BULLS BECOME PREMIER DIVISION LEADERS AFTER WIN AT NEWCASTLE. Sat 16th May 2026: NEPL Premier Division: SNCC v Newcastle (a) 50/50 win/lose.

16th May 2026

Newcastle 138 ao (42.4o) Andrew Doig 25, Arthur Wilcox 34, Axel Cahlin 27, Daniel Hogg 13: Jonny Wightman 3-25, Jonny Bushnell 1-16, Will Alexander 2-33, Calum Fletcher 1-21, Nicky Phillips 2-37.

SNCC 139-7 (39.3o) Sol Bell 31, David Edwards 16, Adam Cragg 15, Rob Peyton 34, Will Alexander 10: Daniel Hogg 0-31, Arthur Wilcox 1-18, Harry Lumsden 3-32, Joseph Stuart 0-26, Gavin Paton 2-14, Josh Stirling 1-12.

SNCC won by 3 wickets - 24 points, Newcastle 4.

A sunny day at Jesmond, the Bulls won the toss & chose to field. Missing George Drissell & Oli McGee, Nicky Phillips & Hamish Barrie made their 1^st X1 debuts.

The right handed Faizan Ghumman & Andrew Doig faced the seam of Jonny Wightman (Cemetery) & Jonny Bushnell (Avenue). 8 without loss from the first 6 overs as both bowlers had the batters playing & missing & edges did not carry. In the 7^th Ghumman (8), seemingly stuck on the crease, was bowled by  Wightman's away swing.

Will Alexander & Calum Fletcher took up the attack bowling overs 10-16 & it was in the 16^th Will's 4^th that Andrew Doig (25, 51b,3x4) once of this parish, who had batted nicely, & after a boundary, drove towards mid on where Bushnell took a stunning catch, diving to his right, 42-2.

Wilcox of Norfolk & Cahlin of Australia embarked on a partnership of 51 as the bowlers rotated but kept the pressure on, 58-2 after 21 overs just before Nicky Phillips first from the Avenue. Wilcox & Cahlin both struck boundaries but it was Wighters in over 27 who achieved the breakthrough via a superb piece of w/kg from Rob Peyton standing up, as Cahlin (27) aimed to glance, the heel was raised & the bails removed, outstanding !!  

92-3 then two overs later an injudicious call for a single straight to mid on by Chris  Youlden (0) was pounced upon by Nicky, moving in smartly, who broke the bowler's stumps with an underarm throw ! 98-4. In the next over Wilcox (34,69b, 4x4, 2x6) having already driven straight twice for 6, aimed to sweep Nicky but missed & was lbw, 103-5.

In the next the left handed Coulthard (1) was defeated by a Wightman inswinger & bowled, 105-6. In the 34^th Nicky enticed Lumsden to attack with mid on & mid off a little deeper & he obliged by chipping the slower ball back to the bowler, 112-7.

Will Alexander returned in the 35^th & in the 37^th Gavin Paton (3) also once of this parish, edged an attempted drive to Hewey at slip, 117-8. In the next Hogg (13) top edged a pull off Calum to Sol at point, 9 down. The end came in the 43^rd over when Stuart (9) edged Bushnell to w/k Peyton, Stirling 6*, 138 all out. The wicket had shown some inconsistent bounce so run scoring was not without risk.

In reply Hewison & Bell faced the right arm seam of Hogg (Cemetery) & Wilcox (Avenue). In over 4 Hewison (4) edged a lifting delivery from Wilcox which looped to slip where  Coulthard took a good catch, low to his right, 18-1.

Bell had stroked back foot boundaries in overs two, three, & two in over 8 pulling & clipping to leg. Edwards also stroked 3x4, one fortuitous, one lofted over point & nice punch square, but in Lumsden's (lm) first, Edwards (16, 18b, 3x4) was bowled by an inswinger & two balls later one popped off just short of a length to Bushnell (4) which looped to gully, 59-3.

This became 60-4 in the 12^th when Bell (31,36b, 5x4) attempting a back foot drive edged a lifting ball to slip. There followed a vital rebuilding partnership of 45 between Adam Cragg & Rob Peyton as Lumsden & the sla of Stuart entered the attack. Lumsden's 7 overs to that point both over & round the wicket has conceded only 29 for his 3 wickets.

In Gavin Paton's first over the 24^th Cragg (15, 33b, 1x4) forward was lbw, 104-5 drinks were taken. Paton & Stuart continued as Peyton & Alexander concentrated. Perhaps some singles were missed in this period & the total rose slowly, 125 after 29 overs, as Stirling (ob) entered the attack.

Then in the 35^th having been dropped the over before, Rob Peyton (34, 75b 4x4) an important innings for the Bulls, drove Stirling to mid wicket,131-6. Two maidens followed & then in the 38^th Alexander (10, 39b, 1x4) edged a back foot drive off Paton to w/k Youlden, 133-7. 

In the 39^th a nerveless Nicky Phillips stroked Stuart past point for 4, Hamish Barrie (1) nudged the winning single from the 3^rd ball of the 40th over.

A good bowling & fielding performance & three partnerships of 37, 44 & 27 on a wicket of inconsistent bounce, saw the Bulls home. Burnmoor's defeat to Seaham Harbour sees  undefeated SN in top spot in the Premier Division by 18 points from Burnopfield on 83.

Onward to Sat 23rd May, SNCC v Felling (a) 50/50 win/lose from 1200, we hope you can be there.

Looking ahead:

Fri 22^nd May SNCC v Hetton Lyons (h) NEPL 1st X1T20 group C 3/4 (20/20) 1800.

Fri 29^th May SNCC v Philadelphia ((h) NEPL 1^st X1 T20 group C 4/4 (20/20) 1800.

Sat 30^th May SNCC v Burnopfield (a) NEPL Premier League, 110 overs, w/l/d, 1100. 

Sun 31^st May SNCC v Richmondshire (h) National Club Championship Group 2, round 2 1300, 40/40.

Duncan.