BULLS NINE WICKET WIN AT THE HILL, SOL BELL BREAKS NEPL PREMIER DIVISION RUN SCORING RECORD.

12th Sep 2026

Sat 12 Sept 2026, NEPL Premier Division:

                                 SNCC v Benwell Hill (a) 50/50 win/ lose.

Benwell Hill 291-7 (50o) David Christie 141, Adam Heather 16, Sam Dinning 17, Aaryan Wagh 17, Joe Fletcher 32, Woody Wilson 36*: Jonny Wightman 3-66, Jonny Bushnell 0-55, Calum Fletcher 1-63, Oli McGee 0-47, George Drissell 2-30, Will Phillips 1-27.

SNCC 292-1 (42.4o) Chris Hewison 53, Sol Bell 124*, George Drissell 106*: Woody Wilson 0-74, Max Williamson 0-62, Abubakar Siddique 0-42, Lee Crozier 1-43, Aaron Armstrong 0-35, David Christie 0-32.

SNCC won by 9 wickets- 24 points, Benwell Hill 4.

And so it came to pass on the last day of the 2026 league season that Sol Bell (25), on 1008 at start of play, needing 95 to pass by one run, the NEPL run scoring record of Tom Latham (1102 in 2010), the current New Zealand test match captain, being chased by Mandeep Singh (Castle Eden), John Oswell (Burnopfield) & David Christie (Benwell Hill), should, in company with Chris Hewison (53), 111 for  the first wicket, then George Drissell (106*) 181* undefeated for the second wicket, finish on 124 * & take the record by 30 runs ending his league season on 1132 runs, a major contributor to the Bulls 16th NEPL Premier Division title. C'est magnifique mes amis !!!

A flat wicket at the Hill, a tad towards the car park, augured well. The sun shone the hosts, without bowlers Cant & Watson & w/k bat Rory Mustard, chose to bat. David Christie & Phil Bell faced the swing of Jonny Wightman (houses) & Jonnny Bushnell (Road). Christie on form, 4 to fine leg, 6x2 to cover & deep backward square in over 2 but then a wicket as Phil Bell (0) aiming to punch off the back foot, edged to George at second slip off Wighters in over 3, 17-1.

Enter Adam Heather once of this parish & 2x4 cover driven off Wighters in overs three & five. But in over 9 Adam (16, 21b,3x4) aiming to leg, seemed unhappy to be adjudged lbw to Wighters, 58-2. In the previous over, Calum's first, Christie had driven straight for 6 to the road, 63-2 after 10 overs.

Seam bowling was taking some punishment & the total had risen to 102 after 20 overs, Christie 58* in company with Sam Dinning, 15*, also once of this parish. Overs 21 to 38 were bowled by the spin of McGee & Drissell & with it came a degree of control.

In over 24 Dinning (17) aiming to drive through the offside was bowled by George, the ball spinning to hit middle & leg, 110-3. Another SN old boy Aaryan Wagh joined Christie & the pair pushed on to take the total to 133 after 30 overs.

Then at 151 in the 34^th, one over after Oli had conceded 12, Wagh (17, 30b 2x4) aiming to pull George, lobbed to cover where Adam obliged, 4 down. Oli & George continued & Christie reached a splendid 100* in over 39 as Wightman returned. From the next 10 balls Christie scored 27.

Wighters was pulled to the car park conceding 4,6,6 & in the next Will Phillips driven over Westgate Road by some distance 2x6, then 4,4 to square leg but from ball 5 Will dug one in & Christie (141, 139b, 10x4, 8x6) mistimed the drive, lobbing back to a grateful Will, 218-5, a sumptuous innings, an important wicket.

Joe Fletcher & Woody Wilson continued to attack building a partnership of 40 for the  6^th wicket in 6 overs when Fletcher (32,27b, 5x4)  was caught by Sol at long off, Calum the bowler.

Wilson (36*, 27b 3x6 1x4) drove straight 2x6 & by the end of  the 50^th over  the total had reached 291-7 as Williamson (4) was bowled by a Wighters yorker, Abu Siddique 5*.

The slower bowlers 22 overs going for 104, seam for the rest. 17 wides helped the hosts.

In reply Chris Hewison & Sol Bell were faced by the seam of Wilson (houses) & spin of Williamson (road). Hewey pulled for 4 twice in over one to set the tone. Then drove straight 2x4 in over 5. Sol followed up with 2x4 in over 6 driving Williamson through cover, 41-0.

77 without loss after 10 overs Hewey 39* Sol 31*. The evergreen Lee Crozier once a very significant part of the SN parish, began a 10 over spell in over 11 following Abu Siddique in over 8, both exerted some sort of control. Strike rotation kept the board moving. Chris & Sol reached 50* in the same Crozier over, the 17th.

Then at 111 from the first ball of the 19th Chris (53, 53b, 9x4) mistimed Lee to mid off where Phil Bell took the catch. Armstrong's three overs of leg breaks were punished by George, his third conceding 20 as 6,2,4,6,1 were plundered, mostly straight. 154-1 after 24 overs, Sol 66* George 31*.

Christie (rm) w/k up, began a spell in the 26^th then in the next George drove Crozier straight for 6. George reached 51* as Williamson returned in over 30, Sol 84* 194-1.

Risk free batting but singles only & then in over 35 Christie conceded 4,  Sol pulling to mid wicket then driving to extra cover for 3 to reach the record at 96*. Applause rang out from the pavilion. In the next, a steer for three to backward square leg off Williamson, got Sol to 100*.

Two overs later George drove Williamson to long off for 6 then through cover for 4 getting to 83*, 246-1 after 38 overs. Wilson returned & conceded 9. 12 from the next as 4 byes preceded 2x4 to Sol. Wilson was swung for 6 into the car park by George in over 41. In the next he reached a deserved 100* with two to mid wicket off Siddique. 

The end was nigh, 9 from the 42^nd over as Sol drove for 4 off the back foot to cover then George steering to third man 2x2 to win the game after 4 balls of the 43^rd over. 

Sol 124* (126b, 17x4), George 106* (76b 8x4, 5x6) an undefeated partnership of 181, the best second wicket partnership at SNCC in 2026.  Consummate & masterful opined a most knowledgeable Hill member.

So 501 points for the Bulls as NEPL Premier Division champions, which is a record points total surpassing that of Stockton in 2013 on 487.

We will celebrate the season on Sat 19^th Sept in the Indoor Centre from 1830. We hope you can be there as we say thank you to, & recognise the achievements of, so many people who have been central to the Club's success in 2026.

Duncan.