BULLS FALL TO SHOTLEY BRIDGE IN CHARITY BOWL ¼ FINAL

4th Jul 2023

        Tues 4^th July 2023: SNCC v Shotley Bridge (h): TCB ¼ final: 16/16o

Shotley Bridge 96-6 (16o) Paul Greenwell 54, Raymond Toole 17: Calum Fletcher 2-21, Gavin Paton 3-20, Lee Crozier 0-31, Sadiq Khan 1-23.

SNCC 81-7 (16o) Sean Tindale 15, Sadiq Khan 10, Calum Fletcher 16, Gavin Paton 9*: Raymond Toole 1-17, Reece Carr 2-24, Ross Burdon 4-17, Kieran Milburn 0-13.

Shotley Bridge won by 15 runs.

Heavy late afternoon rain put the game in doubt but good covering & a warm sun enabled a reduced 16 over/side contest to begin at 1800. The visitors won the toss & chose to bat against a much-changed SN X1, captained by Sean Tindale & giving opportunities to many. Shotley Bridge included DCCC left arm seam bowler Raymond Toole.

Ross Burdon & Reece Carr faced the seam of Calum Fletcher & Gavin Paton. Success for Gavin in over 2 as first the left-handed Burdon (5) was caught by Jack Netts at mid on & 2 balls later Carr (3) edged to short third man & was caught by Tris.

In over 4 Milburn (6) was bowled by a nip backer from Gavin, 20-3. Greenwell & Toole then put together a partnership of 41 for the 4^th wicket, Greenwell often scoring square of the wicket. Crozier (ob) & Khan (lb) bowled overs 7- 14 & at 61 in the 12^th Toole (17,24b) edged to w/k Ben Sid off Sadiq.

In the 15^th bowled by Calum, from the first ball Tom Slane (5) skied over mid off where Lee retreating, made good ground to take the catch & from the last ball of that over Greenwell (54, 43b, 4x4,2x6), a good innings, was caught at square leg by Tris, 89-6. Gavin's last went for 7 so 96-6 at the close of the innings.

Moseley & Tindale faced the brisk seam of Toole & Carr who bowled overs 1-6. Sean hit straight for 6 in the second but in the 3^rd was caught at deep square leg by Milburn off Toole, Sean 15 (9b), 19-1. In the next Shayne (4,8b) aiming to drive through the legside, skied back to the bowler, Carr, 21-2.

In the 7^th over, already adrift of the required rate, Tris (4,9b) attacking, was bowled by off spinner Burdon, 28-3. In the same over, Sadiq struck him for 6. Burdon & Milburn (rm) bowled overs 7-14. Only 2 from over 8 & then In over 9 Sadiq (10,9b) driving, was caught by Golightly at deep mid off, off Burdon. 

Three from over 10 & in the 11^th Ben Sid (1,7b) attacking, skied & was also caught by Golightly off Burdon. Two balls later Ru (7,22b) hit firmly to cover where Gibson caught a good, low catch, 45-6, the Bulls in a hole!

A spirited partnership of 35 between Calum & Gavin, 61 off 13, 65 off 14, 72 off 15, ended at 80 with one ball remaining of the 16 overs as Calum (16,18b) hit Carr in the air toward mid off & was caught by Golightly. Gregor (1*,1b) & Gavin (9*, 13b) at the end.

A shame the run could not go on. Ahead of the rate after 4 overs, but losing both front line, 1^st X1 batters in doing so, proved crucial.

Looking ahead:

Friday 7^th July 2023 SNCC v Burnmoor NEPL T20 ¼ final (h) 1800,20/20

Sat 8^th July 2023 SNCC v Burnmoor (a) 1100, 110o, w/l/d.

We hope you can be there for a pivotal weekend.

Duncan.