ACADEMY DOMINATE IN WIN OVER BENWELL HILL.

10th Jun 2025

                      ACADEMY DOMINATE IN WIN OVER BENWELL HILL.

NEPL Sunday First Division 1^st June 2025: SNCC v Benwell Hill (h) 40/40.

Benwell Hill 63ao (33.2o) Rasid Shad 10, Matthew Hynd 17, Gabriel Mellor 8: Varun Gudipati 3-21, Will Young  1-3, George McConnell 2-11, Archit Upadhye 1-18, Andrew Doig 2-5.

SNCC 64-4 (16.3o) Angus Southern 29, Andrew Doig 16: Gabriel Mellor 0-17, Ayush Chakraborty 3-23, Taylor Matthews 1-18.

SNCC won by 6 wickets - 25 points, Benwell Hill 7.

Giving young players in both teams experience, a shower just before the start persuaded the Bulls to ask the Hill to bat. Rashid Shad & Ayush Chakraborty faced the seam of Varun Gudipati (Grove) & Will Young (Park).

Two maidens in the first 4 overs set the tone. Shad hit 2x4 in over 5 but in the 7^th Shad (9) miscued high towards mid wicket where bowler Varun followed through some 10 yards to take the catch, 16-1. In the next Chakraborty (0) defending, was bowled by Will Young, 17-2.

In over 11 George McConnell struck with his second delivery from around the wicket as Liam Hynd (0) lost his off stump, 18-3. George repeated the dose in over 15 bowling Patel (7) off stump & in the next, Archit Upadhye's (leg breaks) second, Halyadde (7) swung & missed to be bowled, 28-5.

At drinks the visitors were 41-5, 20 overs which included 5 maidens & 92 dot balls.

Andrew Doig entered the attack in over 23 & Archit bowled his 8 overs for only 18 in over 28 when the score had risen to 53. 5 wickets were then lost in 6 overs

Matthew Hynd (17) edged Doig to w/k Matthew Rathbone, 53-6. Taylor Matthews (2) was neatly caught at point by Will Young off Varun Gudipati, 59-7. At the same score Mellor( 8) was bowled by Doig.

In over 33 Ahmed (0) was run out at the bowler's end failing to beat a throw from Varun from short fine leg to bowler Doig & in the next Dan Hynd (1) was caught by Doig at cover off Varun, 63 all out. 8 maiden overs bowled as good lengths & lines were executed, especially by Archit in his 8 overs, & catches taken with only a minor blemish of a missed run out.

Chasing, Angus Southern & Matthew Rathbone faced the seam of Mellor & off spin of Chakraborty. 8 from the first as Angus cut & drove but a wicket in the second as Chakraborty off spin persuaded Rathbone (0) to play no shot & he was palpably lbw, 8-1.

Joseph Dresser (0) faced a similar fate in over 6 as he aimed to cut an off break that bowled him, 14-2. The experienced Doig & Southern survived a 'no call' run out scare & a dropped chance at cover but took the score to 47 in the 14^th when Doig (16) seemingly in two minds was caught on the crease & lbw to Chakraborty, 

Southern (29, 44b, 2x4) then pulled Matthews straight to deep square leg & it took Jacob McCord (10*) to strike 10 (2x4 +2) down the ground & to mid wicket & George McConnell (2*) to win the game by 6 wickets in only the 17^th over.

Tougher tests to come but commendable bowling lines & lengths on display & the need to use feet to the spinner highlighted.

Onward to Sun 8^th June SNCC v Gateshead Fell (a) 1300 40/40. We hope you can be there & the weather behaves.

Duncan.