BULLS TRIUMPH IN THE 100 BOWL WITH VICTORIES OVER SUNDERLAND & NEWCASTLE: OUTSTANDING FIELDING DISPLAY MAKES THE DIFFERENCE. Sun 28 June 2026:

28th Jun 2026

Sun 28 June 2026: NEPL Div 2 Bowl 100 Group H:

SNCC v Sunderland, SNCC v Newcastle (Ashbrooke)           

Sunderland 71-8 (100b) K Hutchinson 22, O Stokoe 10, W Mordue 10: Ben Hobbs 2-7, Will Phillips 1-9, Danny Collins 2-11, Nicky Phillips 2-5, George Gray 1-14, Leo Harper 0-14, Tom Hunter 2-9.

SNCC 76-1 (62b) Sam Ewart 49*, Angus Southern 15, Will Carr 4*: W Mordue 0-8, O Stokoe 0-5, K Hutchinson 0-21, H Yaqoob 0-13, O Miller 0-9, A Konka 1-4, J Winlow 0-7, A Arkley 0-8.

SNCC won by 9 wickets.

The Bulls gave 2^nd X1 debuts to Leo Harper & Tom Hunter at a sunny Ashbrooke as the hosts batted first. Danny Collins struck twice in the 5^th & 6^th sets of 5 balls, bowling J Winlow (6) & Stokoe (10), 21-2.

At 29 in the 10^th set Will Carr took a good catch, head high, at long on to dismiss Yaqoob (4) off Will Phillips. Haroon (1) edged George Gray to w/k Sam Ewart at 32 in the 12^th set. Tom Hunter saved a certain boundary diving at short fine leg to restrict the shot to a single.

Mordue (10) was bowled by Ben Hobbs in the 18^th set & 4 balls later Hutchinson (22) drove to deep point where Will Phillps took the catch, 63-6. Tom Hunter then took two wickets in the last two sets. Winlow (0) drove to deep point where Danny obliged & in the 20^th Miller (1) was bowled by a full delivery.

In reply Sam Ewart & Angus Southern stroked an opening partnership of 58 in 45 balls before Angus (15 ) skied to mid on off Konka. Will Carr joined Sam who had pulled & hooked anything remotely short of a length & finished the game after 62 balls pulling to backward square leg, Sam 49* (35b, 3x4, 3x6) Will Carr (4*)

SNCC 129-5 (100b) Sam Ewart 15, Angus Southern 15, Will Carr 31, Will Phillips 11, Ben Hobbs17*, Ben Sidney-Wilmot 18*: Charlie Darwood 0-22, Will McLaughlin 2-16, Rob Walker 0-23, Ahmed Khan 1-20, Chris Miller 1-29, Adam Moore 1-14.

Newcastle 96-8 (100b) Ahmed Khan 18, Stephen Pinnington 22, Chris Miller 19, Charlie Darwood 9, Nagendra Aleri 10*: Ben Hobbs 1-19, Will Phillips 1-30, Nicky Phillips 2-18, Danny Collins 1-21, George Gray 1-6.

SNCC won by 33 runs advance to 1/4 final.

Losing the toss the Bulls were asked to bat against Newcastle who had defeated Sunderland in the first game of the day. Sam & Angus faced the seam of Darwood & McLaughlin bowling 10 balls from the Pavilion end followed by Walker (ob) & Ahmed (rm) 10 balls from the Rugby end. This was the pattern all day.

A steady cross breeze blew from the Pavilion so hitting into it held the ball up & so it was in the 6^th set that Sam (15) lofted McLaughlin to Hutt at mid on, 24-1. Will Carr & Angus took  the total to 55 after 50 balls but then acceleration as 23 came from the next 10 balls, Will launching Walker straight for 6 & then sweeping for 4 to backward square leg.

In the next set Angus (15) lofted to long off with the wind where Miller took the catch off Khan, 71-2. Will Phillips struck 1 then 4 but in the next Will Carr (31, 19b, 4x4, 1x6), who had prospered to point, square leg, mid wicket & long on, drove Miller to mid off into the wind, 78-3, after 60 balls.

Will Phillips (11) swung a 6 to mid wicket but perished finding Hutt at long on off Mclaughlin, 87-4 after 70 balls. Danny (6) was bowled by Moore after 77 balls but there after Ben H & Ben S put together a vital partnership of 36*, running well,  Ben Sid striking a 6 to long on into the wind off McLaughlin & Ben H, a lovely cover drive for 4 off Miller.

129-5 after 100b, 17 runs from the last 10 balls, Ben H 17*, Ben S18*, bravo!

In reply Pinnington & Khan faced the seam of Ben H (Pavilion) & spin of Will then Nicky Phillips (Rugby). 25 without loss from 20 balls, 4x4 1x6. But at 30 Danny bowled Khan (18) a full delivery defeating his swing !. George persuaded Dawson (3) to ramp to short fine leg where Leo took a neat catch, 37-2.

George then bowed 8 dots balls in succession, a remarkable statistic in this form of cricket, still 37-2 after 40 balls. Pinnington (22) swung Will for 6 to mid wicket but perished one ball later as George made good ground in from deep square leg to dive forward & take a splendid catch, 45-3.

52-3 at half way but after 60 balls George again conceded only 4 from 10 balls, 56-3. A little acceleration but then two wickets for Nicky in 4 balls as first Walker (6) drove hard & high to long on where Will Carr took a very good catch tumbling as he did so. Then Will Phillips followed suit at deep mid wicket as the left handed Miller (19) swung hard for Will to move in & take a very good catch diving forward !! CATCHES WIN MATCHES !!

Two run outs followed as first Poll (1) could not make a second as Leo's throw to Sam defeated him &  then as Danny scrambled to save the on drive by Hutt, Angus gathered at long on & Ben Sid ran 15 yards to effect  the run out of Darwood (9) at the bowler's end, magnificent teamwork & awareness !

85-7 with only 10 balls remaining. In the last Ben H bowled Hutt (1) Newcastle ended 96-8, the Bulls victorious by 33 runs. A triumph for positive stroke play, good running but especially very good fielding & catching.

Onward to Bowl 100 ¼ final on Friday 7^th August v Burnmoor (a), we hope you can be there, it is bound to be exciting.

Duncan.