CHANCES GO BEGGING GIVING SACRISTON THE EDGE

9th Jul 2024

             CHANCES GO BEGGING GIVING SACRISTON THE EDGE.

NEPL Sunday First Division: 7^th July 2024: SNCC v Sacriston (h) 40/30

SNCC Academy 199-7 (40o) Jacob McCord 47, Will Carr 55, George Gray 14, Jan Ozmen 24, Ben Sidney-Wilmot 16, George McConnell 27: Tom Bulmer 1-22, Jake Atkinson 2-47, Jack Rye 1-44, Anthony Hannon 0-30, Nathan Bushby 1-27, George Mckie 2-27.

Sacriston 153-6 (29/30o) James Hannon 9, Sam Hubber 24, Lucas Waggott 7, Nathan Bushby 16, Jack Rye 45, Alfie Hart 24, Tom Bulmer 16*, Liam McSkelley 4*: Finlay Pearce 0-29, George McConnell 1-27, Gregor Pearce 3-23, Aaditya Bethanabatla 0-20, George Gray 1-37 Jacques Graham 0-13.

Sacriston won by 4 wickets - 21 points, SNCC 13.

Rain after the first innings meant a 30 over second innings with a target score of 150. Each team had 5 under 16 players, a point for each to a maximum of 5. SNCC won the toss & chose to bat. Jacob McCord & Belinda Wewalage faced the right arm seam of Bulmer & Atkinson.

At 13 in the 5^th Belinda (4) edged a drive off Bulmer to w/k J Hannon. Will Carr joined Jacob & the pair batted well, 40 -1 after 10 overs as Jacob hit 3x4 & Will 1x4. Rye & A Hannon took over the attack & in Rye's first over, a missed slip chance at 42 gave Jacob a life.

In the 10 overs to halfway drinks the score had risen to 93. Jacob hitting 3 boundaries to cover & straight & Will 5, three through the leg side & two the off, a back foot drive to cover & front foot to extra cover.

Consecutive pulls to mid wicket off Bushby in the 23^rd over gave Will 50 (48b 8x4). But in the 24^th Jacob (47, 77b 7x4) advanced to off spinner McKie & was bowled ending a splendid partnership of 91 in 19 overs.

Will's enterprising innings (55, 63b, 8x4) concluded in the 27^th bowled by Bushby, missing s straight drive. Jan Ozmen & George Gray pushed the score along , Jan taking 9 off Bushby in the 31^st to long leg & through extra cover, until George (14,19b 2x4) was lbw to McKie, reversing !! 139-4 after 32. 

Ben Sid showed urgency & Jan swept McKie but in the 35^th Jan (24, 28b 1x4) drove Atkinson to cover where Rye took a neat catch. In the 36^th George McConnell smote Rye for 12 over & through cover & in the next Ben (16,13b, 2x4) holed out at long off, Atkinson the bowler, 182-6.

Rye was making life difficult bowling on both sides of the wicket with only one wide called in the very last over but George McC eventually fell to a catch at cover in the last over for a most valuable 27 (20b 3x4). 199-7 after 40 overs as Gregor (2*) & Finlay (3*) scampered. A par score but defendable, Sacriston's bowling & ground fielding had been good with only one chance missed.

Rain then delayed resumption until 1740. The umpires agreed 30 overs could be bowled with a target score of 150 to win. J Hannon & Hubber faced the left arm seam of Finlay Pearce & George McConnell.

At 23 in the 5^th a mix up saw Hannon (9) retreat but unable to beat Jacques throw from square leg & a smart run out by Ben Sid, 21-1. Hubber had two moments of fortune as a sharp c & b to Finlay & an edge wide to Will's left hand at slip were unable to be taken. George McC became bedevilled by no balls in over 6.

Gregor (lbg) entered in over 7 & Aaditya Bethanabatla (ob) in over 8. 43 -1 after 10 overs. Then three wickets in 7 overs including two maidens put the Academy in control. Hubber 24 was lbw to Gregor in the 11th, Adi bowled a maiden in the 12th, Gregor then persuaded Waggott to drive to short extra where George G held a good, low catch diving forward, 46-3.

In the 17^th Bushby (16) was bowled around his legs by Gregor, 71-4. In the next, George Gray's first, Rye (14*) hit to mid wicket but Belinda couldn't hang on.  Hart struck 2+4 in the same over after a misfield. Jacques only over went for 13 as both Rye & Hart hit straight for 6, 95-4 after 19 overs.

Misfields in the next two overs cost 3 runs & in the 23^rd another chance went begging on the mid wicket boundary off Finlay, Rye (36*) the fortunate batter again. Very good fielding by Jan & Adi on the boundary prevented 4 runs in the 24^th & 25th, 127 -4.

In the 26^th Hart (24) hit hard to George Gray's left & on follow through, he dived to his left to take an outstanding catch inches above the turf, 132 -5. George McC returned at the Grove end & as some form of redemption, Rye (45) hit to mid wicket where Belinda took the catch, 134-6  but 6 more from the over meant 141 after 27 overs.

Bulmer (16*, 12b, 3x4) hit a boundary in each of the next two overs finishing the game from the last ball of the 29^th over, driving Finlay straight to the Grove end sightscreen.

What might have been for the Academy. Sacriston played well, bowled nicely, fielded well & batted positively, making the most of some fortune. For SNCC, dropped catches, misfields under pressure & an inconsistent intensity in the field undermined a defendable score. We must all move in quickly as the bowler bowls. Fielding matters.

Onward to Sunday 14^th July SNCC Academy v Benwell Hill (a) 40/40 1330 start. We hope you can be there to cheer the team on.

Duncan.