BULLS ARE NEPL PREMIER DIVISION CHAMPIONS FOR THE 16TH TIME. Sat 15 Aug 2026: NEPL Premier Division: SNCC v Burnopfield (h) 50/50

15th Aug 2026

SNCC 274-9 (50o) Sol Bell 50, Jonny Bushnell 145*, Sam Ewart 21: Matthew Oswell 4-57, Mitchell Killeen 0-42, Josh Bousfield 1-44, George Stephens 0-50, Callum Gaffney 1-37, Aidan Lumley 1-30.

Burnopfield 175 ao (34o) Ross Whitfield 29, Mitchell Killeen 58, Matthew Oswell 35, Laurie Robson 15: Jonny Bushnell 2-39, Calum Fletcher 4-28, Will Alexander 0-26, Oli McGee 1-46, Nicky Phillips 3-36.

SNCC won by 99 runs- 24 points, Burnopfield 7.

On a sunny day with high cloud, the Bulls bounced back from the defeat of the previous evening to overcome Burnopfield by an emphatic 99 runs and secure their 16^th Premier Division title with a record 4 games in hand, now 104 points clear of Burnmoor.

Sol Bell (50) reached 926 premier division league runs in pursuit of Hewey's 1085 (2003) the second highest aggregate & Tom Latham's record of 1102 (2010). Jonny Bushnell stroked a chanceless 145* (145b, 16x4) in a superb display of batting lasting over 3 hours, sharing significant partnerships of 98 with Sol, 24 with Rob, 62 with Sam & 41 with Will. His shot selection, especially off the back foot, elegant & emphatic, accelerating after his 100, scoring 45 in 8 overs as the team total rose from 196 to 274. 

When Burnopfield batted Calum took 4 wickets in 5 overs for only 16, including the dangerous John Oswell (0) with the first ball of over 2, as the visitors slumped to 45-5 after 10 overs. Sol took another superb catch at point one handed to remove Coleman, then between overs 26 & 34 Cal took three catches all off Nicky, the first, to remove Killeen at long on moving left & diving, was a special effort, Rob flung himself to his right to catch Robson as he edged Bushy, forcing off the back foot.

Ground fielding by Sol at point, Bushy at extra cover & later Will P & Sam preventing boundaries with chases & dives was lovely to watch. The intensity was evident, the Bulls were up for this. The fielding has been of a very high standard all season.

The visitors invited the Bulls to bat. Hewison & Bell faced the seam of Oswell & Killeen. 11-1 in the third as Hewey (3) lofted Oswell to mid on. Three overs later David (8) lost his middle stump to Oswell as one jagged back, 34-2. Sol had stroked 3x4 off the back foot through cover.

An outstanding partnership of 98 between Sol & Bushy developed, 45-2 after 10 overs, 93-2 after 20 as Bousfield & Stephens toiled. Gaffney (sla) began a controlled spell in over 22. At 25 over drinks the total was 113-2 , Sol 46* Bushy 43*.

Sol got to 50 (81b, 135 mins 6x4) in the 31^st over, a composed & chanceles innings, but two balls later, defending on the back foot off Killeen, saw the ball bounce down & almost gently roll back onto the stumps 132-3.

At 156 in the 36^th Rob (1) forward but bowled by Gaffney, 4 down. Gaffney (sla) would go on to complete a good spell of 10 overs 1-37 in the 40th over. Bushy & Sam then put on 62 for the 5^th wicket as Gaffney, Lumley & later Bousfield attacked. Then, after a 6 to backward square leg, Sam (21, 26b 1x4 1x6) swept hard again & was caught on the long leg boundary by Killeen off Lumley 218-5.

Will Alexander joined Bushy & the pair added 41 in only 4 overs as the seam of Oswell & Stephens returned. At 259 in the 49^th Will (9) hit a low full toss to cover & was caught by Gaffney off Oswell, Will Phillips (1) skied to be caught & bowled by Oswell two balls later 267-7.

Two wickets to Bousfield in the last over as Oli (1) edged a drive to backward point & Nicky (1) was run out chasing an improbable second from the last ball, 274-9 at the end of 50 overs.

The prolonged applause for Bushy as he left the field was testament to a special innings.

In reply the visitors got off the worst possible start. Crawshaw (2) lobbed back to Bushy from ball 4. With the first ball of the second over John Oswell (0) aiming a tad to leg, skied to extra cover where Will P took the catch, 3-2.

Whitfield, surviving a tough chance at slip in over 5, then timed the ball well, stroking 4x4 but lost partner Coleman (3) cutting behind point off Calum, only to see Sol dive to his left to take a superb one handed catch, 31-3.

Whitfield (29, 22b, 6x4) added another 2x4 but with the w/k up he edged Calum & Rob took a sharp catch, 43-4. In Calum's next Gaffney (2) aiming to leg was lbw, 45-5 after 10 overs.

Killeen &  M Oswell then put together a quick scoring partnership of 87 in only 11 overs as Will Alexander, Calum, then Jonny, another very tough chance palmed over the bar at slip in over 16, Oli & Nicky suffered. 

At 132 in the 21^st over Oswell (35, 36b 5x4) drove Oli head high to Hewey at mid on who took the catch. Killeen reached 50* in the next over but 5 overs later he (58,47b 7x4 2x6) launched Nicky straight again only to see Calum making good ground toward the sightscreen to take a very good, diving catch, 148-7.

Drinks were taken at 155-7 after 27 overs. Nicky (Park) & Oli (Grove) continued the attack. Bushy returned in the 31^st persuading Robson (15) to drive off the back foot, but edging low to w/k Rob's right, who flung himself at full stretch to take a marvellous catch, low down, 168-8.

Bousfield (9) fell in the next as he drove Nicky to long on where Calum, running to his left, took another exemplary catch in two hands. The end came at 1830 in Nicky's next as Lumley (4) skied to deepish mid on where Calum again obliged.

Bravo!! A win by 99 runs, 'Campiones' for the 16th time !! 421 points to date, 104 ahead of Burnmoor, undefeated in the Premier Division with 4 games to play. Can we go undefeated matching the record of SNCC titles in 2003 & 2018 ?

Sitting in the sunshine at the end of the game the team enjoyed a relaxing rehydration. The camaraderie & smiles were evident. The celebrations went on for some time !!

Onward to 

Sat 22^nd Aug NEPL Premier Division SNCC v Ashington (a) 1200 50/50 win/lose.

We hope you can be there. 

Duncan.