TOUGH WEEKEND AS BULLS UNDONE BY BURNMOOR IN T20 ¼ FINAL &  LEAGUE

11th Jul 2023

Friday 7^th July 2023: SNCC v Burnmoor:  NEPL T20 ¼ final (h) 20/20

SNCC 158ao(20o) Rob Peyton 53, Shayne Moseley 31, Nikhil Gorantla 21, Adam Cragg 21: Waqas Maqsood 3-27, Craig Stephenson 0-21, Karl Turner 1-30, Ross Greenwell 2-29, Ryan Pringle 0-29, Graeme Bridge 3-18.

Burnmoor 162-5 (18.5o) Karl Turner 48*, Ross Greenwell 61, Ryan Pringle 13, Paul Craig 9: Calum Fletcher 2-30, Jonny Wightman 1-28, Lee Crozier 1-45, Nik Gorantla 0-32, Oli McGee 0-20.

Burnmoor won by 5 wickets.

The Bulls won the toss & chose to bat on a warm evening at Roseworth Terrace with a good crowd watching. Moseley & Peyton faced the left arm seam of Maqsood & off spin of Stephenson. Burnmoor switched the bowlers around at will. Maqsood bowled two overs, Stephenson 1, Turner 2 with changes of pace proving effective. A fast start from the Bulls, 35 off 5, 49 off 6, 7x4 1x6, before Bridge enticed Moseley (31, 18b,4x41x6) who missed & was stumped by Craig 52-1.

Gorantla launched both Stephenson & Greenwell for 6 but at 93 in the 11^th Nik (21, 14b,2x4, 2x6) drove high to long on where Hodgson took the catch. Next ball, Hewi picked up powerfully towards square leg where Turner caught him right on the boundary, 3 down.

Peyton & Cragg put on 42 for the 4^th wicket. Greenwell & Pringle bowled in tandem overs 11-15 by which time the total had risen to 130 with Rob on 51*. At 135 in the 16^th Rob (53, 45b, 2x4, 2x6) skied a sweep off Turner to short fine leg where Worthy took the catch, 135-4. 

In over 17, two wickets in two balls as first Cragg (21, 21b, 2x4) hit to deep mid wicket off Bridge only to see Coughlin knock the ball up as he crossed the boundary line before stepping back into play to complete the catch. Next ball Gough (0) was bowled playing back, 135-6.

Maqsood returned from the Grove to bowl over 18. McGee (2) skied but the bowler retreated to take the catch. 10 off the 19^th as Birty hit a boundary but in the last Wightman (6) skied to point where Hodgson took the catch & Birty (10) fell in the same fashion 3 balls later. From the last ball Crozier (0)  was run out at the bowler's end, Fletcher 1*. A disappointing end after a good start, the switching of bowlers seemed to work.

Pringle & Turner faced & Fletcher & Wightman. A run out chance spurned in the second over as Turner was caught well down the wicket, as the single to short fine leg was refused, but the throw to the bowler's stumps missed as did the return from mid off & he scrambled home.

24 off 3 overs before Pringle (13), was yorked by Fletcher. 36 after 4 as Turner hit 2x4 off Wightman, 56 after 5 as Greenwell hit 2x4 + 2x6 off Crozier straight or over mid wicket. Ahead of the rate by 20 at that point.

McGee & Gorantla bowled overs 8-12. A chance in over 12 on the long off boundary but the flight seemed to deceive the fielder & it sailed over for 6. The score after 12 was 118 (SN 104 at the same stage). Fletcher returned in over 13 & from the last ball Greenwell (61, 35b,5x4,5x6) skied to mid-off where McGee took the catch. One run later Worthy (0) was run out as a sharp single to short third man was returned swiftly by Gorantla to Peyton, who effected the run out.

After 15 overs 135, only 5 runs ahead of the SN total at the same stage. In over 17 Crozier persuaded Craig (9) to sweep towards square leg where the skier was caught by Fletcher, 144-4. This became 147-5 in the next as Brown (3) hit Wightman to long on where Fletcher took another. The left-handed Coughlin entered &, using his feet well, drove Crozier straight for 6, from balls 2 & 5, to win the game. Turner 48*(46b, 6x4), there from the beginning, a bedrock innings for his team.

Only 3 extras (2 wides,1 nb) in the SN innings, 14 (5 wides, 2 nb, 5 leg byes, 2 byes) in the Burnmoor.

So, some things to ponder but a chance to bounce back tomorrow away to the same opposition.

Sat 8^th July 2023: NEPL Premier Division: SNCC v Burnmoor (a) 110o, 1100. 

Burnmoor 116 ao (31.5o) Waqas Maqsood 29, Graeme Bridge 35*, Karl Turner 11,  Allan Worthy 8, Josh Coughlin 9, Alec Linsley 6*: Jonny Wightman 5-43, Sean Tindale 3-33, Oli McGee 1-16, Calum Fletcher 1-14 Lee Crozier 0-2.

SNCC 67 ao ( 24.1o) Shayne Moseley 2, Nikhil Gorantla 6, Chris Hewison 8, Adam Cragg 13, Sean Tindale 13, Simon Birtwisle 4, Jonny Wightman 8: Waqas Maqsood 4-20, Karl Turner 6-37.

Burnmoor won by 49 runs - 22 points, SNCC 4.

A damp day with rain threatened later, a green wicket, but the home side won the toss & batted. Burnmoor 38-7 after 17 overs but then a crucial partnership of 29 for the 8^th wicket, as Maqsood (29) attacked, a rain break at 1247 which led to an early lunch, & then another partnership of 30 for the 10th, featuring Bridge (35*) & Linsley(6*) saw Burnmoor close at 116 all out after 31. 5 overs. Karl Turner batted 50 balls for 11 & was 6^th out at 34. Jonny Wightman 5-43 took his 500^th NEPL Premier Division wicket but scant consolation.

Not helped by rain delays & attendant moisture, the Bulls faltered in the chase, 36 -5 after 10 overs, 54 -6 after 18 & all out in the 26^th as the accuracy of Turner & Maqsood proved too much for the visitors.

A maiden & then In the 2^nd over Tindale bowled Greenwell off stump 0-1. 4-2 as Brown (0) edged to w/k Peyton off Tindale in the 3rd. 5-3 as Pringle (1) was bowled by Wightman in the next. A dropped catch in the gully in the 10^th gave Worthy a life but, with the clouds gathering behind the scoreboard, Wighters conceded two no balls, earned an lbw decision against Worthy (8) & then 4 byes down the leg side with Peyton standing up, eventful !

At 26 Craig (0) was bowled by Wightman & in over 16, Turner 11 (50b 1x4) was lbw to Tindale, 34-6. As the drizzle began Coughlin (9) hit straight for 4 but then a leading edge off Wightman found Cragg at short extra, 38-7; Jonny's 500th NEPL league wicket.

Maqsood drove his first two balls straight for 4. McGee relaced Tindale & bowled a maiden. Bridge took Fletcher for 8 in over 21 & Maqsood, using his feet, 10 off McGee in the 22nd. In the 23^rd Maqsood (29, 20b,5x4) drove Fletcher towards mid off where Crozier took the catch moving to his right.

The rain became heavier & the players took an early lunch at 1247 Burnmoor 85-8. When play resumed Stephenson (2) hit Wightman to cover where Gorantla took the catch, 86-9.

Bridge (35*, 44b 5x4) hitting straight or through mid wicket & LInsley (6) then put on 30 for the 10^th wicket until Linsley lofted McGee towards mid-off where Fletcher took the catch, moving forward.

The SN reply began at 1408. Mosely & Peyton faced Maqsood (road) & Turner (scorebox). Peyton (0) succumbed lbw to Turner's first ball 0-1.  8-2 in the 4^th as Gorantla (6) drove at Turner for Worthy to take an outstanding catch, right-handed, high at first slip. Hewison struck his first two balls for 4 to mid wicket but in the 5th Moseley (2) playing forward, seemed to inside edge onto his stumps off Maqsood, 16-3.

18-4 in the 7^th as Hewison (8) seemed unlucky to be adjudged lbw to Maqsood. The drizzle returned; Cragg & Birty were watchful. Over 9 saw the score rise by 7 including 5 penalty runs as Maqsood, on follow through, gathered & threw the ball towards Cragg, batting outside his crease. But in over 10 Birty (4) was bowled by Turner with one that crept, 36-5.

After 3 balls of over 12, at 1507, as the rain got heavier, the umpires took the players from the field, Cragg (8*). Play resumed at 1540. The score rose slowly as Cragg defended then Tindale took 5 off the 14^th & 6, including a 4 to mid wicket, off the 16^th, both from Turner.

In over 18, two wickets in two balls as first Tindale (13, 26b 1x4) pushing forward, was bowled by Turner & McGee (0) lbw half forward, 54-7. In the 20th Cragg (13, 46b,1x4) drove at Turner & outside edged to w/k Linsley, 57-8.

Fletcher faced a maiden from Maqsood before Wightman drove Turner straight for 4 in the next. From the first ball of the 23^rd Fletcher (1,9b) was lbw to Maqsood & then, after taking 3 off Turner, Wightman (8, 21b) edged to Linsley off Maqsood from the first ball of the 25^th over.

Turner 6-37, Maqsood 4-20 in helpful conditions which, on the day, the Bulls were unable to counter, work to do.

Churchill once said " success is not final, failure is not fatal, it is the courage to continue that counts". So, mes amis, we need to bounce back on Sat 15^th July v Newcastle (a) 1100, 110o. A test of our metal, we are capable, we must continue!

Duncan.