BULLS ON TOP AT LEADERS CHESTER-LE-STREET BUT CESTRIANS HOLD OUT. Sat 18 July 2026: NEPL Div 2: SNCC v Chester-le-Street (a) 110o win/lose/d

18th Jul 2026

SNCC 197ao (52o) Ben Hobbs 71, Nathan Gough 16, Will Phillips 15, Ru Fletcher 14, Hamish Barrie 22, Nicky Phillips 23: Sam Hood 4-53, Andrew Bell 1-30, Gabriel Hughes-Pinan 1-19, Charlie Armstrong 0-26, Matt Burdon 1-27, Josh Metcalfe 3-36.

Chester-le-Street 106-7 (46o) Matt Burdon 18, Andrew Summers 41, Andrew Bell 14*: Nathan Gough 3-24, Sam Lee 2-8, Danny Collins 1-17, James Lunn 0-20, Nicky Phillips 1-16, Hamish Barrie 0-1, Will Phillips 0-13.

SNCC winning draw 16 points, Chester-le-Street losing draw 8 .

A rain delayed start at Ropery Lane & an overs reduction to 52/46. The hosts chose to field on a dampish outfield that dried quickly. Ben Hobbs & George Gray faced  the brisk seam of Ui5 Sam Hood & away swing of Andrew Bell.

Ben stroked a boundary in over but in over three George (1) edged Hood to first slip where Cranston took the catch, chest high, 5-1, the start of 4 consecutive maidens. Nathan then stroked Hood through cover & to mid wicket & Ben joined in through cover, 18-1 after 7 overs.

Gabriel Hughes-Pinan began a spell in the 9^th then three overs later at 30 Nathan (16, 22b 3x4) edged Bell low to w/k Metcalfs right. In the same over Ben hit his 4th boundary. Will Phillips stroked 2x4 to cover & mid wicket in the 14^th & one more in the 16th. Ben stroked his 5^th cover boundary in the 18^th but in the next Will (15, 25b 3x4) was very well caught by Allen running around the deep mid wicket boundary, taking the chance in one hand ! 55-3.

Bell finished his 10 over spell & was replaced by the off spin of Armstrong in tandem with GH-P. Ben pushed singles then in 27^th Hood returned & persuaded Ru (14, 29b 1x4) to drive but the mistimed shot lobbed to mid off, 81-4.

Hamish & Ben then fashioned a partnership of 43 running well as Hood, Armstrong & Burdon sought a breakthrough. Ben swept his 7^th & 8th boundaries in over 32 off Armstrong (ob) & got to 50* with a single off Burdon in the 36th. The total had risen to 124 in the 38^th when Hamish (22, 37b 1x4) went back to Burdon & was bowled, 5 down.

Ben accelerated taking 3x2 &1x4 in overs 39, 40 & 4i from Burdon & Metcalfe (ob).Then in the 43rd drove Metcalfe straight for 6 to the car park but next ball succumbed, playing fully forward expecting spin but the ball beat the outside edge & bowled him. Ben (71, 126b, 9x4,1x6) a vigil of concentration, coming through the difficult early overs to blossom through cover & later sweeping, when the opportunity arose, 149-6

Sadly this was the beginning of the loss of three wickets for 4 runs in three overs as Danny (0) was bowled by Metcalfe playing back & Lunny (0) likewise in the 45th, 153-8. Ben Sid drove to mid on for 4 & with Nicky, stroking through cover, mid on & mid wicket, developed a partnership of 34 for the 9th wicket as Hood returned for a third, 4 over spell.

Nicky's enterprising knock (23, 24b 3x4) ended 187 in the at 51^st bowled  by Hood. In the last Ben Sid launched Hood for 6 to forward square leg, then 2,1 until Sam Lee (0) drove the last ball of the innings to mid off where Bell took the catch off Hood, 4 wickets for him; 197 all out having  used the overs available. Ben Sid (26*,29b 1x4,1x6) looking in touch, guiding the team to a competitive total.

In reply Metcalfe (lh) & Allen (lh) faced  the seam of Nathan Gough (lm) & Sam Lee (rm). A wicket in over one as Goughy bounced one which Metcalfe gloved down the  legside for w/k Ben Sid to take a good catch at head height.

In Sam's second Allen (5) driving, edged low to Ben Sid's left & the w/k took a good low catch, 8-2. Two maidens followed then in the 10^th Cranston (5) was bowled by Sam hitting the top of middle stump as the ball swung in 16-3. A super delivery amid a really good 6 over spell from Sam 6-2-8-2 in a nice rhythm, accurate & controlled. Harrison (2*) became injured & retired not out in the 13^th over.

Danny began in over 14 & then in the next Cook (5) flashed edging Nathan to w/k Ben Sid diving low to his left in front of first slip, 33-4. Not to be outdone Danny got one to bounce to Gabriel Hughes-Pinan & he too edged to Ben Sid, who took his 4^th catch with aplomb. When was the last time the league leaders were 33-5 after16 overs?

Matt Burdon & Andrew Summers resisted. The total rose slowly as seam gave way to the off spin of James Lunn & Nicky Phillips, 55-5 after 26 overs  but, despite an attacking field, perhaps not the length or fizz required to secure a breakthrough. At 73 in the 34^th Burdon (18) drove Nicky to Lunny at mid off, 74-6.

The experience of Bell & Summers showed in rock solid defence, Hamish three overs, Will Phillips two, 86-6 after 35 overs, 6 maidens in 8 overs. Gough & Lunn  returned prompting a flurry of boundaries & then in penultimate over Summers (41, 95b 5x4) a captain's innings, aimed to cut Gough but edged for Ben Sid to take his 5^th catch ending a partnership of 29 in 11 overs.

Andrew Bell (14* 35b 3x4) was there at the end, the draw achieved. The innings ended at 106-7 after 46 overs. A winning draw for the Bulls 16 points, a losing one for CLS 8 points.

Ben Hobbs' batting & Sam Lee's bowling, supported by Danny, stand out in a good team display against the league leaders. Just a pity one or two batters could not go on in support of Ben H.

This result sees the Bulls retain third place in Div 2 on 255 points having played 14, behind Newcastle (274) in second & leaders CLS on 303, all with 8 games to go.

Onward to:

Mon 20th July NEPL 2nd X1 T20 ¼ final SNCC v  Benwell Hill (h) 1800 20/20.

Sat 25 July NEPL Div 2 SNCC v Hetton Lyons (h) 110, win/lose/draw from 1100.

We hope you can be there.

Duncan.