundaries in the first two overs signified Sol's intent but at 18 in the 3^rd he reached for one to be taken by w/k Richardson wide to his right off Craig Smith. When Chris Hewison succumbed to a Smith yorker in the 5^th, 20-2 was delicate. Rob Peyton joined Oli McGee. Batting sensibly they began a recovery which between overs 5-14 yielded 25 runs. In the next 9 they plundered 74 runs, Muchall hit for 6 to midwicket & the off spin of Khan suffering a 10 then a 17 as Rob drove 4 boundaries.

Rob reached a most creditable 50* (46b, 72m, 9x4, 1x6) in the 24 ^th & after a boundary from Oli, 5 wides sealed the win as May strayed down the leg side with the w/k up. Oli 45* (79b 91m, 6x4), a mature, undefeated partnership of 104 with Rob & another 'man of the match'performance from Oli!!

We go again v Tynemouth (h) on Sat 14 ^th May, the standard is set, we must continue!

Duncan.