Winning weekend - Bulls triumph in T20 at Blaydon and in League against Eppleton

8th Jun 2022

 NEPL T20 Group a v Blaydon (a) Fri 3rd June 2022

Blaydon 99ao (17.5o) Philip Miller 17, Abdul Ameer 23, Ian Richardson 15*: Jonny Wightman 1-11, Sean Tindale 1-18, Cal Fletcher 2-16, Oli McGee 1-27, Lee Crozier 4-22.

SNCC 100-2 (13.4o) Sol Bell 47,Rob Peyton 23: Philip Miller 2-17, Mark Mason 0-22, Abdul Ameer 0-26, Mark Cawthorn 0-20.

SNCC won by 8 wickets - 6 points.

Blaydon won the toss & chose to bat. Miller (17) stroked two boundaries but in the 4th mishit to extra cover off Tindale, Cragg taking a comfortable catch. At 37 in the 8th Clarke (11) was caught by Peyton at long on off McGee. At 41 in the 9th, Richardson (15) was taken at point by Bell off Fletcher. At 55 in the 11th, Henderson (8) was lbw to Fletcher.

Ameer hit one big 6 but two overs later McGee caught one that went into orbit at extra cover off Crozier, the latter gaining his revenge ! In the same over McCarthy (7) was bowled, 79-6. Two overs later Cawthorn (1) was bowled by Crozier & at the same score, 91, Mason was lbw to Lee. Wightman trapped Young lbw at 95 in the 17th & Bullerwell was run out by McGee's direct hit in the 18th. 99 all out, the Bulls bowled & fielded well.

Bell & Peyton opened positively &, helped by several wides, reached 50 in 6 overs, Sol 36, Rob 12. The partnership had reached 84 in the 10th when, having hit a 6, Sol advanced & was stumped for an excellent 47 (6x4, 2x6). Two overs later Peyton (23) was caught at long on, 93-2. Hewison (8*) & Cragg (4*) saw the Bulls home after 4 balls of the 14th over.

The third Group A T20 is on Friday 10th June v Newcastle (a): Ashington 17/6 (h), Tynemouth 24/6 (a) complete the set.

                NEPL Premier Division, Game 8, Eppleton (h) Sat 4th June 2022

SNCC 236-6 dec(53o) Rob Peyton 18, Chris Hewison 100*, Adam Cragg 70, Sean Tindale 22, Parth Mannikar 18*: Taj Wali 3-40, Dean Musther 1-30, Henry Warren 0-44, Chris Mann 0-21, Andrew Ebdale 0-11, Colin Mann 2-56, Jake Pratt 0-29.

Eppleton 179ao (49.2o) Kyle Davis 33, Sam Dinning 17, Dean Musther 18, Colin Mann 55: Jonny Wightman 4-51, Sean Tindale 1-27, Cal Fletcher 1-20, Lee Crozier 3-51, Oli McGee 1-22, Simon Birtwisle 0-1.

SNCC won by 57 runs - 30 points, Eppleton 5.

The Bulls chose to bat but it was tough going, both seam & swing in evidence. Birty (0) was adjudged lbw to Wali from the 4th ball of over 1 when in full stride. Sol (0) hitting 4 very firm shots, all saved by good fielding or the bowler's stumps, also succumbed to Wali, lbw in the 9th, 9-2. Rob Peyton was watchful but positive & had reached 18 when he pushed at one that bounced a little from Musther, to be caught by Davis at backward point, 27-3 in the 16th.

From these depths, Chris Hewison & Adam Cragg showed character & determination, consolidating before lunch, taken at 88-3 after 32o, Chris 32*, Adam 31*, Wali 10 overs, Musther 13, & becoming more expansive thereafter, they fashioned a match defining partnership of 130. Warren's left arm seam, Chris Mann's off spin, Andrew Ebdale's leg breaks were first thwarted, then dominated. 

100 up in the 35th over, Chris 44*, Adam 50*. The partnership had reached 130 when, after hitting Wali for 3 boundaries in 4 balls, Adam pushed hard, to be caught at short extra for an excellent 70 (87b, 99m, 11x4,1x6), 157-4 after 42.5o. Sean joined Hewi & they too built a partnership of 49, Sean advancing to hit over the top & into the car park, Hewi driving Colin Mann's leg breaks over long on & off. At 206, Sean (22) was caught at long off by Brown: one ball later Oli (0), mishit to mid off, both wickets to Colin Mann.

Hewi hit Pratt for 6 & moved towards his hundred which arrived, with a scampered single, in the 53 rd over: 100* (123b, 158m, 8x4, 5x6), magnificent, a 19 th NEPL century for Chris, only one less that Worthy & Smith with 20 & in several fewer seasons. Parth (18*) hit Pratt for a straight 6, then a 4 & the innings declared after 53 overs at 236-6. 

Davis & Chris Mann faced Wightman & Tindale who both bowled well. At 14 in the 5th Mann (2) edged behind, caught by w/k Parth off Wightman. At 32 in the 9th, Dinning (17) was lbw to Wightman. Davis (33) seemed untroubled but the introduction of Crozier saw him hit one 4 then loft into the offside for Birty to run back from cover & take a good catch over his head, 69-3 in the 19th.

In the 22nd Oli won an lbw decision against Dean Musther (18) to give him his 300th NEPL Premier Division wicket, the youngest person to achieve this milestone. In the 23rd Birty took a sharp reaction catch above his head at first slip as Burlinson top edged an attacking shot off Crozier. In his next over Crozier had Pratt caught at mid off by Oli, 82-6 in the 25th.

Colin Mann entered & was positive, lifting Crozier for 4 & 6 as he was tempted to hit. McGee also suffered & with Rhys Brown, the pair advanced the score to 151 in the 39 th  before Brown (15) was bowled by Cal Fletcher. Wali (1) seemed to play on to Wightman in the 40th, 152-8. This was Jonny's 450th NEPL Premier Division wicket. Only the 7th to achieve this major milestone after Crozier, Waite, Humble, Bridge, Muchall & Pollard, & probably from the fewest number of overs, magnificent!

Colin Mann retired hurt at 157-8 in the 42nd, having been struck on the fingers by Wightman. Ebdale was then lbw to Wightman at 166-9 in the 45th. Heroically, Colin Mann returned to bat with one hand, reaching a deserved 50, until he was yorked by Sean Tindale for 55 (67b, 84m, 6x4, 2x6) in the 50th over to end Eppleton's resistance, 179 all out. 30 points for the Bulls but a tough game, important battling qualities on show. The new pitch played well.

Third place in the Premier Division after 8 games. Round 9 is v Benwell Hill (h) Sat 11th June, 1100 start, w/l/d, 110 overs. We must continue!

Duncan.