BULLS FALL TO DEFEAT AGAINST A DOMINANT CHESTER-LE-STREET. Sat 2 May 2026: NEPL Division 2: SNCC v Chester-le-Street (h) 100o win/lose

2nd May 2026

Chester-le Street 250-7 (50o) Matthew Cranston 86, Josh Metcalfe 40, Liam Simpson 38, Ethan Connolly 31*, Liam Colledge 16: Will Young 0-32, Allan Davidson 1-51, Danny Collins 1-30, Nicky Phillips 1-36, Hamish Barrie 1-32, Will Phillps 1-56.

SNCC 116ao (33.3o) Sam Ewart 19, Ben Sidney-Wilmot 33, Danny Collins 27: Liam Simpson 2-20, Gabriel Hughes-Pinan 2-23, Jack Harrison 1-28, Liam Colledge 0-16, Harry Simpson 2-18, Andrew Summers 1-3.

Chester-le-Street won by 134 runs - 24 points, SNCC 3.

A tough day for the 2's as the Cestrians, who chose to bat, racked up 250 based on significant contributions from Cranston (86), Metcalfe (40), Liam Simpson (38) & Connolly (31*) who all took advantage of variations of length, ran well & accelerated, scoring 70 in the last 10 overs. Good spells by Nicky, Hamish & Danny were not backed up. The ground fielding, Ru's athleticism at cover, Hamish's off his own bowling & two smart run outs in the last over from Allan & Ben, was good in parts, but two important dropped catches at 155 & 218 plus 18 wides relieved the pressure.

In contrast the Bulls slumped from 29-0 in the 8^th over to 32-5 11 balls later & despite resistance from Ben Sid (33) & Danny Collins (27) were tumbled out for 116 in the 32^nd over. Two run outs of the non striker at 29, the first wicket, & at 100, the 7th, compounded a below par display with the bat.

63 without loss after 11 overs included 11 wides, Metcalfe (31), Cranston (20) as Will Young & Allan Davidson toiled. Danny was unlucky that a tough overhead chance to square leg at 74 in the 14th by Metcalfe was unable to be taken but in his next Metcalfe (40, 45b, 6x4,1x6) played on aiming to cut, 82-1.

The over after drinks, in Hamish's 4^th, Harry Simpson (1) played back but was bowled, 92-2. Cranston edged past slip for 4 & then drove to long on for 6 to reach 50*. Five penalty runs when the ball hit the w/k's helmet was unfortunate but in Nicky's first, the 26th, Cook (7) edged to w/k Sam, 119-3.

127-3 after 30 overs as the off spin of Nicky & Hamish established some measure of control. Connolly ran well & Cranston launched straight for 6 in the 36th but was dropped on the long on boundary in the next, Will Phillips' third over,  second drinks were taken at 159 after 37 overs.

Cranston' s excellent innings of 86 (130b,9 x4,2 x6 ) ended at 167 as Nicky took a good low catch at long off, son Will the bowler. Liam Simpson & Connolly then accelerated in a partnership of 61. Liam survived a drop at deep mid wicket off Will P, then struck a 6 to mid wicket! His enterprising innings ended in the 49^th when Allan found a yorker to bowl him, LS (38,25b, 3x4 2x6), 228-5.

Despite a great stop by Nicky at long off, 20 were taken from the last two overs as Colledge (16) & Connolly (31* 58b) attacked & ran well. In the last, two smart runouts as first Allan collected on follow through, turned & threw down the bowler's stumps to  dismiss Colledge & last ball, from mid off, Ben Sid's direct hit to the bowler's end ran out G Harrison (0), the innings ending on 250-7 after 50 overs.

A challenging total but 5 an over was the target. 29 without loss in the 8^th  as San Ewart & Nick Tomlinson faced the seam of L Simpson (Park) & off spin of Gabriel Hughes-Pinan (Grove). Then sadly 5 wickets in 11 balls derailed the innings.

Nick (7) run out retreating to the non striker's end as the call for a single to short fine leg was turned down. Next over, first ball, Will Carr (0)  was bowled half forward to Liam Simpson, one ball later Will Phillips (0) lbw, low on the front foot. In Gabriel's next, ball two Sam (19) drove but was well caught over head high by Jack Harrison at mid on. Two balls later Hamish (0) was back & bowled, 31-5 after 10 overs. Catastrophe mes amis!!

Ru Fletcher & Ben Sid rebuilt carefully but in the 19^th Ru (5) was lbw to Harrison's full delivery, 55-6. Gabriel's 10-3-23-2 was exemplary. Liam Simpson had been equally accurate taking two wickets & conceding only 20 from 7 overs. Colledge was wayward as Ben struck boundaries straight & to mid wicket, 84-6 after 24 overs as Ben & Danny rebuilt.

Harry Simpson's leg spin began in over 26 from the Grove end. In his second Ben (33, 59b, 4x4) who had batted nicely, punching through cover, was run out, over half way down & unable to retreat to the non striker's end after his call for a single towards short fine leg was refused, 100-7.

Four overs later Nicky (2), on the back foot, played on to a Simpson leg break. In the next Danny (27, 41b, 1x4), who had shown some urgency, edged Summers (ob) to w/k Metcalfe, 111-9.

The end came in the next when Allan (1) drove a catch back to bowler Harry Simpson, 116 all out in only 33.3 overs.

Early days but clearly work to do on all fronts as the Bulls sit 9^th in Division 2 after three games.

Onward to Sat 9^th May SNCC v Hetton Lyons (a) 1200, 100 overs, win/lose and a chance to bounce back please.

Duncan.