BULLS DEFEAT FELLING TO RETAIN PREMIER DIVISION LEADERSHIP. CRUCIAL BELL & CRAGG PARTNERSHIP OF 97.

22nd May 2026

Felling 181ao (49o) Alasdair Appleby 25, Eddie Hurst 41, Hugo Knowles 36, Paul Leonard 20: Jonny Wightman 2-34, Jonny Bushnell 1-33, Calum Fletcher 3-38, Oli McGee 1-19, Nathan Gough 2-9, Nicky Phillips 1-35.

SNCC 184-6 (44o) Sol Bell 71, Jonny Bushnell 18, Adam Cragg 46, Rob Peyton 13*, Oli McGee 17*: Paul Leonard 2-23, Tom Slane 1-21, Hugo Knowles 0-23, Elliot Fox 1-65, Jim Twiddy 2-26, Alasdair Appleby 0-24.

SNCC won by 4 wickets- 24 points, Felling 5.

At a sunny High Heworth Lane the Bulls chose to field. Appleby & Easton faced the seam of Wightman (Pavilion) & Bushnell (Trees). An eventful first 9 overs as Appleby pulled & cut 5x4, three difficult chances were not taken & then at 31 in the 10^th Appleby (25, 34b,5x4) was bowled by Calum Fletcher as he aimed to pull a ball too full to do so.

In the next over Twiddy (1) edged Wighters to w/k Rob Peyton standing up & next ball Robinson (0) playing back, was lbw , 33-3. At 55 in the 15^th Bushy, now from the Pavilion end bowled Mustard (12) with a good one that seamed in.

Three overs later Easton (12) was lbw to McGee sweeping. The scoring rate had dropped, only 8 runs in 6 overs during which in the 21^st Slane (0) was bowled by Calum, with one that nipped back.

Hurst & Stamper were positive but in the 25^th Rob, standing up to Calum, produced another magical piece of leg side stumping  to dismiss Stamper (6), 86-7. To their credit Felling fought back as Hurst & Knowles put together a partnership of 48 as Nicky, Bushy & Oli sought a breakthrough; Oli's a miserly spell 10-1-19-1.

After two Knowles boundaries in the 35th, in the 37th, Nathan's first, Hurst (41, 65b, 4x4 1x6) edged for w/k Rob to take the catch, 134-8. Knowles & Leonard were resolute but in Nathan's 4^th Knowles (36, 57b, 3x4) was lbw playing back to one that kept a little low.

Another battling partnership of 21 between Leonard & Fox ended at 181 in the 49^th when Leonard (20, 42b, 3x4) was bowled by Nicky. A good effort from the depths of 86-7 at half way.

Wickets amid good spells for all the bowlers, pleasing to see Nathan bouncing back with 2-9 from 4 overs.

In reply Hewison & Bell faced the seam of Leonard & Slane. After two wides, Hewison (0) was lbw on the front foot to a Leonard in swinger. In the next Edwards (2) aimed to drive Slane but edged to Mustard at 1^st slip, 7-2. W/k Hurst standing up & the ball swinging made run scoring not quite so easy.

Knowles (rm) & Fox (rm) entered the attack & in the 12^th Bushnell's (18, 26b, 2x4) square drive was caught by Twiddy at point off Fox, 45-3. There followed another dynamic & exhilarating partnership of 97, only 32 in boundaries, between the athletes Bell & Cragg as the right/left combination evoked memories of Sheffield Collegiate in 2025, by finding the gaps, rotating the strike & running very well.

In the 34^th Cragg (46,69b, 6x4) playing back edged Leonard to w/k Hurst standing up, 142-3. Slane, Leonard & the off spin of Appleby sought another breakthrough but Peyton & Bell were resolute until at 166 in the 40th Sol (71, 114b, 7x4) a fine innings, missed one that went straight on from the sla of Twiddy. Three balls later Nathan (0) playing back, was also bowled, 166-5. Rob struck Appleby's off spin for 2x4 straight & steered to backward point.

Oli entered, Rob defended, Oli struck Fox for 4 & two overs later for 3x4 to win the game. Rob (13*, 2x4) Oli (17*, 4x4). A very good chase, the second in two days. Burnmoor's defeat by Seaham Harbour sees the Bulls go top of the Premier League by 18 points from Burnopfield.

Onward to:

Fri 29 May: NEPL 1^st X1 T20 SNCC v Philadelphia (h) 1800 20/20.

Sat 30 May: SNCC v Burnopfield (a) 110 overs, win/lose/draw from 1100.

Sun 31 May: National Club Championship Gp 2 Round 2

                            SNCC v Richmondshire (h) 40/40 from 1300.

Do come along, excitement guaranteed.

Duncan.