BULLS CONTINUE WINNING RUN WITH EMPHATIC DEFEAT OF TYNEMOUTH

12th Aug 2018

SNCC 229-9 DEC (52.5o) Simon Birtwisle 61, Sean Tindale 31, Adam Cragg 61: Wesley Bedja 4-60, Martin Pollard 4-54.

TYNEMOUTH 69ao (27o) Jonny Wightman 3-13, Sean Tindale 2-25, Michael Craigs 3-21, Lee Crozier 1-5.

SN win by 160 runs SN 30 points Tynemouth 4.

Hoping to continue their undefeated season, 9 wins from the last 10 games, 11 in all so far with 4 winning draws, SN 1st X1 entertained Tynemouth on Sat 11th August at Roseworth Terrace, The sun shone as the visitors won the toss & invited the hosts to bat. Birtwisle & Tindale faced Wesley Bedja & Finn Lonnberg. The first 6 overs yielded 42 as both batsmen drove & pulled 7 boundaries & although the bowlers pulled it back , the highest opening stand of the season, 99, was ended only when Birty mistimed a pull to sky to midwicket off Hymers for an excellent 61 (8x4, 82b 76 m) in the 21st over.

In the next 8 overs Bedja, now operating from the Grove End, took three wickets, all bowled, for 12. Tindale (31), Borren (4) & Edwards (8) all succumbed to full, pacy deliveries angling in. 116-4 in the 30th. David Hymers had supported well, his 11 overs going for only 32. Martin Pollard's off breaks entered the attack in the 29th & he then bowled unchanged from the Park end. 

Cragg & Peyton repaired well, taking all the singles possible & putting away the bad ball. So it was a surprise that at 165 Rob (18) should loft Pollard to deep mid on where Hymers took a comfortable catch. Doig & Cragg continued to scamper but at 187 Doig (13) was lbw to Pollard sweeping.  This became 195 for 7 when Michael Craigs (5) followed Rob by lofting to deep mid on, Hymers again taking the catch.

All the while Adam Cragg's (36*) accumulation had been punctuated by 4x4. Debutant Bobby Green (U14) joined his Captain &, showing no nerves, cover drove Bedja for 2 & then gloriously for 4 before being bowled for 7, a partnership of 24, to take the score to 219-8 off 52. Cragg then accelerated to his 50 & beyond with a 6 & a 4 before being stumped off Pollard for another excellent 61 ( 6x4, 1x6,71b, 98m). The declaration came at that point, 229-9, after 52.5o.

Tynemouth had 57 overs to bat as Jones & Dinning faced Wightman, from the Park end, & Tindale. Intent on defence the score had reached 10 in the 7th when w/k Rob Peyton, standing up to Wightman, pulled off a superb leg side stumping to dismiss danger man Jones for 4. After two nice boundaries, Dinning perished 3 overs later, for 13, edging behind off Tindale. 18-2 in the 10th.

Gourley resisted but the introduction of Michael Craigs left arm swing from the Park end proved decisive as he gained three lbw decisions in three overs accounting for Armstrong (4), Smith (0) next ball & Gourley (6) one over later, all trapped on the crease by late inswing.  Tindale had bowled Stenhouse in the 14th over so that after 17 overs the visitors were struggling badly at 35-6.

There was no way back & Wightman returned from the Grove end to bowl Bedja (5), 49 -7. Fairley's (11) resistance was broken in Crozier's first over, bowled playing back. 59-8. With a slip cordon of 6, Hymers edged to Tindale at 5th to spark much celebration. Sean does not usually field close to the wicket!

The end was nigh but not before Pollard had stroked a boundary off Wightman. From the last ball of Crozier's second over, a fierce Lonnberg drive was deflected onto the stumps by Lee leaving Pollard stranded, run out for 6. Tynemouth 69ao in 27 overs. During the Tynemouth innings we were indebted firstly  to Tom Seymour & then to Jenny McDowell who both substituted for Peter Borren who was ill. We wish him a speedy recovery.

30 points for the Bulls who retain their 43 point lead at the top of the NEPL Premier Division, over an equally dominant CLS who defeated Felling. The top of the table clash at Ropery Lane next Saturday, starting at the earlier time of 1200, is pivotal. We must continue to play well.

Do come along, it will be exciting!!!

Duncan D. Stephen.