BULLS DOMINATE SACRISTON IN 8 WICKET WIN.

9th Sep 2024

                                         BULLS DOMINATE SACRISTON IN 8 WICKET WIN.

                  Sat 7^th Sept 2024: NEPL Division 2: SNCC v Sacriston (h) 45/45 win/lose.

Sacriston 174-9 (45o) Ian Jones 20, Andrew Dixon 19, James Morrison 44, Alfie McKie 20, Callum Dodds 35*: George Gray 1-26, Gavin Paton 2-20, Ru Fletcher 4-49, Will Young 0-26, Alex Weetman 1-19, Alex Charnley 1-28.

SNCC 175-2 (25.4o) Ru Fletcher 67, Alex Charnley 53*, Angus Southern 25, David Edwads 0*: Chris Halliday 0-34, Jack Rye 0-32, Lucas Waggott 0-29, Alfie McKie 2-51, Aidan Lumley 0-19, Andrew Dixon 0-7.

SNCC won by 8 wickets - 24 points, Sacriston 2.

An overcast day with a heavy dew on the field at 1100 but Craig swept the rope over the outfield & the game started on time at 1200, Sacriston won the toss & chose to bat. Ian Jones & Sam Hubber faced the off spin of George Gray & seam of Gavin Paton.

George struggled to find a length but Hubber edged to second slip off Gavin in the 4^th over where Alex Weetman brought off a juggling catch, 16-1. In his next the powerful Jones (20, 4x4) aimed to leave but lost his middle stump also to Gavin, 25-2.

A wicket in the 9^th over as Ru from the Park end, bowled Waggott (0) off stump. He repeated the dose in his next as Small (4) also succumbed off stump, 31-4.  A little bit in the wicket at this stage.

Dixon & Morrison steadied the innings. Gavin bowled 6 overs for 13 & in Ru's 5^th after 3 maidens Morrison pulled & drove through point 3x4, 47-4 after 17 overs. Will Young bowled a maiden but then suffered as Morrison drove 3x4 through the offside in the 18th. After 3 overs of Alex Weetman's medium pace, at 23 over drinks, the total was 78.

On resumption Dixon (19) on the crease aiming to pull, was adjudged lbw to Weetman, 93-5. George Gray returned & in his last very well caught a stinging drive off Morrison (44, 74b 7x4) on follow through, 106-6 after 33 overs. Gavin also finished with a maiden but when Ru returned from the Grove end, he conceded 15 as Dodds attacked to leg & straight.

After consecutive boundaries McKie (20) pulled towards mid wicket where Angus made good ground took a diving catch off Ru, 142-7. Lumley (2) perished in Ru's 8^th when aiming to leg he squirted to point where David Edwards moved in swiftly & made a diving catch, 148 -8.

Alex Charnley had begun a 6 over spell of ob/lb's in the 35th but Dodds (35*) was positive, driving straight. Charners conceded 7 wides in three balls in the 43^rd but in his 6th, the last over, at 172, Rye (6) was caught at long off by Edwards.

The day had become a pleasant, sunny one as Fletcher & Charnley faced the seam of Halliday & U15 Rye. Two maidens in the first 6 overs but 10 wides released any pressure. 45 after 10 overs Change bowlers Waggott & McKie (lb) suffered as Ru hit 5x4 pulling, cutting & driving off the back foot through cover & launching over mid wicket. Alex  C content to nudge to fine leg but when Halliday returned pulling to mid wicket twice for 4.

Ru's 50 came off 70 balls with 10x4 1x6. Then, after hitting Lumley for 10, he advanced to McKie, missed & was stumped by Morrison for 67 (12x4 1x6), a positive innings, 130-1 after 20 overs. Alex Charnley advanced steadily to 50 off 66 balls  (7x4) & in the company of Angus Southern (25, 3x4 1x6), who stroked 4.6.4 off consecutive McKie deliveries only to get in a tangle & be stumped, to his dismay, when only 2 were needed for victory. 

Alex C hit the winning 2 off Rye in the 26th, a comfortable win by 8 wickets. 26 wides were amid 30 extras.  

This still leaves the 2's 8^th in the Division 2 table, not a fair reflection of the talent available when they occupied second place 6 weeks ago. Some good catches taken on the day & a demonstration of positive batting against a largely callow attack.

Onward to the last league game of the 2024 season SNCC v Felling on Sat 14^th Sept (a) 45/45 win/lose from 1200 followed on Sun 15^th Sept by the rearranged 100 finals day at Whitburn when the Bulls contest the second semi final against Tynedale from 1300. There is the hope of lifting a third trophy, to add to the 2023 Roseworth & the 2024 NEPL T20 victories. Whitburn face Newcastle in the first semi final.

We hope you can be there to cheer them on !

Duncan.