BULLS NEPL T20 WINNERS FOR SECOND CONSECUTIVE YEAR AT SUNNY BURNMOOR

21st Jul 2022

            Second semi final: SN V Burnopfield: Sun 17^th July 2022 at Burnmoor.

SNCC 127ao (20o) Alvin Dithole 57, Sean Tindale 15: Matthew Oswell 1-14, Matthew Scott 0-25, Ruairidh Barker 1-21, James Radcliffe 3-13, Alasdair Appleby 3-20, Mitchell Van Burren 1-26.

Burnopfield  111ao (19o) John Oswell 25, Mitchell Van Burren 35, David Seymour 13, Matthew Oswell 12: Jonny Wightman 0-32, Sean Tindale 3-18, Calum Fletcher 2-24, Oli McGee 1-19, Lee Crozier 4-15.

SNCC won by 16 runs.

A tense affair at the Village Ground on a sunny day with good support in evidence. Losing the toss & invited to bat, the Bulls lost Sol (0) second ball, bowled by Matthew Oswell. Alvin hit his first ball for 4 & after 2 overs the score was 24-1, Alvin 18* (1x6 2x4). At 29 in the 4th, Rob (2) edged behind off Barker. In the 8^th Hewi (7) advanced to Appleby & was bowled, 57-3.  At 75 in the 10^th Adam (8) was adjudged lbw to Appleby.

Alvin & Sean moved the score on, sixes each, but from the first ball of the 14^th Sean (15) found long on, 101-5. Alvin's fine innings came to an end in the 15^th when he was caught by w/k Oswell off Radcliffe for a very good 57 (46b, 7x4, 2x6) 104-6.

Birty (5) attacking, was bowled by Radcliffe in the 17th, 114-7. Oli (5) was bowled by Van Burren at 120-8 in the 18th. Jonny (4) was bowled by Radclifffe at the same score & Calum (2) run out from the last ball of the 20 overs. Would 127 be enough?

Appleby & John Oswell faced Wightman & Tindale. In the second over Appleby edged Sean & Rob took the catch, 7-1. Bowling changes, but the score had reached 43 in the 6^th when John Oswell (25) was bowled by Calum. 70 in the 11th when Seymour (13) was bowled by McGee. Three balls later Lee bowled Barker (1), 73-4.

Van Burren seemed untroubled & was batting well but at 73 in the 16^th Matthew Oswell edged Crozier & was caught by Rob, 87-5. Two overs later Van Burren (35) aimed to sweep Crozier & was lbw, 94 -6. Pressure ? Two balls later Crozier bowled Radcliffe (0), 94-7.  Lee 4-15 !! Had the tide turned?

In the 18^th Brown (5) was caught by McGee off Fletcher & two balls later Scott (8) hit to cover to be taken by Adam off Sean, 104-9. Sean comprehensively bowled Weston (6) with the last ball of the 19^th over, Sean 3-18.  Got there ! Not one wide & only one no ball, Burnopfield 13 wides, it makes a difference.

                              NEPL T20 FINAL: SNCC V HETTON LYONS.

SNCC  168-3 (20o): Sol Bell 47, Rob Peyton 44, Alvin Dithole 54*: Robert Talbot 0-19, Chris Ralston 1-29, Patrick Stephenson 0-21, Aaron Feroz 0-25, Rahatul Ferdus Javed 0-30, Cameron Grimwood 2-26, Oliver Watt 0-11.

Hetton Lyons 145-8 (20o) Chris Scott 49, Chris Martin 19, Robert Talbot 17, Chris Ralston 31*: Jonny Wightman 1-25, Sean Tindale 2-17, Calum Fletcher 0-24, Oli McGee 3-28, Lee Crozier 1026 Simon Birtwisle 1-19.

SNCC won by 23 runs.

A proper batting performance set up the final making it a tough ask for the Lyons to chase. Choosing to bat the Bulls started quickly, 25 off 3 overs as Sol hit 4,6,4 in Talbot's second. In Stephenson's first, the 5^th, he took 9, Rob responded by taking 10 of Feroz in the 7^th & the pair combined to plunder 17 off Javed's first, 9 to Sol 8 to Rob. 82-0 off 9 overs. 

At 96 in the 11th Sol (47, 30b, 7x4, 1x6) was caught by w/k Clay in Grimwood's first over of sla. The rate continued to be 6+ /over but at 123 in the 15^th Rob (44, 43b, 2x4, 1x6) top edged a sweep to be caught by Scott at short fine leg. Alvin continued aiming to score on all sides, reversing at will. Hewi (6) perished caught in the deep at 142 in the 18th.

From the third ball of the 19^th over, Alvin reverse swept Javed over the pavilion roof, a shot that will live long in the memory. This was followed by a master class of running between Alvin & Adam as three consecutive 2's to mid wicket were sprinted for. A moment of recovery was needed!  Singles off the last ending with a total of 168-3 Alvin 54*( 32b, 5x4, 1x6).

The Lyons experienced opening pair, Walker & Scott faced Wightman & Tindale. Jonny bowled Walker with his 4^th ball, 1-1. In the second Sean persuaded Jarvis Clay to edge behind for Rob to take the catch, 5-2. Chris Martin & Gary Scott took the total to 43 in the 7^th before Martin (19) was held in the deep by Chris Hewison off Oli McGee. At 63 in the 9^th Javed was very well caught by Birty on the boundary making good ground to his right, 63-4.

Talbot joined Scott who threatened with & the pair batted nicely until at 85 in the 12th Talbot (17) was bowled by Crozier, 85-5. This became 90-6 as Oli held an excellent caught & bowled away to his left off a firm drive by Stephenson. In the 15^th the important wicket of Scott (49) fell to Birty as he drove high to long on where Alvin took the catch, 109-7.

Chris Ralston batted well but the total seemed a distance away when Grimwood (7) was bowled in the 19^th at 131.  Ralston & Feroz took another 14 off the remaining 12 deliveries ending 145-8, Ralston 31* Feroz 4*. A win for the Bulls by 23, cue rejoicing remembering what had seemed an under par score in the semi final. As one experienced player observed 'South North always seem to find a way'.

The Area Finals day is either on Sunday 7^th or 14^th August at Woodhouse Grange (Bradford) where the Bulls will join York, Hanging Heaton & the hosts. Details will be known soon.

Another memorable day ended with Alvin being nominated as 'Player of the Final' , for his 54*, added to 57 in the semi final. We must continue!

Duncan.