TYNESIDE CHARITY BOWL VICTORY - SCORES TIED BUT FEWER WICKETS LOST - ENDS MEMORABLE SEASON FOR 1ST X1

11th Sep 2018

After a long night of celebration, a somewhat fatigued SN were asked to bat at Prior's Flat, Hexham, home of Tynedale CC, in the postponed final of the NTCL Charity Bowl against Consett on Sunday 9th September 2018 from 1400 hours, a T20 game, maximum 5 overs per bowler.

SN 138-7 (20o) Simon Birtwisle 45, Sean Tindale 34, Adam Cragg 33, Aron McCabe 3-30, Kamran Mansoor 2-29, Stuart Graham 2-18

Consett 138-8 (20o) Robbie Winn 55*, Hassan Raza 33: Sean Tindale 3-29, Simon Birtwisle 3-32, Lee Crozier 2-26.

Simon Birtwisle & Rob Peyton faced the seam of Mansoor & Graham. The former's first over went for 8 but the accurate Graham struck twice in his second over Peyton being bowled, charging & Alex Weetman suffering the same fate 4 balls later, defending. 19-2 in the 4th.

Sean Tindale joined Birty & as Graham bowled his 5 overs straight through, at the Valley end the changes were rung. Sadiq Amin's fast off breaks proved the most economical, 4 overs for 15. At halfway the score was 55, Graham's economical spell finished on 2-18. The run rate was brisk but when Raza's  second over, the 14th, went for 13, the rain became heavier & the players left the field for 17 minutes with the score at 79-2 Birty 39*, Sean 25*.

Seeking acceleration Birty hit new bowler McCabe for 6 but was caught in the covers next ball for a vital 45 (4x4, 1x6, 43b).  Adam Cragg entered, Hunter's second over saw two sixes, one to each batsman as 15 were taken, 102-3 after 16o. Sean Then feathered behind off McCabe for a valuable 34. Tom Seymour smote one huge 4 to wide long on before holing out in the deep four balls later.

Ru Fletcher(4* one from every ball faced) took a single & the watched as Cragg hit McCabe's last over for 14 with one huge 6 flying way down the terrace over midwicket. In the 20th bowled by Mansoor another maximum was followed by two wickets in the last three balls as Cragg (33) was lbw sweeping & Wightman(2) caught off the last ball at cover. 138-7, Simon West, Lee Crozier & David Cragg not required to bat, defendable.

Consett's Hunter & McCabe faced Wightman & Tindale. In the 4th, Tindale's second, the left handed Hunter glanced down the legside only to see the flying Peyton take a wonderfully athletic catch at full stretch. One run & three balls later McCabe drove to extra cover where Cragg took a tumbling catch, 14 -2.

This became 19-3 when in Birty's first over Mansoor(0) was lbw sweeping. Lee Crozier joined the attack in the 6th over whilst Birty bowled through. Graham (6) lost patience in the 9th & aiming to leg, was bowled by Birty, 38-4.

Raza attacked taking two boundaries from Wightman's 3rd which went for 10, 48-4 after 10 overs. Both Amin & Raza were looking for runs, Amin hit a 6 & but at 63 in the 13th Raza hoisted Birty to deep mid wicket where Tindale took the catch.

Amin, moving around the crease, hit a no ball for 4 as Birty's 5th went for 10, but he ended with a creditable 3-32. However in Crozier's next, from the Valley end, Amin was bowled round his legs when moving outside off stump, for 16, 71-6 in the 14th. In the same over new batsman Robbie Winn hit Crozier for a straight 6. Tindale returned & was also struck for 2 boundaries by Winn, 91-6 after 15. 

Crozier's experience had Chapman (2) lbw sweeping so that at the end of the 16th Consett were 94-7. Tindale then yorked Pyke (1), 94-8 with 3.5 overs remaining. Only 2 more from Sean's 4th so 96-8 with 3 left. Robbie  Winn then took centre stage, driving  powerfully down the ground & whipping away to the shorter leg side, tennis court boundary. In the company of number 10 Forster, they took 16 from the 18th, Jonny's 4th, 112-8. A straightforward dropped catch at long off in this over when Winn was on 29 was almost to prove pivotal !

Tindale's last, the 19th, went for 12, 124-8 with one to go, 15 to win - or should that be Winn !  Facing Wightman the last over went 4, 1, wide, 1, 4, 2, leg bye to tie the match at 138. Dramatic !!  Robbie Winn 55* (9x4, 1x6, 28 balls) a magnificent knock with the ring of the bat resonating as the ball was struck.

The umpires had already consulted & the win for SN was based on fewer wickets lost. (Had the wickets lost been the same the result would have been based on the score after 10 overs, SN 55, Consett 48.) A wonderfully exciting cup final in which Winn's heroics almost prevailed.

So a remarkable end to a remarkable season, the 1st X1  NEPL T20 winners, NEPL Premier Division Champions, Tyneside Charity Bowl winners: the 2nd X1 James Bell 2017 winners, NEPL Division 2 runners up, Banks T20 winners: the Academy NEPL Sunday League Division 1 Champions, Banks Cup winners & T20 finalists v CLS on Sunday 16th September at Roseworth Terrace.

On Saturday 15th September the 1864's play their last West Tyne league Division 1 game against Stocksfield at Roseworth Terrace, do come along to support them.

The Presentation Evenings are most likely to be confirmed as Junior: Friday 12th October from 1900, Senior: Friday 19th October also from 1900, both in the Clubhouse. You are most welcome to be there to celebrate a year of achievement.

Duncan.