BULLS WINNING START: DRISSELL & HOFFMEISTER SHINE.

28th Apr 2025

     BULLS WINNING START: DRISSELL & HOFFMEISTER SHINE.

    Sat19th April 2025: NEPL Premier Div: SNCC v Castle Eden (a) 45/45o, win/lose

SNCC 192ao (34.3o) George Drissell 95, Rob Peyton 20, Sol Bell 10, Chris Hewison 11: Isaac Unsworth 1-24, Callum Appleby 2-25, Robbie McGlasham 0-29, Nick Sampson-Barnes 3-56, Jon Malkin 4-43.

Castle Eden 158ao (43.5o) John Spellman 51*, Jon Brown 21, Robbie McGlasham 20, Jon Malkin 14: Jonny Wightman 0-15, Cody Hoffmeister 4-22, Oli McGee 2-43, Tom Jones 2-31, George Drissell 0-17, Nathan Gough 2-26.

SNCC won by 34 runs - 24 points, Castle Eden 6.

A bright, but cold day welcomed the new NEPL Premier Division season at Parklands. The Bulls were invited to bat, the ground was dry & the wicket looked flat. Sol Bell & Adam Cragg faced the seam of Isaac Unsworth & Callum Appleby. Boundaries to Sol in overs 1 & 3 but from the first ball of the 4^th he fell to an lbw decision off Appleby, 13-1. Two driven boundaries to DCCC's George Drissell, on debut, in the same over showed positive intent.

At 22 in the next Adam, fresh from an exhilarating  century from 59 balls in the friendly v Blackheath the week before, was unlucky that a lifting delivery from Unsworth struck his elbow & fell onto the stumps, Adam (0), 22-2. There followed a significant partnership of 62 between George & Chris Hewison, beginning his first season as SNCC captain.

George struck Appleby for 6 then 4 in the 10th & 4 more off Unsworth in the 11th. Sampson-Barnes (rm) & McGlasham (rm) began spells from over 12. Some uneven bounce was evident but both batted responsibly until Chris (11) was adjudged lbw to Sampson Barnes in the 17^th, 84-3. George took two more boundaries off McGlasham in the next over.

A profitable over 20 saw 18 runs scored via 5 wides, 4lb's, & 2x4 to George. Birty (3), forward, was bowled by Sampson-Barnes in the 22nd ending a partnership of 46, George struck Malkin for 6 & at drinks after 23 overs, the Bulls were 130-4, George 76* & going very well, Rob 0*.

Rob drove Malkin for 2x4 +2 in the 27^th but in the next George's fine innings ended as, he inside edged a full toss from by Sampson-Barnes onto the stumps. A magnificently positive & professional 95 (82b, 98m, 14x4, 4x6) often driving straight, through the offside or clearing the rope to mid wicket. The scoring rate remained at 5's throughout on a less than predictable wicket.

The innings somewhat subsided thereafter as first Rob (20) slog sweeping, played on to Malkin. Next ball Oli (0) was lbw. In over 32 Nathan Gough (5) seemed unlucky to be adjudged caught behind off Appleby the noise as bat seemed to hit pad. In the next Tom Jones (3)  advanced but was stumped off Malkin,190-9 & finally Cody Hoffmeister (4) after one boundary, was caught by McGlasham at dep mid wicket also off Malkin. The Bulls,192 all out, using only 34.3 overs of the 45 available. 38 extras including 23 wides boosted the total !

In reply Jon Malkin & Ben Simpson faced the seam of Jonny Wightman & Cody Hoffmeister. A steady start but in over 4 Cody found Simpson's outside edge & w/k Rob Peyton took the catch,14-1. 25-2 in the 7^th as Malkin (14) inside edged off Hoffmeister for Rob to take the catch going to his left. Cody was working up some pace & only 4 boundaries were struck in the first 11 overs as Oli entered the attack & then Tom Jones in over 14, suffering as Naylor struck 4,4,2.

Then a clatter of wickets left the hosts 56-6 after 18 overs. Lewis Simpson (6) was well caught by Birty at first slip off Oli via a deflection.. Nick Sampson Barnes (0) lbw, one ball later also from Oli. In the next, over 16, Liam Naylor (14) drove Tom Jones towards long off where Chris made ground in to take the catch & then at 56 in the 18th, Appleby (0) was defeated by the turn & bowled by Tom.

George, with flight & loop was hard to play, & Cody bowled in tandem between overs 23 & 31 conceding only 13 runs including the wicket of Crute (7) yorked by Cody, 77-7. Cody struck again in over 30 as Unsworth (0) was bowled by a full delivery, 83-8. Belatedly perhaps chasing bonus points, in the 35^th Brown struck Oli for 4,4,6 & Spellman took regular boundaries from the returning Oli, Nathan & Tom until at 140 Brown (21) was caught by Jonny at mid on off Nathan. McGlashan (20) struck 4x4  but at 158 in the 44^th over he edged to w/k Rob off Nathan to conclude the Castle Eden innings. John Spellman (51*,92b, 7x4, 1x6) a positive contribution, undefeated in a losing cause. 

4 wickets for Cody, an impressive debut; 2 each for Oli, Tom & Nathan, an accurate 7 overs from Jonny, another 7 of excellent control from George, tidy in the field & catches taken.

Onward to Sat 26^th April, NEPL Premier Division game 2:  SNCC 1st X1 v Chester-le -Street (h) 1200 start, 45/45, win lose. We hope you can be there to cheer the team on.

Duncan.