Three out of three - winning weekend again for the Bulls

20th Jun 2022

NEPL 1 st X1 T20: SN v Ashington (h) Fri 17th June 2022 

                              SUBLIME HEWISON CENTURY IN CONVINCING WIN.

SNCC 178-4 (20o) Rob Peyton 24, Chris Hewison 107*, Sol Bell 31: Younus Ahmadzai 0-11, Matthew Collins 2-26, Cameron Nicholls 1-27, Cameron Walker 0-28, Cameron Skinner 0-43, James Harmison 1-36.

Ashington 115ao (19.4o) Younus Ahmadzai 59, Sam Alderson 11: Jonny Wightman 2-14, Sean Tindale 0-16, Calum Fletcher 3-11, Lee Crozier 1-35, Oli McGee 3-22, Simon Birtwisle 1-16.

SNCC won by 63 runs - 6 points, Ashington 0.

On a windy evening at Roseworth Terrace, Ashington won the toss & chose to field. Birty (1) was caught by Skinner off Collins in the second over. Peyton & Hewison were positive, the total was 49 in the 7th when Peyton (24) was caught by Jessop off Nichols. Bell joined Hewi, the latter timing sweetly reached 50 from 39 balls in 36 m with 8x4. 

Bell took 14 off the 10th, 89-2 & the 100 came up in 12.2 overs. The total had reached 143 in the 18th when Bell 31 (3x6) attacking, was bowled by Collins. Tindale (6) hit one 6 but next ball was stumped by McCarthy off Harmison, 156-4 in the 19th. Hewi then took 21 from the luckless Skinner's final over to reach 107* (67b, 61m, 8x4, 7x6), a masterful innings, seemingly effortless power & placement.

Ahmadzai & Jessop faced the right arm seam of Wightman & Tindale. 19 after two but then Wightman had Jessop caught by Crozier & number 3 Nichol caught by w/k Peyton one ball later. In the 6th a repeat of 2 in 2 as McCarthy (8) was caught off Fletcher & Harmison bowled first ball. Ahmadzai attacked but at 60 in the 10th Mc Cafferty (6) was bowled by Calum Fletcher.

The entertaining Ahmadzai 59 (37b, 3x4, 5x6) finally succumbed in the 13th, caught by Gough off Birtwisle, 82-6. In the 16th Nichols (7) was caught by Peyton off McGee. In the 18th Alderson (11), stumped by Peyton, three balls later Walker (2) was bowled, 103-9. Collins struck 4 then 6 before being stumped off Crozier, 115 ao after 19.4 overs.

Level on 18 points with both Tynemouth & Ashington but with an inferior run rate to Tynemouth (1.07 to 2.03) the Bulls last group game is on Friday 24th June at Tynemouth. Group winners & runners up go through so, looking at the fixtures, a win is likely to be needed to progress.

              NEPL Premier Division 10/22 v Sunderland (h) Sat 18th June 2022

BULLS OVERCOME STUBBORN RESISTANCE BEFORE BRILLIANT BELL CENTURY SEALS                                                           9 WICKET WIN.

Sunderland 170ao ( 54.5o) Micky Allan 37, Chris Youlden 27, Joe Defty 24, Ross Whitfield 21: Jonny Wightman 3-48, Sean Tindale 5-33, Lee Crozier 1-43, Calum Fletcher 0-8, Oli McGee 1-29.

SNCC 171-1 (27.1o) Sol Bell 106*, Simon Birtwisle 34, Rob Peyton 46*: Kieran Waterson 1-41, Micky Allan 0-41, Joe Stuart 0-53, Louis Dinsdale 0-26.

SNCC won by 9 wickets 26 points, Sunderland 2.

The Bulls won the toss & invited the visitors to bat. A steady start on a flat wicket saw Whitfield & Shurben take the score to 39 in the 14th before both succumbed to bounce as Tindale, bowling quickly, hurried strokes. Whitfield (21) caught defending by Bell at point & the left-handed Shurben (16) gloving behind to be caught by Peyton, 40-2 in the 16th.

Calum Fletcher had bowled a spell of three overs for 8 when, chasing in the outfield, suffered a hamstring injury & had to leave the field. The total rose slowly, Crozier & McGee in tandem conceding only a few, until at 76 in the 35th Hutchinson (10) was bowled by McGee. Allan (37) had batted nicely but, in seeking to attack, was bowled by Wightman in the 35th, 97-4.

Youlden & Defty added 51 for the 5th wicket until three wickets fell at 148. In the 46th, Youlden (27) feathered behind off Tindale for Peyton to take the catch. One over later Defty (24) slog swept Birtwisle to Hewison at deep square & in the next Potts (0) was lbw to Tindale first ball. At 155 in the 51st Waterson was caught by Ruddick at short mid wicket off Tindale, a deserved 5 fer for Sean. Crozier's 15 miserly overs completed, Wightman returned to finish the innings bowling both Stuart (0) & Coates (7) with consecutive deliveries in the 55th over, 170 all out.

Birtwisle & Bell faced the right arm seam of Waterson & Allan. Birty took three consecutive boundaries off Allan in the 6 th but in the 7th dragged on to Waterson for 17, 25-1. Peyton joined Bell & the pair batted sensibly with Bell taking three boundaries off Allan which forced a change as Stuart's slow left arm was introduced. Peyton greeted him with a 6 & in his next over, 14 came as Bell stroked 13.

Sol reached 50 off 55b in 69 minutes with 7x4 1x6. Shots all around the ground, pulls, cuts, drives, timing superb, the best we have seen from him this season.  Rob controlled, hitting well down the ground & rotating. 39-1 after 10, 107-1 after 20, second wicket partnership got to 100 in 87 b, 57 m, Sol 73* Rob 26*.

The 150 came up in the 24th over as Dinsdale (rm) & Coates (ob) were given some exposure. Sol's hundred came in the next over as Coates's off spin leaked 14. The win was nigh & completed from the first ball of the 28th over, a gentle single. Sol finished 106* (90b, 105m, 16x4, 2x6), Rob 46* (53b,77m, 6x4, 1x6) an unbeaten partnership of 146, magnificent.

30 points for the Bulls, second place in the Premier Division on 187, 12 adrift of leaders Hetton Lyons, next Saturday's opponents away. Sunday 19th June at home to York in the national.

                          ECB Royal London Club Championship Group 2 Round 3

BULLS MARCH ON IN NATIONAL AS YORK DISAPPOINT THEIR TRAVELLING SUPPORT.

York 157ao (37.5o) Ryan McKendry 23, Will Wade 25, Luke Kilby 33: Jonny Wightman 2-30, Sean Tindale 1-42, James Ruddick 1-21, Lee Crozier 1-19, Oli McGee 0-20, Ru Fletcher 4-17, Simon Birtwisle 1-7.

SNCC 158-1 (21.5o) Sol Bell 61*, Simon Birtwisle 34, Rob Peyton 41* : Jon Moxon 0-38, Charlie Elliot 0-21, Ryan McKendry 0-19, Dave Brent 1-34, Darcy O'Connor 0-34, Louis Kilby 0-4.

SNCC won by 9 wickets.

 A lovely, sunny day at Roseworth Terrace welcomed visitors York & some travelling support. They were to leave disappointed by the performance of their team. York won the toss & chose to bat, lh Duncan Snell & rh Will Wade faced Wightman & Tindale.

 A boundary apiece in the first two overs but in the third Wightman, over the wicket to the left hander, got one to move away from the dangerous Snell (4) for Hewison to take a good, low catch in the gully having just moved there. 5 wides & a no ball made it a 7 ball over & with the last Wightman comprehensively bowled the left-handed Bean (0), the off stump flattened, 19-2. A flying Peyton just failed to hang onto a fast chance high to his right off Wade, Wightman the unlucky bowler.

Captain McKendry joined Wade & the pair put on 32 for the 3 rd wicket until Peyton took a stunning diving catch right handed, off the edge to dismiss McKendry (23) in Ruddick's second over, 51-3 in the 10th. Crozier & McGee in tandem again strangled the opposition. The score had crept up to 72 in the 17th when Wade (25) was lbw to Crozier, which became 86-4 after 20 at drinks.

Crozier finished his 8 overs 8-1-19-1, so with the introduction of the right arm medium of Ru Fletcher from the Grove End & Birtwisle, acceleration was needed, but it became their undoing as first Kilby (33) was bowled, 107-5 in the 26th. Attempts to hit through extra cover were persistently thwarted by the outstanding athleticism of Cragg such that other risks had to be taken.

Elliot (2) mistiming, skied to mid wicket to be caught by Ruddick off Birtwisle. Then two wickets fell to Fletcher in the 30th, Darwin (16) was lbw, Brooks (0) skied to short extra three balls later, Cragg taking a comfortable catch & in the 32nd, Moxon skied to be caught by Ruddick at mid off, again off Fletcher, 119-9: Fletcher 4-17, well bowled Ru !

A defiant 10th wicket stand saw O'Connor (18*) play nicely & Brent (22) attack until Tindale rearranged the latter's stumps with the 5th ball of the 38th over, 157 all out.

Bell & Birtwisle set off swiftly against the pace of Moxon & seam of Elliot. 51 after 6 overs, Sol 26, Birty 12, 13 extras. The score had advanced to 89 in the 13th when Birty (34, 31b, 6x4) mistimed a drive to be caught by McKendry at mid off, off Brent's sla. Peyton joined Bell & the pair continued to play positively.

The spin of O'Connor & Brent persisted but Sol reached a deserved 50 in the 19 th over (51b, 9x4), 137-1. The pattern continued & with regular boundaries & effective strike rotation, the score mounted such that the winning run was scored after 21.5 overs, Sol 61* (60b, 10x4), Rob 41* (41b, 6x4), a controlled, undefeated partnership of 69 for the second wicket good to watch.

An excellent weekend for the Bulls, strong performances in batting, bowling & fielding. Tough games to come & things to improve upon as ever. Round 4 of the national is on Sunday 10 July v Northern (h) 1300 start, 40/40, hope you can join us.

Duncan.