BULLS DEFEAT BURNOPFIELD: CROZIER & GORANTLA SHINE

1st Aug 2023

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NEPL Premier Division: Sat 29^th July 2023: SNCC v Burnopfield (h) 110o

Burnopfield 136ao (36.4o) Cole Pearce 60, Daniel Hogg 14, Matthew Oswell 15, George Weston 16, Matthew Scott 15: Jonny Wightman 3-34, Sean Tindale 2-41, Calum Fletcher 1-27, Oli McGee 0-23, Lee Crozier 4-9.

SNCC 137-6 (24.3o) Shayne Moseley 32, Nikhil Gorantla 65*, Oli McGee 11*: Matthew Oswell 1-27, Daniel Hogg 0-39, Matthew Scott 0-26, Finlay McGurk 5-38.

SNCC won by 4 wickets - 23 points, Burnopfield 3.

After the rain had washed out the last two league games, it was good to be able to play. A warm day, threatening clouds drifted away on the breeze to enable a prompt start as the Bulls invited the visitors to bat.

Sharna (lh) & J Oswell (rh) faced Wightman (Park) & Tindale (Grove). An eventful first over as Sharna clipped ball 3 for 4 to mid wicket before driving hard to extra cover from the next, straight to Cragg who took the catch without fuss, 4-1.

In the 3^rd over Oswell (1) driving on the offside, dragged on to Wightman, 5-2. Sean had conceded only 1 in two overs. Cole Pearce was positive from the outset & punished Jonny with 2,4,3 as he overstepped twice in the 5th. There was a little movement in the air & off the pitch & some occasional bounce to contend with.

From the first ball of the 7^th, Dinning (0) was adjudged lbw to Wightman, 19-3. Hogg (14) hit 3 x4 in an 8 ball stay but, in the 8th, defending, was bowled by Sean, 34-4. Matthew Oswell joined Pearce & the pair took scoring opportunities when they presented themselves.

After one hour drinks, Fletcher took over from the Park end in over 15 & was promptly driven for 4 twice by Pearce. McGee began a spell from the Grove. In Calum's next over, M Oswell (15, 22b 3x4), defending, edged behind for w/k Sam Ewart to take the catch, 71-5, a wicket maiden.

Pearce continued to be busy & after taking consecutive boundaries off Fletcher in the 21^st, reached a deserved 50 in the 23rd. Lee Crozier entered the attack in the 27^th with the score at 108. Pearce (60, 72b,9x4) attacked the first ball but only succeeded in skying the slog sweep high to Gorantla at short mid wicket, who took the catch, another wicket maiden, 108-6.

At lunch the score was 117-6 after 30 overs. On resumption, Crozier & Tindale continued & from the 4^th ball of the 31^st over by Lee, Weston (16, 45b 2x4) inside edged onto a pad, for the subsequent lob to be caught by Adam falling to his left at silly mid off, 117-7. In over 32, McGurk (2) lofted Tindale to mid off where Shayne retreated to take the catch above his head, 118-8.

Scott was positive & Lee just failed to cling onto a very firmly driven, c & b chance. In his next, at 131, Manoharan (2) attacking, swung & missed to be lbw. Scott (15, 20b 1x4) drove hard & straight again only to see Lee take an excellent catch above his head on follow through: Lee Crozier, in his 50th year, 5.4-3-9-4: Burnopfield 136 all out.

Birty & Shayne faced the seam of M. Oswell (Park) & Hogg (Grove). A steady start, timing not easy & at 17 in the 5^th BIrty (6) having just cut Oswell for 4, drove at the next ball but seemed to play on. Nik joined Shayne, the run rate was just over 4's, Shayne had a life in the 8th when he steered Hogg to gully who couldn't cling on.

Nik then produced some thrilling stroke play to take 3x4 +2 from Oswell's next over. A sumptuous cover drive, then perfectly timed, cutting elegantly square past point twice, finally lofting for 2 over mid wicket, 47-1 after 9 overs.

A bowling change saw Scott (rm) from the Grove & McGurk (ob) from the Park. McGurk's first over went for 9 as both batsmen took boundaries to cover & mid wicket. Scott was despatched straight for 6 by Nik in the next, awesome! But in McGurk's next Shayne (32b,47b,4x4) pushing forward, edged to J Oswell at first slip, 66-2.

As Nik pulled Scott for 6 to mid wicket, Hewi settled. Two short legs did not deter Nik in McGurk's next as he struck 2x4, past mid off & straight & 2 to backward square leg, 85 -2 after 15 overs. Some luck for Nik in the next as a skied chance to mid on moving to his right, was not taken, but 11 off it as 4lb's was complemented by an extra cover drive from Hewi. In the next Hewi (7) was adjudged lbw pushing forward to McGurk, 96-3. The fielders became animated.

Nik reached a deserved 50 with 4+2 off the next Hogg over but in McGurk's next Adam (4) pushing forward, edged to slip where J Oswell took the catch, cue even more vocal encouragement, 106-4 after 19 overs. Sean (4) pushed ones & a two before he too was adjudged lbw to McGurk playing no shot to a ball seemingly 'going down', 114-5. 3 'leg byes' & a straight drive for 3 from Nik, 120 after 21 overs.

In McGurk's next over, Sam Ewart (0) on the crease, was lbw, 122-6, McGurk's 5^th wicket. The fielding side's encouragement included 'there are only three number 11's left !'

Oli McGee entered, pulled Hogg for 4 & in the next, straight drove McGurk for 4 more. Singles were taken & the winning two was struck by Nik who ended 65* (44b,7x4,2x6), another outstanding innings & Oli 11* (7b,2x4).

McGurk's 5 for 38 in 7.3 overs, a reward for a very good spell of brisk off spin.

Defeats for Burnmoor at Felling & Chester-le-Street against Tynemouth leaves the Bulls 50 points ahead, a nice cushion but 7 difficult games to go. Sat 5^th August Whitburn (a) 110 overs; then 50/50 games v Tynemouth (h) 12/8, Felling (a) 19/8, Ashington (h) 26/8, Chester le Street (a) Mon 28/8, Castle Eden (a) 2/9, Hetton Lyons (h) 9/9. All have a reason to want to do well. We must continue.

Duncan.