BULLS BATTLE BUT BURNMOOR TAKE THE HONOURS.

5th Sep 2026

POYNTER & TINDALE PARTNERSHIP DECISIVE, BUSHNELL HEROICS THWARTED AS TINNERS TAKES 5 IN TOP OF THE TABLE CLASH.

Sat 5 Sept 2026: NEPL Premier Division: SNCC v Burnmoor (h) 50/50, win/lose.

Burnmoor 261-9 (50o) Ross Greenwell 19, Robbie Bowman 20, Stuart Poynter 127, Sean Tindale 49: Jonny Wightman 1-39,Jonny Bushnell 1-46, Calum Fletcher 3-55, Oli McGee 1-61, Nicky Phillips 0-30, Will Phillips 2-28.

SNCC 248ao (49.4o) Adam Cragg 34, Jonny Bushnell 91, Oli McGee 13, Nicky Phillips 25, Jonny Wightman 35: Sean Tindale 5-51, Calum Harding 0-45, Cody Hoffmeister 0-27, Josh Coughlin 2-48, Ryan Pringle 1-36, Ross Greenwell 2-36.

Burnmoor won by 13 runs- 24 points, SNCC 8.

A first league defeat of the 2026 season for the Bulls as Stuart Poynter (127) & Sean Tindale (49) rescued the visitors from an unpromising 63-4 in the 16^th over putting together a superb partnership of 176 for the 5th wicket which lasted until the 45^th over.

Then in reply to 261-9 the Bulls slumped to 32-3, Tindale 3 wickets, & then 149-7 in the 34^th  but a spirited display led by Jonny Busnell (91) & supported admirably by Adam Cragg (34), Nicky Phillips (25) & Jonny Wightman (35) saw the Bulls get within 13 runs of an unlikely victory as Tinners returned to take two more wickets. Exciting stuff from two good teams.

The visitors chose to bat in sunny conditions. Greenwell & Brown faced Wightman & Bushnell. Some early playing & missing but after stroking 3x4 Brown (13) skied an attempted pull off Bushy for w/k Rob Peyton to take the catch, 15-1 in the 4th over.

Bowman was positive, Greenwell defended. Then in Calum's first over, the 10^th , Bowman was lucky to escape a tough overhead chance at mid on. Redemption for Will P in Calum's next as Bowman (20) swung to deep mid wicket where Will made good ground in & took a super catch in two hands at full stretch falling forward, 46-2.

Pringle (6) launched Oli beyond long on but in attempting another two balls later skied for w/k Rob to take the catch. In Calum's next Greenwell lofted to deep mid wicket where Will P waited & took another well judged catch, 63-4.

There followed the match defining partnership of 176 between Poynter & Tindale. Sean's first 11 runs were all singles. Poynter swept, orthodox or reverse, the spin, drove straight or cut behind square, 87-4 after 20 overs.

Nicky began & Bushy returned & at drinks after 25 overs the score was 111-4, Poynter 36* Tindale 11* The fielding had been sharp, Cal at mid off, Sol at point, Adam at cover, Oli at mid wicket had all saved boundaries.

142-4 in the 34^th as Poynter inside edged for 4 to get to 50* but Oli suffered as Poynter swept for 6 to mid wicket in the 37th, the 100 partnership achieved, 167-4. Two overs later Poynter took 14 to long off, mid wicket & square leg. 189-4 after 40 overs.

Will P bowled two overs for 12 but the scoring rate took off in the 44^th as Calum suffered 4.4.6.4.1 to long off, reversing, straight, sweeping, so 227-4, 115* for Poynter, 47* to Tindale.

Then in the 45^th Poynter (127, 92b 17x4, 4x6) a dashing display of stroke making, drove Wightman to deep cover where Will took the hard, flat drive in two hands, his third catch, bravo! 239-5.

Two wickets for Will P in the next as Coughlin (0) was very well caught by Calum at long on & 2 balls later Tindale (49, 92b 3x4) the perfect foil, pulled to deep square leg where Nathan made ground to his right to take the catch. Hoffmeister (3) was run out as he failed to beat the throw from Wighters at point & Husband (4) drove Calum to Adam at cover, 251-9. 10 runs from the last over, 261-9.

The Bulls reply was derailed in Tindale's opening four overs. At 12 in the third Sol (7) was might unlucky to be adjudged lbw, down the wicket, high & going down the replay suggested. Will P (8) edged a drive to be caught by w/k Bowman, 29-2  & in the 7^th Hewey (10) driving, played on, 32-3.

Bushy & Adam rebuilt patiently putting together a partnership of 81 for the 4th wicket as Coughlin Hoffmeister & Pringle sought a breakthrough. 102-3 after 20 overs. Then in the 23^rd Adam (34, 45b, 5x4) was bowled by Coughlin by one that  seemed to keep low. Drinks were taken at 121-4 after 26 overs.

Immediately after the break Peyton (7) forward, edged Greenwell to w/k Bowman standing up, 124-5. Greenwell (rm) & Pringle (ob) bowled the next 11 overs. Bushy reached 50* in over 32 with a single to mid off  but in the next Oli (13) suffered a similar fate off the back foot edging to Bowman off Greenwell, 148-6 & then Nathan (0) chipped back to Pringle in the 34th, 149-7.

Bushy & Nicky then combined to put together a partnership of 53 as Nicky cleverly found the spaces to get Bushy on strike.185-7 after 40 overs Bushy 75* Nicky 18*.

Tindale returned in the 41^st over & in his second Nicky (25, 27b 2x4), an excellent supporting knock, edged a drive to w/k Bowman 202-8. A pulled 4 to wide long on took Bushy to 89* but in the 45^th his drive at Tindale missed & he was bowled. A superb innings (91, 110b 10x4) with 4 significant partnerships holding the innings together, 213-9.

But Wighters was to come & from the ashes he produced a swashbuckling display striking 4x4 &1x6 including 2.2.4.6 off Tinners in the 47th. Then 4.4.2 to get the total to 243 with one over to go.

Sadly, from the 4th ball of the last over, the heroics ended at 248 as he swung but edged Coughlin to w/k Bowman, his 5^th catch. Jonny W (35, 32b, 4x4. 1x6), a brave display so nearly successful.

Onward to the last league game of 2026:

Sat 12 Sept SNCC v Benwell Hill (a) 1130 50/50 win/lose.

We hope you can be there, to watch, share in the presentation of the NEPL Premier Division Champions Trophy immediately after the game & afterwards to celebrate a memorable season at SNCC.

Duncan.