ACADEMY SPIN TO VICTORY AT BURNOPFIELD -FIVE WICKETS FOR BEN LEE. Sun 21st June 2026: NEPL Sun Division 1: SNCC v Burnopfield (a) 40/40

21st Jun 2026

Burnopfield 162-8 (40o) John Scarrett 16, Toby Davison 28, Paul McCarthy jr 51, Jacob Jordan 18: Will Young 0-21, Archit Upadhye 1-26, George McConnell 0-11, Elliott Mee 0-31, Ben Lee 5-46, Matthew Smith 1-5, Aadhav Sahadevan 0-12.

SNCC Academy 163-7 (30o) Olly Alexander 50, Aadi Bethanabatla 18, Ben Lee 14, Aadhav Sahadevan 22*, Matthew Smith 17, Elliott Mee 15*: Riley Sayer 0-11, Jack Atkinson 0-29, Paul McCarthy 3-48, Jacob Jordan 2-20, John Scarrett 2-19, James Cookson 0-29.

SNCC Academy won by 3 wickets - 23 points, Burnopfield 12.

On a wonderfully sunny day at Burnopfield, 24 overs of leg breaks undid the home team as Archit, Elliott & Ben combined to take 6 wickets for 103 runs, Ben taking his first ever 5 fer in senior cricket, bravo !!

The wicket centrally placed, the home team chose to bat. Davison & Scarrett faced the seam of Will Young & leg spin of Archit Upadhye. Two maidens to begin then Davison showed some intent striking boundaries in 4 consecutive overs.

George McConnell began a 3 over spell in the 11^th but it was Archit in the 14^th who got the breakthrough as Davison (28, 51b 4x4) was bowled as his attempted sweep floated over his head & landed on the stumps !, 40-1.

Elliott Mee (lb) began a spell in the 17^th & Ben Lee (lb) in the 18^th in which Scarrett (18) forward, was lbw, 61-2. In Ben's next, two wickets as Sayer (12) drove to Olly at extra cover & 4 balls later, Price (0) was also caught by Olly, the left hander top edging to mid wicket, 74-4.

In over 24 Hall (1) mistimed a drive off Ben to mid off where Matthew took  the catch. McCarthy & Jordan resisted. The score rose to 117 in the 30th when Jordan (17, 3x4) swept Ben but edged onto his stumps, 6 down, a fifth wicket for Ben in tandem with Elliott.

McCarthy drove 4 then 6 off Elliott & Cookson 4 then 2 from Ben as both finished their 8 over spells with most creditable figures. Aadhav Sahadevan (rm) & Matthew Smith (rm) began spells in the 33^rd & 34^th overs. In Aadhav's  only over Cookson (9) drove to  mid off but Matthew picked up & ran him out with a direct hit to the bowlers stumps!!154-7.

McCarthy (51, 57b,4x4 3x6) had batted well, using his feet to the spinners, but at 157 he cut Matthew to point where Olly took his third catch without fuss, 8 down . The innings closed at 162-8 after 40 overs, Matthew 1-5  from 4  overs.

In reply Aadi Bethanabatla & Olly Alexander faced the seam of Sayer & Atkinson. Followers of these reports will know that Olly's usual style is to accumulate steadily punctuated by a classy looking off drive off either front or back foot.  On this day he unfurled a magnificent array  of attacking strokes, cover driven, pulled or cut such that he amassed 11x4, 2x3 boundaries from consecutive balls in Jackson's first & third overs, in a 34 ball 50 until he was caught by Scarrett at cover having already taken 2.4.4.4 off that McCarthy over, 72-1 in the 11th. Wow!

In the next Aadi (18) forward edged spinner Jordan to slip. Will Oliver & George McConnell took the score to 83 when Will (9) skied McCarthy to point, 8 In the next George McC (1) forward, was lbw to Jordan,  87-4.

Ben struck 3x4 in a 9 ball stay until he got one that bounced a bit from McCarthy & lobbed back to the bowler off the back foot, 101-5, the game a little in the balance perhaps. But Aadhav & Matthew settled both striking boundaries, Matthew using his feet to the spinners.

The total had reached 127 in the 23^rd when Matthew (17, 14b 3x4) top edged to cover off Scarrett, 6 down. Aadhav struck 2,2,4 off Cookson to ease the chase& then 4 more in the 26th. Matty Rathbone (5, 9b 1x4) was caught in the offside off Scarrett at 146 in the 27^th but all nerves were settled as Elliott (15* 16b 3x4) struck 3x4 off Cookson in two overs, Adhav (22* 46b 3x4) an innings of patience then hitting the bad balls, winning the game with a single from the final ball of the 30th over.

This good win takes the Academy into 2nd  place in Sunday Div 1 on 154 points behind leaders Chester-le Street on 188 with Benwell Hill 3^rd on 134.

Onward to Sun 5^th July 2026 SNCC Academy v Seaham Harbour (a) 40/40.We hope you can be there.

Duncan.