BULLS REMAIN UNBEATEN WITH DEFEAT OF CASTLE EDEN: SOL BELL REACHES A MAGNIFICENT 1000 LEAGUE RUNS IN 2026.
29th August 2026
BULLS HIGHEST EVER LEAGUE TOTAL & WINNING MARGIN AT CASTLE EDEN. Sat 29 Aug 2026: NEPL Div 2: SNCC v Castle Eden (a) 50/50 win/lose
29th Aug 2026
SNCC 380-7 (50o) David Edwards 127, Will Phillips 61, Ben Hobbs 33, Hamish Barrie 47*, Ru Fletcher 42: C Tudball 1-64, C Defty 2-55, R Ede 2-61,T Gorham 1-67, O Jackson 0-42, H Banks 0-40, A Peart 0-24, J Renshaw 0-11.
Castle Eden 102-9 (23.2o) T Gorham 16, A Peart 13, R Ede 38*, C Tudball 11: Ru Fletcher 1-17, Will Young 3-8, Nicky Phillips 2-51, Will Phillips 2-23, Ben Sidney-Wilmot 1-1.
SNCC won by 278 runs - 24 points, Castle Eden 3.
On a warm day at Parklands the Bulls built their highest ever total with David Edwards striking an outstanding 127, supported by Will P (61), Hamish (47*) Ben H (33) & Ru (42) assisted by 10 dropped catches & the loss of J Douthwaite to a finger injury mid way through the Bulls innings.
Winning the toss the Bulls chose to bat, a short legside boundary on one side. Edwards & Ewart faced the seam of C Tudball & C Defty. A partnership of 55 for the first wicket but then in over 11, Ede's first, Sam (15) edged to w/k O Tudball.
Nick (0) seemed unlucky to be adjudged lbw off an inside edge in the next over, 56-2. There followed the highest 3rd wicket partnership of the season for any team between David & Will P of 152 in 16 overs. David scoring heavily off the back foot through cover & Will driving & pulling with abandon.
Change bowlers Ede & Gorham, spinners Jackson, Peart & Banks all suffered as variations of length were punished. David got to 100* with a single to deep cover off Peart in the 28th over. Then at 208 in the 29th over Will (6,47b 9x4,1x6) was bowled by a good one that nipped back from C Tudball. Around this time J Douthwaite suffered a finger injury & departed to hospital.
Olly (14) had batted nicely but at 253 in the 34th he flicked a catch to square leg off Gorham. In the next over David (127, 109b, 16x4, 2x6) was bowled by Ede aiming to drive straight. A redemptive innings that will have restored confidence after a lean spell in the first team, 253-5.
But the run rate did not slacken as Hamish & Ben produced a partnership of 53 in 7 overs before Ben (33, 25b 4x4) was optimistic in calling for two & unable to beat the throw to the w/k 's end, 306-6.
Hamish & Ru plundered further as the opening bowlers returned putting together a partnership of 67 for the 7th wicket, another highest for SN in 2026, until Ru (42, 28b 3x4, 2x6) who had driven straight well, was bowled by Defty aiming a big shot to leg in the 49th over, 373-7.
The innings closed at 380 with Hamish (47*40b 6x4) a proactive knock with runs to all points especially cover & long on, Ben Sid 1*.
In reply Dunn & Renshaw faced the seam of Ru Fletcher & Will Young. 7 from the first but two wickets quickly as Renshaw (4) drove Will Y to Will P at cover & in the next Dunn (2) was bowled by Ru, top of off stump. 9-2 became 15-3 in over 6 as O Tudball was lbw sweeping Will Y.
A steadying partnership of 32 between Gorham & Peart ended at 47 when Gorham (16) was lbw to Nicky bowling around the wicket, sweeping, 4 down. Peart had batted solidly but in over 16 he was lbw to Nicky playing forward, 60-5.
Ede was positive striking Nicky straight for 4,6 then in his, next 6, 4 & in between 4, 1 off Will P. The Phillips's bowled overs 10-21 taking 4 wickets as in over 19 C Tudball (11) was bowled by one from Will P that seemed to keep low, 86-6.
Jackson (2) succumbed lbw to Nicky in the 21st sweeping again, 98-7. The end was nigh, Defty (1) lobbed back to a Ben Sid off break in the 23rd over & in the next Will Young bowled Banks (0), finishing with an impressive 3-8 from 4.2 overs. Ede (38*28b 3x4 3x6), a most positive innings, ran out of partners.
The threatened rain did not materialise but getting the spinners on early worked. A win by 278 runs, the largest winning margin ever achieved. The 2nd X1 maintain their third place in Div 2 behind Chester-le-Street & Newcastle.
Onward to:
Sat 5 Sept SNCC v Tynedale (a) 1130, 50/50, win/lose.
Sun 6 Sept SNCC v Whitburn (a) Roseworth Trophy final 20/20 from 1330 as the Bulls seek their third cup success of 2026.
Sat 12 Sept SNCC v Benwell Hill (h) 1130, 50/50, win/lose, the last league game.
Sat 19 Sept Presentation & Awards night at SNCC from 1800.
We do hope you can join them as the season closes.
Duncan.