HARD FOUGHT WIN OVER EPPLETON: BULLS MAINTAIN TOP SPOT IN NEPL PREMIER DIVISION

4th Jul 2018

SNCC 186ao(56.3o) Simon Birtwisle 71, John Graham 23, Rob Peyton 20, Richard Stanyon 17: Dean Musther 3-43, Joe Coyne 3-31

EPPLETON 143ao (49.5o) Luke Henderson 48, Dean Musther 39, Marcus Brown 29: Lee Crozier 4-23, Michael Craigs 3-20, Sean Tindale 2-23,  Jonny Wightman 1-23.

SN 24 points, Eppleton 5.

On Saturday 30th June, SN were invited to bat by visitors Eppleton on a cloudless, hot & sunny day at Roseworth Terrace. Simon Birtwisle & Sam Dale faced the seam of Jack McBeth & left arm Piers Davison. At 30-1 in the 6th, Dale (15) was bowled by Davison. 12 x 4 in the first 10 overs, 8 to Birty, saw him race to 36.

Dean Musther entered the attack in the 12th & Craig Scurr in the 15th. Thus combination of steady medium pace with some movement & accurate slow left arm from the Grove end slowed the scoring until at 95, John Graham(23) was strangled down the legside & one ball later Liam Trevaskis was bowled by Musther, 95-3 in the 24th.

After two sumptuous shots Adam Cragg (10) was caught & bowled by Musther off a firm drive, 107-4 in the 28th. Sean Tindale & Birtwisle took the score to 133 before both succumbed, Birty to Scurr hitting high to deep mid on for an accomplished & vital 71 ( 11x4, 1x6, 101 balls, 125 minutes) & Tindale(14) lbw to Coyne, 134-6 in the 34th. Work to do !

Scurr & Coyne (ob) continued to bowl nicely but Rob Peyton(20), showing admirable restraint & picking the right ball to attack,  sadly hit Scurr's last delivery, a full toss, to a diving Josh Coughlin on the deep square leg boundary. 4 runs later Michael Craigs((9), driving, was c & b by Coyne. 166-8 in the 46th.

Richard Stanyon played with great good sense, Jonny Wightman, reversing, was bowled by Coyne at 178 & in the 57th Stanyon (17) was bowled by Whitelock hitting to leg. 186 all out. We have batted better !

With 53 overs available, Eppleton's openers Luke Henderson & Marcus Brown faced Jonny Wightman & Sean Tindale. The score had reached 40 in the 11th, before the introduction of Lee Crozier from the Park end & it was he, two overs later, who held a smart c & b to dismiss the busy Brown(29), 55-1 in the 16th. 

Lee then proceeded to repeat last week's feat of three quick wickets, removing Coyne, for a 17 ball 0, very well caught by Liam Trevaskis, diving forward at mid wicket, & two overs later having Burlinson (0) taken sharply at first slip by Birty before bowling Coughlin (0) two balls later. 61-4. A different game.

Liam Trevaskis bowled 8 overs for 16 & the score had reached 96 in Simon Birtwisle's first over when Musther was reprieved. An lbw decision from umpire Warne was rescinded after consultation with his colleague standing at point. With the batsman standing firm, waving his bat & without the benefit of the on field discussion, for those watching from afar, this seemed bizarre.

The score moved on to 118, with Henderson & Musther batting nicely, before Michael Craigs, switched to the Park end, found Henderson's outside edge to w/k Rob Peyton standing up, a good catch, Henderson going for 48 (128 balls,144 mins), an important breakthrough. Two overs later Craigs bowled the left handed Scurr for 6 &, &, in his next over, had McBeth taken by w/k Peyton for 1, 126-7 in the 46th.

Whitelock & Musther continued until at 143 the returning Tindale, from the Grove end, had Whitelock lbw for 5 & next ball, bowled Davison emphatically for 0, 143-9. Wightman, now from the Park end, persuaded Musther to feather a catch behind off the 5th ball of the 49th over for a valiant 39 (75 balls, 98 mins). 

A 43 run win in a topsy turvy sort of game, when the balance first swung one way, then the next & the result could have gone either way. Crucial runs from Birty, supported by John Graham & the lower order & vital wickets at vital times from Lee Crozier & Michael Craigs backed up by smart fielding & rotation. All 7 bowlers used to effect, 24 points & a 29 point lead at the top of the Premier Division at halfway.

Stockton (a) on Sat 7th July begins the second half of the season. We must continue !

Duncan D. Stephen.