Winning weekend for the Bulls in the League and National Club Championship

18th May 2022

NEPL Premier Division (5)

Tynemouth 241-6 (50o) Michael Jones 61, Stuart Poynter 31, Joseph Snowdon 59*, David Mansfield 25*: Jonny Wightman 1-28, Sean Tindale 2-43, Gavin Paton 1-40, Oli McGee 1-46, Lee Crozier 1-48, Ru Fletcher 0-30.

SNCC 242-7 (49.4o) Sol Bell 77, Sean Tindale 101*, Adam Cragg 14: Andrew Smith 2-43, Esam Rahman 1-32, Isaac Murray 1-29, Dan McGee 1-46, David Mansfield 1-57.

SNCC won by 3 wickets; 20 points: Tynemouth 7.

Winning the toss, Tynemouth were invited to bat. Debnam & Jones faced Wightman & Tindale who both bowled well, restricting the visitors to 12 from the first 7 overs. In over 13, Debnam drove Paton to cover where Cragg took the catch. 38-1. Jones was batting nicely & reached 50 in 63 balls with 6x4 in 80 minutes. After smiting a 6, the reverse sweep next ball was adjudged lbw to Crozier for 61, 108-2 in the 24th.

In over 28, Poynter (31), seemingly in two minds, gloved an intended pull, which looped behind the w/k for Cragg to make good ground from slip & take the catch at full stretch, 120-3. Two overs later Kimmitt (10) got a leading-edge driving Tindale & was held over his head at mid-off by Fletcher.

In over 35, Rahman pulled Wightman only for Tindale, at deep mid-wicket, to race in & sliding, take a good low catch, 140-5. Smith & Snowden were positive & took the score to 189 in the 45th before Smith (11) was stumped by Peyton advancing to Oli McGee. Thereafter Snowdon & Mansfield hit out taking 50 off the last 5 overs, Fletcher suffering, ending 241-6 at the close.

The Bulls Birtwisle & Bell started with purpose, 4 boundaries, two each, in the first two overs, two inadvertent & 2 glorious. Birty was then yorked by Rahman for 9, 17-1 in the 2 nd  over. In the 5 th,  Hewison (0) was caught at cover by Kimmitt off Smith, 21-2. After two boundaries off Smith, Peyton (8) smashed to mid-on to be caught by Snowdon, 42-3 in the 7th.

Tindale & Bell then put together a match winning partnership of 139 reaching 100-3 in the 23rd over & featuring very good running & placement. Losing a little momentum to be 133 in the 33rd until, at 181 from the last ball of the 41st over, Sol, aiming to work the left arm spin of Dan McGee into the leg side, was bowled for an excellent 77 (137b, 6x4).

Cragg (14) joined Tindale, hitting a 4 & a 6 then to be caught at short third, top edging the reverse, 201-5. Sean's controlled innings then burst into life as he drove Mansfield's off spin for consecutive straight 6's towards the indoor centre, then finished the over with another. From the 4th ball of the 48th, McGee(6) was run out. Two singles for Fletcher, who then swung hard to deep backward square for 6 to win the game, only to be caught on the boundary by Dan McGee, 238-7; 4 needed from the last over. Wightman drove off the back foot through cover for 2, then one, a dot & a dug out yorker, a scampered single & victory from the 4th ball of the last over.

Sean Tindale 101*, his second NEPL century, a masterfully controlled & match winning innings, (115b, 5x4, 4x6), deservedly man of the match, in another tense affair.

Sun 15th May, ECB National Club Championship Round 1:

Clifton Alliance 75ao ( 27.5 o) Craig Nicholl 19, Simon Corley 14: Jonny Wightman 3-18, Sean Tindale 2-20, Lee Crozier 0-22, Oli McGee 3-15.

SNCC 76-2 (11.4o) Sol Bell 38*, Rob Peyton 33: Sam Grant 1-29, Tom Brown 1-28.

SNCC won by 8 wickets.

The Bulls welcomed Clifton Alliance of the York Premier League. The visitors were invited to bat & were soon in trouble. 6-1 bowled Wightman, 15-2 c Peyton b Tindale, 15-3 c Birtwisle at slip, b Tindale, 20-4 run out Wightman, calamitous as two batsmen converged at the bowler's end, 24-5 lbw Wightman. Grant seemingly unhappy with his lbw decision.

Green & Nicholl doubled the score until at 48 Nicholl was caught by Wightman off McGee. 3 runs later, Green was caught by Peyton also off McGee, seeming to steer the ball into the wicket keeper's gloves down the leg side, 51-7. 62 -8 as Brown was run out by Peyton throwing to the non striker's end. 72-9, Corley caught by Peyton off Wightman. Last man Friend (0) lbw McGee at 75. The pace of Tindale seemed to disconcert the batsmen, who gave themselves room.

The Bulls reply saw Birty, driving the second ball of the first over & edging behind. Sol & Rob played positively until at 65, Rob 33( 32b, 6x4 1x6) was lbw to Brown. Sol continued to be 38* (36b, 5x4) as the winning run came after 4 balls of the 12th over, with Sean 1*.

A tougher test in Round 2 v Stockton at home on Sunday 29 th May . Hope you can be there.

Duncan.