BULLS CONVINCING DEFEAT OF ASHINGTON.
25th August 2026
ACADEMY BATTING COLLAPSE LEADS TO BIG DEFEAT AT BENWELL HILL.
26th Aug 2026
Sun 23 Aug 2026: NEPL Sunday Division 1: SNCC V Benwell Hill (a) 40/40
SNCC 87ao (29o) Olly Alexander 18, Matty Rathbone 36, Matthew Smith 9, Paddy Rathbone 11: Gabriel Mellor 2-9, Seb Fletcher Woods 1-10, Nimit Singh 2-13, Oliver Smalley 1-13, Harsh Patel 4-11, Adam Hasan 0-21.
Benwell Hill 88-3 (15.1o) Jayem Patel 65*: Matthew Smith 0-19, Elliott Mee 2-18, Archit Upadhye 1-26, Dominc Johnson 0-16.
Benwell Hill won by 7 wickets-25 points SNCC 5.
A somewhat fatigued Academy team succumbed to good bowling at sunny Benwell Hill after choosing to bat in this final game of the season. One run but three wickets lost in the first three overs as w/k Dawson took two catches to dismiss Varun (1) down the legside, Aadi (0) & Arun (0) bowled by a good ball from Mellor.
Olly Alexander & Matty Rathbone repaired the innings until Olly (18) missed a sweep off Oliver Smalley at 31 in the 14th over. Elliott joined Matty & the pair added 9 before Elliott edged a drive to w/k Dawson of Singh. Belinda (0) was caught in the gully three balls later, 40-6.
Matthew Smith stroked 2x4 off H Patel in the 21st over, straight & through cover but two balls later, driving again, was caught at mid on by Singh, 52-7. The Rathbones combined to put together a partnership of 32 for the 8th wicket as Matty swept the spin of Hasan for 2.2.3 & two overs later for 4.2.2 but in the next, bowled by H Patel, Matty (36, 68b 2x4) drove to mid on, 84-8. A gutsy innings in the circumstances.
Paddy (11, 20b) aimed to cut H Patel in the 29th over but edged to w/k Dawson & 5 balls later Dominic (0) was bowled by Patel around his legs. The innings closed at 87 all out.
The Benwell Hill reply was emphatic, for despite the efforts of Matthew Smith, Elliott Mee, Archit Upadhye & Dominic Johnson, Jayem Patel (65*) stroked 9x4 many through cover & 3x6 pulled to the short legside boundary from 42 balls to win the game from the first ball of the 16th over.
After Barnard Castle, a fatigued Matthew, 3 overs for 19, Elliott 7.1 overs 2-18 the wickets of Arushad (5) in the second over bowled Malakzai (0) in the fourth, a reward for an accurate spell, Archit 1-26 from 4 overs which was good in parts but inconsistent & one over from Dominic which was attacked conceding 16.
So a difficult day to end the season which had promised much, with players individually & collectively showing improvement, but clearly with work to do. A second place finish in Sunday Division 1, although well adrift of champions CLS, was creditable.
Let us gather to celebrate the season & say thanks to all those who have played & supported at the Presentation Evening on Sat 19th Sept in the Indoor Centre marquee.
After which may we all winter well.