BULLS BATTLE BUT BURNMOOR TAKE THE HONOURS.
5th September 2026
BULLS WIN ROSEWORTH TROPHY TO CLAIM THIRD CUP SUCCESS OF 2026. Sun 6 Sept 2026: Roseworth Trophy final: SNCC v Whitburn (a) 20/20.
6th Sep 2026
Whitburn 137-9 (20o) Zac Smith 24, Mark Elliott 17. Elliott Hearn 13, Will Shields 11: Will Phillips 2-16, Joseph Dresser 0-19, Nicky Phillips 0-24, Danny Collins 2-29, Ru Fletcher 4-30, Ben Hobbs 0-15.
SNCC 139-1 (16.3o) Sam Ewart 31, Nick Tomlinson 50*, Angus Southern 46*: Phil Shakespeare 0-25, Elliott Hearn 0-24, Zac Smith 0-26, Mark Elliott 1-25, Huw Morgan 0-26, Chris Dorothy 0-6.
SNCC won by 9 wickets.
The records suggest that the SNCC 2nd X1 have never won three trophies in a single season before so at showery Whitburn the team put on a consummate display amid difficult bowling & fielding conditions with rain falling for at least 8 overs of the first innings of Whitburn who were invited to bat.
Grateful thanks to both teams & to umpires Mordue & Perry for wanting to get the game on.
Whitburn openers Zac Smith & Paul Shields faced the spin of Will Phillips (road) & seam of Joseph Dresser (trees). A dab for 2, a push for one but from ball 3 Shields (0) failed to beat Nicky's throw from short third man to Will P & was run out.
In Will's second Hearn (5) seemed unhappy to be given out as the ball ballooned of a bat/pad caught by w/k Sam, 15-2. In the greasy conditions, a couple of uncharacteristic misfields as Smith & Elliott pushed on. Joseph three tidy overs for 19, Will two for only 8.
Nicky (road) & Danny (trees) took up the attack & it was Danny in over 8, his first, who persuaded Smith (24 28b, 2x4 1x6) aiming to leg, to sky a leading edge which w/k Sam caught running 10 yards towards mid off, 49-3.
In his next M Elliott (17) pulled to mid wicket where Angus took a good low catch, 54-4 at halfway. Danny's fielding off his own bowling exemplary.
Nicky's 4 over spell conceded only 24 but it was Ru in his first from the same road end, who took the next wicket as Will Shields (11) skied a pull to short fine leg for Nicky to move in and complete the catch, 74-5.
Ben Sid, moving in quickly, could not cling on to a chance at long on & it was Quinan who showed intent hitting Danny straight for 6 then pulling to square leg for 4 & in Ru's second taking 2,4,4 on the legside,100-5 after 15 overs.
Ben Hobbs suffered in his single over but Will P returned in over 17 to persuade Quinan (41, 20b 5x4 2x6) to launch to deep mid wicket where Will Carr waited & completed a good catch, 122-6.
Two wickets for Ru, now from the trees end, in the 18th over. Dorothy (0) was bowled & 4 balls later E Hearn (13) drove to Angus at extra cover. In the last over Mallaby (2) swung Ru to Angus at deep mid wicket & his safe hands did the rest, 131-9, the innings ending at 139-9. For a good 8 overs the rain had fallen so this was a commendable effort by bowlers & fielders.
The Bulls reply began in drizzle. A blistering start by Sam Ewart & Nick Tomlinson saw the total rocket to 53 after 4 overs. Shakespeare (trees) & E Hearn (road) suffered as Sam stroked straight for 6 then to wide long on for 4 in the second over.
In Shakespeare's second Nick took 2,4 then Sam drove a 6 over cover & pulled 4 to fine leg. In the next over Nick struck consecutive 6's off Hearn to long on &mid wicket, 53-0 after 4 overs.
Zac Smith (rm trees) was lively & Mark Elliott (ob road) controlled putting a break on the scoring & then in over 7, after a catch by the w/k was ruled a no ball for having too few fielders in the ring, 4 balls later Dan Quinan suffered a serious facial injury in attempting to take a catch at deep mid wicket which seemed to divert off a branch & through his outstretched hands. He went to hospital, we wish him well.
On resumption Sam (31, 22b, 3x4, 2x6) lofted to long on off Elliott where Morgan took the catch, 71-1 in the 8th over Nick 33*.
Angus cut Elliott for 4, swept for 2 & drove Smith straight for 6. Nick cut Elliott for behind square for 4 to get to 37*. 97-1 after 11overs. Angus drove Elliott again for 6 straight, imperious!
Morgan (rm trees) & Dorothy (ob) road took up the attack. But there as o let up as Angus cut again for 4 & Nick swung effortlessly for 6 to mid wicket, 126-1 after 15 overs.
The end came in the 17th as Nick pushed for 1 to get to 50* then Angus drove to mid wicket for 4 & next ball drove Morgan straight handsomely for 6 to win the game after 3 balls of that over, Nick 50* Angus 46*, a nine wicket win.
So a time to celebrate as the Bulls 2nd X1 claimed their third cup success of 2026, a feat not achieved in this reporter's SNCC memory (1971).
Onward to the final league game of 2026:
Sat 12 Sept: SNCC v Benwell Hill (h) 1130, 50/50, win/lose.
Hoping to finish on a high in a league season, that, although in third place in Division 2, has not quite lived up to expectations.
We must continue !!
Duncan.