BULLS SINK MARINERS: GORANTLA & CRAGG PARTNERSHIP DECISIVE

28th May 2023

     Sat 27^th May 2023: NEPL Premier Division: SNCC v Tynemouth (a) 110o

SNCC 216-8 (53o) Nikhil Gorantla 103, Adam Cragg 69, Jonny Wightman 19:Andrew Smith 2-46, Richard Stanyon 3-36, Owen Gourley 0-25, Tshepo Ntuli 2-73, Martin Pollard 1-22, Dan McGee 0-9.

Tynemouth 109ao (39.3o) Ed Foreman 33, Matthew Brown 18, Matthew Kimmitt 18: Jonny Wightman 0-24, Sean Tindale 2-22, Calum Fletcher 0-12, Lee Crozier 3-32, Oli McGee 2-13.

SNCC won by 111 runs 29 points, Tynemouth 3.

From the depths of 2-3 in the 4^th over, an outstanding partnership of 174, ended only in the 47^th over, between Nikhil Gorantla & Adam Cragg laid the platform for a convincing victory over a weakened Tynemouth without Jones, Poynter & Debnam.

The outfield was slow, the wicket dry & green tinged but & the Bulls chose to bat. Birty & Angus Southern, opening for the 1^st X1 for the first time, faced Andrew Smith from the Percy Park end & Richard Stanyon from the Golf Course. 5^th ball of the opening over Birty, defending one that seemed to cut back, was bowled by Smith, 0-1.

From the third ball of the third over Angus, left one from Smith which hit his off stump, 1-2. From the 5^th ball of the 4^th over Hewi was lbw to a full delivery from Stanyon, 2-3. A far cry from Tuesday 23^rd May when Birty (34) & Hewi (96) were batting for England's Over 40's team in Hertfordshire in their defeat of Wales !

Nik & Adam settled, 13-3 off 8o, 46-3 off 20o, 92-3 off 26o, Smith bowled a spell of 6 then swapped ends to the Golf Course for 5 more, but was still hard to get away. 

Spells by Owen Gourley (rm) , Tshepo Ntuli (ob) & Martin Pollard (ob) were thwarted, at lunch, 113-3 after 32 overs, NIk 63*, Adam 45*. Post lunch acceleration saw the total rise to 141-3 after 38, Nik 80* Adam 55*. The pair ran very well, 9x3's were taken as the outfield proved to be slow. 

In the 47^th Adam (69, 119b,5x4) seemingly in two minds, chipped to mid-wicket to be caught by Ntuli off Pollard, 176-4. Aiming for 200 inside 50 overs for full bonus points, Sean Tindale (9) struck a 6 over mid-wicket then found Gourley off Stanyon , 192-5 in the 50^th.  Sam Ewart (3) advanced to Ntuli & was caught by Pollard at deepish mid-on, 197-6.

Nik's fine innings (103, 151b, 8x4) full of drives down the ground & through mid-wicket, closed at the same score, as he was caught by Snowdon off Stanyon. Jonny Wightman then provided the fireworks as he struck Ntuli for 6,4,2,4, out- caught by Kimmitt at deep mid-on from the last ball of the 53^rd over, when the declaration came at 216-8.

Dan Thorburn & Ed Foreman faced the seam of Jonny Wightman & Sean Tindale. In the second over, as non striker, Foreman set off for a single that was not there & Thorburn failed to beat the throw from Calum Fletcher to the bowler's end, 2-1.

Capt. Matthew Brown (19) was positive but at 28 in the 6^th driving, he edged Sean hard to slip where Birty took the sharp chance. Kimmitt & Foreman were cautious, 43-2 off 11 then Calum's third over was a maiden. A 7 over spell for Jonny then a Lee maiden. Sean returned in over 18 & in over 20 that Kimmitt mistimed him to Jonny at mid wicket, 64-3.

This became 76-4 in the 23^rd as Foreman (33) was lbw to Lee. Snowdon (9) having just hit a 4 was also lbw to Lee in the 25th, 83-5. 86-6 as Ntuli (0) advanced & was sent back by Foreman to be run out at the non striker's end by a Calum throw to Oli.

Dan McGee(4) faced his elder brother Oli & on this occasion Oli triumphed having Dan caught by Adam at cover, 91-7 in the 30th.  Andrew Smith (6) suffered a rare event as a Lee off break turned to bowl him at 95, 8 down. At 105 Richard Stanyon (6), as non striker, set off & then retreated but was run out by a Calum throw to the bowler. Finally, Owen Gourley (6), attacking, offered a sharp outside edge which was very well caught by w/k Sam standing up, off Oli; 109 all out after 39.3 overs.

The Bulls are joint top of the Premier Division with Chester le Street on 112 points. There are many tough games to come beginning with in form Felling (h) on Sat 3^rd June, 1100 start, 110 overs, we hope you can be there.

Duncan