BULLS FINISH NEPL PREMIER DIVISION RUNNERS UP AFTER DEFEAT OF FELLING
24th September 2024
25th Jun 2024
BULLS BIG OPENING PARTNERSHIP SETS UP WIN AT SACRISTON.
Sat 22 June 2024: NEPL Division 2: SNCC v Sacriston (a) 105o w/l/d.
SNCC 279-1 (45o) Ru Fletcher 100, Alex Charnley 141*, Will Alexander 12*: T Bulmer 1-71, J Atkinson 0-76, A Hart 0-35, J Rye 0-32, L Waggott 0-28, L Small 0-23
Sacriston 171ao (52.2o) I Jones 62, M Brown 15, A Dixon 14, L Small 17, J Rye 25: Gavin Paton 2-42, Finlay Pearce 0-19, Will Alexander 1-10, George Gray 2-26, Nathan Gough 3-33, James Lunn 2-23, Ru Fletcher 0-12.
SNCC won by 108 runs- 30 points, Sacriston 2.
On a sunny day with a wicket towards the Clubhouse side, the Bulls were invited to bat. Opposing them were an array of youthful, right arm seam bowlers; Fletcher & Charnley faced Bulmer & Atkinson.
Alex's first 5 scoring shots were boundaries punching the ball through mid wicket & through extra cover to such an extent that his 50* came up in the 18th over with 11x4 by which time change bowlers Hart & Rye had been introduced.
Ru complemented by cutting, driving straight & pulling, his 50 arriving in the 30th over, 5x4 2x6. Surviving a chance to backward point in the 60's, Alex pushed on & his century arrived in the 35th over as he hit his 20th boundary.
Ru also got to a deserved 100 (112b 12x4, 2x6) in the 41st over but 3 balls later was bowled by Bulmer, the opening partnership of 240 the best for many years.
Will entered & struck 2x4 as Alex hit 3x4 off Bulmer in the 43rd. The innings was declared at 270 -1 after 45 overs, Alex 141* (150b, 25x4 1x6) a magnificent effort, Will 12* (9b, 2x4).
In reply Jones (rh) & Hubber (lh) faced 13 overs of Gavin Paton (rm) & Finlay Pearce (lm). At 22 in the 9th Hubber (1) was undone by a swinging Paton delivery which hit middle stump. Will Alexander & George Gray entered the attack in overs 14 &15.
In George's first Jones hit 4,4,6 the latter a very long way over mid wicket! In the 16th after a partnership of 55, Brown (15) drove Will to Nathan at cover, 77-2 & then, bouncing back, George persuaded Jones (62, 56b, 11x4, 2x6) to launch straight to Will at long on who took a good catch, having to retreat to take it at head height, 79-3. Given 2 lives, one straightforward, this was a pivotal wicket.
Another useful stand of 33 between Dixon & Small ended in Nathan's 4th over when Small (16) was caught by James Ruddick at cover, 112-4 in the 30th. In tandem with Lunny, two wickets in the 35th as Nathan now around the wicket, bowled Dixon (14) & 5 balls later Hart (0) swung & was also bowled, 127-6.
Mel Betts (17) provided some stability but at 140 in the 41st hit a short ball straight to mid wicket off Gavin where Will took the catch, 7 down. Two overs from Ru but then George & Lunny in tandem snared Bulmer (1) aiming to cut, very well caught by Ben Sid low, off Lunny, at 149 in the 46th & at 165 Waggott (6) was wonderfully caught by Alex Weetman at short mid wicket, diving to his right & taking the catch one handed just above the turf, also off Lunny. C'est magnifique mes amis!
Rye (25, 39b, 4x4) had batted nicely but in the 53rd over, he charged George & skied to mid off where James took the catch, 171 all out.
Seven catches taken, two not, fielding matters !! A good win for the 2's who now sit second in Division 2 on 151, by one point behind leaders Hetton Lyons.
Onward to Sat 29th June : SNCC v Felling (h) 105o w/l/d 1200. We hope you can be there to cheer them on.
Duncan.