BULLS SLIP TO THIRD DESPITE EMPHATIC WIN AT CASTLE EDEN

12th Aug 2022

NEPL Division 2: Sat 6th August 2022: SNCC v Castle Eden (a)

Castle Eden 115ao (29.5o) Tom Gorham 27, Liam Irwin 33, Kane Iceton 13: Allan Davidson 0-19, Gavin Paton 1-29, James Ruddick 5-28, Sadiq Khan 4-27.

SNCC 117-3 (18.3o) Alex Charnley 36*, Nathan Gough 31, Alex Weetman 31*: Tom Gorham 2-37, Craig Defty 0-32, Oliver Sampson-Barnes 1-11, Ash Grant 0-23, Josh Taylor 0-6.

SNCC won by 7 wickets - 22 points, Castle Eden 1.

On unfamiliar territory on what looked like a dry surface, the Bulls invited the home team to bat. Dunn & Gorham faced the seam of Davidson & Paton. At 11 in the 4th Dunn played on to Paton. A stand of 59 between Gorham & Irwin looked promising until change bowlers Ruddick & Khan found a way.

In the 17th, after consecutive boundaries, Gorham (27, 7x4 ) was bowled off a pad by Ruddick, 70-2. Irwin took 4's off Ruddick & Khan but in the 21st was bowled by James, 86-3. At the same score & in the same over, two balls later, Brown (0) drove & missed to be bowled, 86-4.

In the 24th K Iceton (13) drove Khan hard to mid off where Ru took the catch. three runs & 7 balls later Sampson-Barnes skied a drive over cover off Ruddick where Gough ran back & took the catch over his shoulder. 97-6. 3 balls later A Iceton (0) was lbw to Sadiq, 97-7.

A partnership of 13 saw Grant & Defty move the score to 110 before Grant (4) was bowled by James pushing forward. The ball before he had suffered a similar fate but it was a no ball !!  A 5 fer for James. At 115 Defty was run out when the shot to mid off was returned to w/k Sam Ewart by Ru with the non striker slow to react. (sorry Sadiq, not stumped, so we need to amend play cricket). Taylor was bowled around his legs by Sadiq 2 balls later, 115 all out on a slow, low wicket.

Ruddick & Charnley faced Gorham & Defty. From the last ball of the first over, Gorham's cutter found a way between bat & pad to bowl James (0). Gough was watchful but in over 4 hit 3x4 off Defty. In over 5 Alex hit 2x4 off Gorham & in the 9th Nathan hit consecutive 6's before being bowled by Gorham. (31, 29b, 4x4, 2x6) he now has an average of 363! (Inns: 6 No: 5 Runs: 363).

Angus Southern stroked one boundary before being caught on the crease to an off break that hit his ankle, 66-3. Alex Weetman joined Alex Charnley & the pair advanced the score targeting the short boundary. Weeters hit consecutive 4's in over 15, a 6 in the next, a 6+4 in the 17th & 2x4 in the 19th to win the game. Charnley 36* (42b, 7x4) & Weetman 31* (19b, 5x4, 2x6) both very positive contributions.

22 points for the Bulls but bigger wins for both Tynemouth (now 320 points) & Benwell Hill saw the Hill move second on 310 points & Ashington join the Bulls on 308, joint 3rd. 

All to play for with the visit to CLS's Ropery Lane on Sat 13th August followed by the T20 finals day at Hetton Lyons Sun 14th August, when SNCC face Newcastle in the second semi final at 1300. Then NEPL Division 2 continues with Ashington (h), Benwell Hill (h), Sunderland (h) & finally Hetton Lyons (a) Sat 11th September.

We hope you can join us to cheer the 2's on.

Duncan.