BULLS BOUNCE BACK WITH HARDFOUGHT WINS AT TYNEMOUTH & IN THE NATIONAL AGAINST CHESTER-LE-STREET.

13th May 2019

After a tough last weekend, the 1st X1 bounced back with two hard fought wins leaving them second to Tynemouth by 4 points in the NEPL Premier Division & in the third round of the ECB Club Championship, facing a mouth watering tie against 2018 winners Richmondshire away on Sun 9th June. A repeat of 2018.

SNCC 221-7 dec (46o: Chris Hewison 87, Jacques Du Toit 62, John Graham 25, Adam Cragg 22: D Mansfield 4-27.)

Tynemouth 166ao (51.1o: Michael Jones 79: Jonny Wightman 3-34, Sean Tindale 3-32, Michael Craigs 2-22, Oli McGee 1-19, Simon Birtwisle 1-17)

SNCC win by 55 runs, SN 30 points Tynemouth 5

Winning the toss SN decided to bat at sunny Preston Avenue albeit with showers forecast. Simon Birtwisle & Chris Hewison faced the seam of Wesley Bedja & the slow left arm of DCCC's George Harding. A positive start saw Birty take 10 from Bedja's first two overs before being caught at second slip, edging a drive to second slip off the same bowler. John Graham joined Hewison & maintained the positive tone with 3 boundaries before being caught lofting Gourley to cover for 25, 58-2 in the 14th.

Sean Tindale (0) edged Stewart to second slip two runs later which brought Jacques Du Toit to join the powerful Hewison (21). A rain break at 1300 saw a reduction in overs to 52/47 & at lunch the pair had moved the score onto 76-3 after 21o.

Watchfully immediately after lunch but then taking at least one boundary an over from all the bowlers, the slow left arm of George Hayward (0-33 off 3) suffering 4x6 down  the ground. The partnership had reached 113 before Du Toit was caught at long off by Bedja for a forceful 62 at nearly a run a ball ( 4x4, 3x6, 66b,78m). Good to watch, 174-4 in the 38th.

Accelerating, Hewison skied D Mansfield's off spin to extra cover for a magnificent 87 (6x4, 4x6, 122b, 158m) at 209 in the 36th. Mansfield continued to tease, Adam Cragg (22) was busy & it became evident that a declaration was imminent as he charged to be stumped, a fate that befell Oli McGee(1) in the same over leaving Rob Peyton 6* & Michael Craigs 3* when the declaration came after 46 overs.

Tynemouth had 53overs to bat. Ben Debnam & George Hayward faced the pace of Wightman (golf course) & Tindale (park). Debnam lbw to Tindale at 5, Michael Jones joined Hayward (27) who batted positively until bowled by Michael Craigs swing, 41-2. This became 47-3 as Matthew Brown was lbw to Craigs in his next over, the15th. Tea was taken.

Jones & D Mansfield combined in a partnership of 58. Crozier went wicketless but McGee & Birtwisle   bowled with discipline such that at 105, D Mansfield was caught at slip by Du Toit via Peyton off Birty for 21. 4 down George Harding joined Jones but at 118 McGee persuaded him to drive uppishly & was c & b.

I Mansfield (10) was very well caught by Craigs at short leg off the returning Tindale from the golf course end, 143-6 in the 37th. Jones meanwhile had batted with poise, driving off both feet through the offside & pulling productively when the occasion arose.

The return of Jonny Wightman from the rugby stand end achieved the desired breakthrough as in his second over, at 158, Stewart was caught by Hewison at second slip & Perry lbw first ball, 158-8. Jones was encouraged to win the game but only succeeded in mistiming a pull from the pacy Tindale at the same score, caught by Graham at mid wicket for 79 (5x4, 2x6, 123b, 169m). Could the last pair hold out? . Gourley defended but in his 9th over, with only 17 balls remaining, Wightman bowled Bedja (8) to complete the 55 run win to much acclaim. 166ao after 51.1o. A 55 run win, 30 points.

Tynemouth missing regulars Pollard, Smith & Llonberg but a competitive game throughout... & the catering was excellent !

ECB Club Championship Round 2: Sunday 12th May Roseworth Terrace: SNCC v Chester-le-Street.

SNCC 173-5 (40o: Sean Tindale 62*, Adam Cragg 31, Jacques Du Toit 28, John Graham 28*: Brodie Glendinning 4-25.)

CLS 151ao (37.3o: Andrew Smith 40, Liam Burgess 38*,  Robbie Dawson 31: Sean Tindale 4-24, Lee Crozier 3-27, Jonny Wightman 2-20, 1 run out)

SN win by 22 runs.

A game decided by batting strength in depth & a Man of the Match performance by Sean Tindale, runs, wickets & superb boundary fielding.

Toss won, SN batted, Birtwisle & Rob Peyton faced the wily spin of Quentin Hughes & the pace of young Brodie Glendinning from the Grove end. Hughes contained splendidly & Glendinning struck three times in his first 5 overs bowling Birty pulling, Peyton through the gate & Hewson caught at cover. 26-3 in the 10th, Glendinning 3-12.

Du Toit joined Cragg & the pair rebuilt carefully such that at the drinks break after 20 overs the score was only 57-3. Simpson's 5 over spell finished & Bell began six overs for 16 from  the Park end. Nothing to hit. Searching for runs Du Toit (28) edged bell to a diving w/k McCann. 66-4 in the 23rd.

Tindale joined Cragg & the pair had taken the score to 82 when the returning Glendinning bowled Cragg (31) defending. 5 down, 13 overs left. Graham at 7 was urgent, singles were taken momentum became evident, but although Simpson's last three went for 21 still only 125 with 4 overs to go. The last four went for 48, 32 from the last two, as both Tindale & Graham cleared the ropes. A magnificent, undefeated 6th wicket partnership of 91 saw SN finish on 173-5. A true surface with a little in it for the bowlers.

The sun shone brightly as w/k Jacob McCann & George Harrison faced Wightman & Tindale. At 9 in the 4th McCann slashed & w/k Peyton took the catch off Wightman. In the next over Harrison, unhappily, was adjudged caught down the legside by a diving Peyton, 9-2. At 23 in the 7th Coxon (0) was bowled by Wightman & 3 runs later Hughes (1) caught hooking by Peyton off the lively Tindale. 26-4 in the 8th.

But Andrew Smith is a dangerous batsman & he stroked & ran well in company with Simpson until at 56 after a boundary the previous ball, Simpson, somewhat inexplicably, was bowled by Crozier for 9. This became 68-6 as Smith drove a return catch to Crozier for a lively 40 (5x4). Harrison, on the crease, was then  lbw to Crozier for 6, 74-7.

U15 Robbie Dawson, making his debut, was joined by Liam Burgess & tentatively at first but then confidently took the game to the home side running well & scoring at every opportunity that Craigs, McGee, Birty & Du Toit could not stem, reaching 143 at the end of the 35th. Good partnership of 71, 5 overs to go, 31 to win. 

Enter Sean Tindale to bowl his 6th, the 36th. Having seen Burgess successfully scoop a boundary, Dawson attempted a similar shot only to see his leg stump uprooted for an outstanding 31 (2x4, 48b, 65m) 145-8. In his next over, the 38th, Burgess called Glendinning through for a very sharp single. Tindale gathered, turned & threw to the bowler's end as Du Toit made good ground from mid wicket to effect the run out backhanded ! Mid week fielding practice matters. 

Two balls later Bell edged his first ball, a lifter, to Peyton to conclude the innings with Burgess undefeated on 38*. 151 ao after 37.3o with Sean Tindale taking 4-24 to add to his 62* & deservedly Man of the Match. Somewhat breathless but good viewing for all including the SNVP lunch party very well catered for by Bill Kidd on another busy day. We are indebted.

Round 3 is against competition winners & our conquerors at the same stage, Richmondshire(a) on Sunday 9th June, 1300 start.

A strong Burnmoor side, currently 3rd in the Premier Division, are next league opponents for the Bulls on Sat 18th May at Roseworth Terrace, a 1200 start, we hope to see you there.

DDS.