BULLS REACH 2ND X1 FINALS DAY WITH GOOD WIN AT TYNEMOUTH

23rd Jul 2022

.NEPL 2nd x1 T20 1/4 final, Friday 22nd July 2022.

Tynemouth 98ao (19.2o) Phil Morse 19, Andrew Davison 14, Isaac Murray 15, Dan Thorburn 11: Gavin Paton 2-15, James Ruddick 2-20, Jacob McCord 2-16, Sadiq Khan 2-19, Ru Fletcher 1-21.

SNCC 101-4 (15.4o) James Ruddick 46*, Jacob McCord 38*:Isaac Murray 2-18, Neil Bennett 0-19, Phil Morse 2-17, Chris Beever 0-30, James Carr 0-17.

SNCC won by 6 wickets.

A thoroughly efficient, all round performance by the Bulls at overcast Preston Avenue saw them reach T20 finals day on Sunday 14th August.

Tynemouth chose to bat, the sky was grey, rain threatened. Thorburn & Stewart faced Paton (Avenue) & Ruddick. Attempting to ramp the first ball of the second over, his first, Stewart (0) lobbed to w/k Ewart off Ruddick. Morse struck a boundary but then two chances went begging, the home team could have been 5-3! Another two Morse boundaries to the leg side & a 2 from Thorburn saw the score reach 26 in the 5th when Thorburn (11) edged behind off Paton, neatly taken by Ewart, 26-2.

Two balls later Paton bowled Hull-Denholm (0), the off stump pegged back, 26-3. Morse (19,4x4) struck another 4 but at 33 in the 7th, lofted McCord to wide long on where Weetman, making good ground & diving forward, took a good catch, 33-4. Khan's leg spin began from the golf course end & Davison dabbed effectively. 

In McCord's second, Davison dabbed again & called Bowman (3) for an optimistic single, the non striker failed to beat Ben Sid's accurate throw from backward point to be run out, 46-5. Fletcher bowled over 11 for only 2 & in over 12 Davison (14) was lbw to Khan, on the crease.

Carr (7) hit Khan for 6 but fell next ball bowled, an excellent response, 64-7 in the 14th. At 74 in the 15th, Sturrock (7) was well caught by Agarwal at long on off Fletcher. Murray & Beever advanced the score to 92 in the 18th when Murray (15) was well held by Ruddick at long on off McCord. Bennett (3) was bowled by Ruddick after two balls of the last over, 98ao. Good ground fielding & catching, the two early chances notwithstanding.

Ruddick & Khan faced Murray (Avenue) & Bennett. A James straight drive from ball 4 set the tone & another in over 2 followed. But at 18 Sadiq (1) mis hooked to square leg to be caught by Sturrock. Weetman (6) & Ruddick hit boundaries in the 5th but Alex's pull, skied to be c & b by Murray, 28-2.

Morse's sla was accurate, Fletcher (3) edged behind at 42 & two balls later Ewart (0)  was stumped by Bowman, 42-4 in the 8th. McCord joined Ruddick to face Beever's leg spin & Morse. In over 11 Jacob swung Beever to the pavilion for 6, a fine shot & in over 13 drove the same bowler for 4. Ruddick, batting well, survived a life at deep mid wicket but then struck both Beever & Morse for 4's, 11 runs off the 15th.

The 16th proved to be the last as Jacob, driving strongly straight or through mid off, all along the floor, took 4,4,wide,4,4 off the luckless Carr's first over. James 46* (47b, 5x4) Jacob 38* (24b, 5x4, 1x6), emphatic !

NEPL 2nd X1 T20 finals day is on Sunday 14th August at a venue to be determined. SNCC, Newcastle, Hetton Lyons & Sacriston will contest the semi-finals. The draw has yet to be made. Hope you can be there to cheer the Bulls on.

Duncan.