BULLS MARCH ON WITH 8 WICKET WIN AT HETTON LYONS. Sat 25 July 2026: NEPL Premier Division: SNCC v Hetton Lyons (a) 110o

25th Jul 2026

Hetton Lyons 123ao (35o) Chris Winn 25, Valentine Kitime 17, Hamza Tahir 25*: Jonny Wightman 2-33, Jonny Bushnell 1-14, George Drissell 4-21, Calum Fletcher 3-20, Oli McGee 0-19.

SNCC 127-2 (28.4o) Chris Hewison 48, Sol Bell 50, George Drissell 14* Jonny Bushnell 12*: Oliver Watt 0-37, Hamza Tahir 0-33, Robert Talbot 0-16, Cameron Grimwood 1-26, Chris Ralston 1-12.

SNCC won by 8 wickets - 23 points, Hetton Lyons 0.

After overnight rain, a cloudy day at Lilywhite Terrace, but a dry outfield, the wicket pitched centrally, brown at the ends but green in the middle, the Bulls won the toss & chose to field. Jarvis Clay (rh) & Chris Ralston (rh) faced  the swing of Jonny Wightman (Pavilion) & seam of Jonny Bushnell (scorebox). Two maidens to begin enlivened by 4 byes, w/k Rob Peyton standing up to Wightman.

Then in the third Clay (4) stroked a boundary but was lbw to Jonny next ball, half forward , 8-1. Many dots then boundaries to Winn two & Ralson one in three overs but in the 6^th Ralston's (4) back foot force, edged Bushy to w/k Rob Peyton; 22-2, 4x4 plus 4 byes.

After 10 overs the total was 33-2, Winn 20* Ferguson 5*. Then, with the last ball of the 11^th over, Wightman bowled Ferguson (5), the away swing hitting the off stump to become the most wicket taking seam bowler in NEPL history on 583, overtaking his friend Matty Muchall  on 582 by one: the Lyons 37-3. 

George Drissell (ob) entered the attack in over 12 from the scorebox end & in his second Winn (25, 36b 5x4) advanced, but missed & was stumped by w/k Rob Peyton. 47-4. In the next over Kitime struck 3x4 off Wightman to square leg & mid wicket off the front foot &  with 4 leg byes, the total rose to 59-4.

Calum Fletcher then took two wickets in his first over, the 17th. Talbot (3) edged ball one to w/k Rob. Kitime (17,10b, 4x4) was bowled though the gate from ball 4, 71-6. In the next Walker (0) was bowled by George, 71-7, after 20 overs the Lyons were 74-7. There was a bit in the wicket.

This became for 84-8 in the 23^rd as Dixon (3) forward, was bowled by Calum. Some respite as Tahir & Grimwood battled. Oli McGee entered the attack in over 24. Tahir became more adventurous driving 4,2,1 off Calum & 4,3 off Oli, Grimwood joining in with 4,2,2 so 102-8 after 28 overs. George re entered the attack in over 29 from the Pavilion end & he & Oli bowled the remaining 6 overs.

In over 31 Grimwood (12) beaten on the outside edge, was bowled by George, 111-9. Singles to Tahir but Watt struck 2x4 until he was bowled by George from the final ball of the 35^th over, Watt (8), Tahir (25*32b 2x4), 123 all out. 

In reply Chris Hewison & Sol Bell faced the right arm seam of Watt (scorebox) & slow left arm of Tahir (Pavilion). Singles in the first 5 overs then a maiden to Tahir, 12 without loss after 6 overs.

In the 9^th Watt suffered 4 overthrows as the throw to the bowler'a  end escaped the fielder at mid on & then 2x4 to Sol conceding 14 in total, 33-0. Talbot (rm) bowled two overs from the  scorebox end but couldn't find a length & was pulled & driven conceding 16 , 52 without loss, Hewey 20*,Sol 22*.

Watt returned from the Pavilion end conceding 2 but in Tahir's next, from the scorebox end,  Hewey took a magnificent 20- the sequence - dot,6 ,4, dot, 6, 4 - awesome, all hit with power, straight, into the field or to mid wicket, 74 -0 after 18 overs. 

In Grimwood's (sla) first over, the 17th, Sol drove for 4. In the next, Watt conceded boundaries to both batters. In the 20th Sol drove Ralston for 4 but in the next Grimwood enticed Hewey (48, 52b, 5x4, 2x6) who advanced to drive, missed & was stumped by w/k Clay. 98-1, the highest opening stand of the season to date between Hewey & Sol, another significant contribution by the skipper in quick time.

Two maidens in three overs followed as George settled. Sol moved to his half century  with a single to leg off Grimwood in the 25th. George followed with 2 then 4 in the same over. But in the next Sol (50, 82b, 6x4) was bowled by Ralston nipping one back a long way. 797 runs for Sol in the league to date the Premier league's leading run scorer. There are targets to aim for now !!

George (14*,27b, 2x4) & Bushy (12*, 11b, 1x4) saw the Bulls home comfortably in three more overs, Grimwood conceding 5 , Ralston 6 & then Grimwood 6, including a final boundary from Bushy to long off earning the extra point. The Bulls finished on 127-2, 23 points for the win & a 79 point gap between them & second place Burnopfield, who defeated Burnmoor away, with 7 league games to go, 5 of which are at home.

A day to celebrate Jonny Wightman's achievement, to recognise his fitness, determination & abiding skill, 28 league wickets to date, second only to George, also with 28 wickets, Jonny aiming for 600. Calum with 25 wickets in 5^th position. 

Sol 797 league runs to date (50x 5, 100x2), two short of is best 799 in 2022, also with 7 games to go. Hewy going strong on 420, George (314), Bushy (341), Adam (198) providing strength in depth. 

A demanding schedule ahead beginning with:

Fri 31^st July Banks Salver 100 SNCC v Ashington (a) from 1800

Sat 1^st Aug NEPL Premier Div: SNCC v Newcastle (h) 110o from 1100, win/lose/draw

Sat 8^th Aug NEPL Premier Div: SNCC v Felling (h) 110o from 1100, win/lose/draw.

Sun 9^th Aug Regional T20 final SNCC, Harrogate, winner of Richmondshire/Barnard Castle & winner of New Farnley/Woodlands (at Harrogate), draw yet to be made- 2 semi finals from c 1100 & c 1400, one final from c 1700. 

It could get exciting!! We hope you can be there.