VICTORIES AGAINST TYNEDALE & BENWELL HILL REINFORCE SECOND SPOT.

6th Sep 2024

               VICTORIES AGAINST TYNEDALE & BENWELL HILL REINFORCE SECOND SPOT.

Sat 31^st August 2024: NEPL Premier Division: SNCC v Tynedale (h) 45/45o, win/lose

Tynedale 213-9 (45o) Oli Fletcher 58, Joe Barber 35, Ted Fletcher 19, Jamie Crichton 19, Nathan Byerley 21*: Jonny Wightman 2-53, Sean Tindale 1-26, Will Alexander 2-58, Oli McGee 2-41, Lee Crozier 1-33.

SNCC 214-1 Simon Birtwisle 80*, Nikhil Gorantla 122*: Matthew Scott 1-21, Seth Robbie 0-47, Nkosana Mpofu 0-34, Aaron Rourke 0-29, Ted Fletcher 0-39, Nathan Byerley 0-32, Ed Foreman 0-12.

SNCC won by 9 wickets - 24 points, Tynedale 4.

A sunny day at Roseworth Terrace, the visitors elected to bat. Mpofu & Foreman faced the swing of Wightman & pace of Tindale. An opening burst included 5 wides in three overs & 5x4 in the first 6. But in the 5^th, after an extra cover drive, Wightman found an in swinging yorker to bowl the left-handed Mpofu (13), 19-1. Foreman (12) fell in the 8^th edging Tindale to w/k Peyton, 33-2. Oli Fletcher then took 10 off Wightman's 5th.

Will Alexander & Oli McGee joined the attack but Will suffered as Fletcher drove down the ground & over mid wicket then pulled Oli to square leg for 6. This somewhat haphazard beginning  was exacerbated when two chances went begging in Oli's second over. Birty diving to his left, juggled but just failed to take a sharp edge at first lip off Fletcher & three balls later Sean, moving to his right, could not cling onto Barber's firm drive to mid off.

Barber used his feet well to the spinners & the total had risen to 109 when Barber (35) was lbw sweeping McGee. After 23 over drinks at 120-3 two wickets fell in three overs. Parker (3) hit Crozier to mid wicket for Birty to take the catch & then Fletcher (58, 79b, 6x4, 2x6) a positive innings, aimed to leg but skewed Wightman to cover where Birty pouched the chance at head height, 133-5.

Ted Fletcher & Crichton, steering to third man, dealt mainly in singles before Wightman was struck for 4 then 6 to long on in the 34th. Two wickets in two overs as first T Fletcher (19) skied a pull off Alexander to be caught by w/k Peyton & in the next  Crichton (19) leading edged McGee to backward point where Wightman made good ground  to take a diving catch, 169-7. After 3 balls, Byerley advanced to McGee but the ball stayed low & the stumping was missed.

Rourke (11) hit Alexander to mid wicket for 6 but perished next ball as Bell moved in smartly & took a good catch at mid on, diving forward. In the 43^rd over, Gorantla athletically caught & threw back in mid air a mid wicket '6', conceding only two runs. In the last Robbie (9) was run out returning for 2, failing to  beat the throw from Bell to the bowler's stumps where Cragg effected the run out. The fielding in the deep had been exemplary, 213 -9 at the close.

The Bulls reply saw Sol (6) forcing Scott off the back foot in the 5^th over but edging to w/k Fletcher, 17-1. Thereafter Birty & Nik put together the highest partnership of the season for any wicket of 197.  After a watchful beginning, acceleration as Nik hit Mpofu for 6 to mid wicket in the 11^th over, 43-1. Rourke's 4 overs of off spin went for 29, Mpofu's for 24 as Nik used his feet well. Birty pulled & drove Robbie to mid wicket.

Nik's 50 came up in the 22^nd over with a cut to cover (5x4 2x6). The total had reached103 at drinks after 23 overs, as T Fletcher's leg spin & Byerley's medium pace were used. In the 4 overs after drinks the total rose by 43, (11, 2, 17, 13) as drives, cuts & pulls punished variations of length over a fast outfield. Birty reached 50 in the 27^th an over in which Scott conceded 3x4 to the legside.

In the 29^th Nik on 92 was dropped at long off.  Reprieved, his hundred came up in the 31^st taking only 24 balls to get from 50 ! Birty took 15 & Nik 4 off the luckless Robbie in the 33^rd & the winning runs came as Foreman was despatched to mid wicket for 6 by Nik from the third ball of the 34^th over.

An outstanding display of batting by both, Nik's fast feet & hands hitting the ball so cleanly & hard, a second consecutive century after the one at Tynemouth. Birty relishing a return to form, stroking the ball through the off side & pulling merrily. Birty 80* (110b 8x4), Nik 122* 80b 16x4 4x6) awesome! Scott the pick of the Tynedale attack.

                Sun 1^st Sept NEPL Premier Division: SNCC v Benwell Hill (h) 45/45 win/lose

Benwell Hill 181ao (41o) Rory Hanley 17, Adam Heather 32, Dan Gardiner 25, Joe Anderson 22, Max Williamson 27, Will Archbold 17, Luke Mussett 19*: Jonny Wightman 1-33, Sean Tindale 4-24, Will Alexander 1-32, Lee Crozier 2-44, Oli McGee 2-38.

SNCC 131-2  (17.5o) Simon Birtwisle 24, Sol Bell 56*, Nik Gorantla 6, Chris Hewison 26*: Peter Jones 0-24, Callum Harding 0-30, Luke Mussett 1-35, Rory Hanley 1-22, Max Williamson 0-10.

(Rain delay after 6 overs: target reduced to 129 from 28 overs)

SNCC won by 8 wickets- 24 points, Benwell Hill 3.

An overcast day & with rain forecast later, the Bulls asked the Hill to bat. Hanley & Heather faced Wightman & Tindale. An lbw appeal, a run out chance & then 4 overthrows in the third over was followed by Hanley (17) driving Tinners to point where Sol took a good head high catch, 22-1 in the 6th.

Adam Heather glanced & Gardiner pulled as Will A joined the attack in the 9th. In the 11^th Adam Cragg almost took a blinder at cover, high & to his left off Heather but in landing, the ball almost in his grasp as he landed, cut his chin & he visited hospital for repairs.

Lee entered in over 12 & in his next Gardiner (25) was lbw, 56-2. One over later J Fletcher's (0) leave saw him bowled by Will, 57-3. Oli replaced Will & in company with Lee saw the total rise to 95 at drinks after 23 overs as Anderson attacked selectively.

 A  40 minute rain delay did not affect the overs available & then on resumption Anderson (22) advanced to Lee, missed & was stumped by Rob, 100-4. Halliday (5) was yorked by Jonny in the 29^th 5 down for 107 & in the 30^th the obdurate Heather (32) pushing forward, was adjudged lbw to McGee, 115-6.

A catch at mid on off Jonny seemed to go to earth & four overs later Williamson skied Jonny straight but, amid encouragement from his colleagues, Wighters spilled the chance close to the stumps !

In the 37^th Williamson (27) sweeping, appeared unhappy to be adjudged lbw to Oli, 155-7. Sean returned from the Grove end & took two wickets in the 39th. Archbold (17) was bowled by a rapid full toss & two balls later Harding (0) played on, 167-9. There was time for Oli, reacting late it seemed, not able to take a skier behind the bowler off Will so it was left to Sean to pin Jones (0) lbw to one straight & full after Mussett had plundered 11 from the previous 5 balls. 181 all out after 41 overs.

In the 6 overs that were possible before the rain the Bulls scored 35 as Birty (14*, 2x4)) & Sol (15*3x4) faced Jones (sla) & Harding (lfm). Rain & bad light then reduced the game to a target of 129 off 28 overs beginning again at 1735.

Mussett & Harding  took up the attack. 53 after 10 overs but then two wickets in two overs as Birty (24, 36b 3x4) driving, was lbw to Mussett & Nik (6, 7b,1x4) bowled by a rapid Hanley yorker, 66-2 after 12 overs.

Hewi & Sol batted freely taking 6 an over & although Sol was lucky an edge to slip was not held in the 13^th off Mussett, Hewi hit 3x4 in the 15^th which yielded 19 runs.10 more from the 17^th gave enough time for Sol to hit the winning boundary off Jones to cover in the 19th. A comfortable win with 10 overs to spare; Sol 56* (45b 8x4), Hewi 26* (14b, 5x4).

These two wins cement 2^nd spot on 292 points, now 70 behind leaders Burnmoor with only two games left to play. Ashington are 3^rd on 276 points.

Onward to Sat 7^th Sept SNCC v Sunderland (a) 1200 45/45 win/lose

                       Sat 14^th Sept SNCC v Felling (h) 1200 45/45, win/lose

We hope you can join us for the last two games.

Duncan.