LAST OVER DEFEAT FOR BULLS AS CHESTER LE STREET EARN A HARD FOUGHT TWO WICKET WIN

26th Aug 2019

In form Chester-le Street were the visitors to sunny Roseworth Terrace on Sat 24th August, where the Bulls welcomed back Jonny Wightman, & included evergreen James Miller, Andrew Doig & Alex Weetman to cope with the absence of Birtwisle, Hewison, Cragg & Crozier. The Bulls posted 207-7 in 58 overs. The Cestrians got there 8 down with 4 balls to spare in a tense finish !

SN 207-7 (58o: James Ruddick 27, Oli McGee 41, Jacques Du Toit 56, James Miller 35*: Brodie Glendinning 0-16, Quentin Hughes 2-46, Liam Simpson 0-12, Ben Whitehead 4-56, John Harrison 0-13, Liam Burgess 0-63)

Chester-Le-Street 208-8 (51.2o: Jacob McCann, 45, John Coxon 24, Quentin Hughes 52: Jonny Wightman 0-38, Sean Tindale 2-60, Oli McGee 2-49, James Ruddick 1-24, Jacques Du Toit 2-25)

Chester le Street 24 points, SN 4.

SN won the toss & chose to bat. John Harbottle & James Ruddick faced the pace of Brodie Glendinning & the off breaks of Quentin Hughes from the Park end. A steady start saw 22 scored from 8 overs before Glendinning gave way to Liam Simpson. Wanting to accelerate, in over 14 Harbottle (17) advanced to Hughes but was beaten by the drift & stumped by McCann. 33-1.

Hughes first 10 overs went for 20, Simpson's spell of 7 for 12, nothing to hit. The introduction of Ben Whitehead's leg breaks from the Park end brought reward as Ruddick (27) driving, edged to first slip where Hughes took a catch diving to his right, 61-2 after 24o. James's first ever opening role for the 1st X1 & he coped well, hitting three fours in a 72 ball knock.

A second wicket went to Whitehead when he held on to a fiercely struck drive from Sean Tindale (2) two overs later. Jacques Du Toit joined Oli McGee who was batting purposefully, driving down the ground when the opportunity arose, but with John Harrison's seam completing six tidy overs for only 10, the score at lunch after 33 was 81-3, McGee 27*, Du Toit 8*.

Post lunch Whitehead & the slow left arm of Liam Burgess bowled unchanged for 18 overs by which time the score had risen to 157 with the loss of three wickets. Oli McGee (41) set off for a sharp single to mid off but Du Toit was unresponsive & Simpson's throw beat Oli's retreat. A disappointing end to a good knock, (77b, 96m). 109-4.

Skipper John Graham joined Du Toit & the pair accelerated taking 11 from Whitehead's 12th, but in his next over Graham (11) was adjudged lbw sweeping. Rob Peyton (2) skied to point 4 runs later, 141-6 after 48. Making a seasonal bow James Miller then showed much invention to keep the score ticking. Jacques also scored from every ball faced such that the score had reached 173 when Du Toit (56, 3x4, 69b, 93m), seeking a maximum, was caught on the deep mid wicket boundary by Matthew Cranston off Hughes.

Andrew Doig joined Miller (35*) in over 54 & the pair added 35 in 4 overs. Reverse sweeps, good running & a sumptuous six from Andrew (15*) from the last ball. 207-7, 52 overs to get them.

W/k, left handed Jacob McCann & captain John Coxon faced Jonny Wightman & Sean Tindale from the Grove end. Searching for rhythm after an absence of 3 weeks, Jonny unfortunately conceded 5 no balls in 4 overs. Oli McGee began a spell from the Park end in over 9 with the score at 32. Tea was taken at 1640,  51-0 after 13o.

Three overs after tea Coxon (24) played a favourite mid wicket drive but uppishly & Sean Tindale took a good catch tumbling to his left off James Ruddick's medium pace. 62-1 in the 16th. Andrew Smith & McCann took the score positively to 98 in the 24th when Sean Tindale, bowling quickly, had Smith (17) caught behind by w/k Rob Peyton from a flat bat & three balls later uprooted McCann's off stump. A good innings of 45 from McCann, (7x4, 76b, 97m), 99-3.

Tindale was bowling with real fire & was a tad unlucky to concede three boundaries to Hughes in his 10th over. Jacques Du Toit started a spell from the Park end & in his second over Simpson (13) set off for a single which was refused & failed to beat John Harbottle's throw from cover to the striker's end. Wightman began a second spell from the Grove end & then Du Toit accounted for Robbie Dawson (4) yorked & Matthew Cranston, after two nice boundaries,  (9) lbw so that the score had reached 150-6 in the 37th with Hughes on 26*. 15 overs to go, 58 to win, 4 wickets in hand, game on.

Liam Burgess (12) had been positive & a partnership of 29 for the 7th wicket was blossoming so, in his 12th over, a McGee caught & bowled from a firm drive moving to his right was most welcome. 179-7 after 45o. Quentin was unmoved, steering behind point, nudging on the leg side or driving straight & he found an able ally in John Harrison. 192 after 49, when in McGee's last over, the 51st, two boundaries were struck before Hughes's firm drive was caught at mid on by John Graham with the scores tied. A match winning innings of 52 (4x4, 1x6- incl 4 over exuberant overthrows!, 70b, 116m). The winning run to short fine leg, with 4 balls of the last over to go, saw John Harrison (13*) & Ben Whitehead (0*).

Burnmoor's defeat of Whitburn takes them into a 29 point lead over Chester-le-Street with the Bulls one point further back. Three tough games to go, SN go to Eppleton on Sat 31st August, 1130 start. Sacriston are the visitors to Roseworth Terrace on Sat 7th Sept, 1115 start & the season concludes away to Felling on Sat 14th Sept, 1115 start. On that last day Burnmoor play Chester-le Street at Ropery Lane. We must continue & aim to finish strongly by demonstrating our undoubted all round ability. As Mr Stokes has shown us, miracles can happen ! We hope to see you there.

DDS.