BULLS COME UNSTUCK AGAINST SPIN AT CHESTER-LE-STREET.
1st May 2025
BULLS COME UNSTUCK AGAINST SPIN AT CHESTER-LE-STREET.
1st May 2025
BULLS COME UNSTUCK AGAINST SPIN AT CHESTER-LE-STREET.
NEPL Div 2 Sat 26th April 2025: SNCC v CLS (a) 45/45o,win//lose.
Chester-le-Street 216ao (44.4o) Matthew Cranston 71, Ethan Connolly 42, Josh Wilson 37, Harry Simpson 15: Will Young 0-38, Joe Dresser 4-30, Will Oliver 1-47, James Lunn 2-23, Nick Tomlinson 0-50, Jacques Graham 2-23.
SNCC 123 ao (33.1o) David Edwards 54, Jan Ozmen 13, Joe Dresser 13, Angus Southern 11: John Harrison 0-25, Josh Wilson 0-20, Brett Eagle 0-26, Harry Simpson 4-21, Josh Metcalfe 5-29.
Chester-le-Street won by 93 runs - 24 points, SN 4.
A sunny day at Ropery Lane saw the Bulls give 2nd X1 league debuts to Jacques Graham & Will Oliver & a recall for Will Young & Will Carr. Choosing to bowl, there followed an inconsistent display which included 21 wides, 16 in the first 14 overs, enabling a CLS opening partnership to reach 114 & despite the control shown by James Lunn (2-23 in 9o), Jacques Graham (2-23 in 8o) & 4 late wickets for Joe Dresser (4-30 in 7o), pulling the total back from 158-2 in the 31st over, the eventual total of 216 ao was more than it should have been.
Chasing, the Bulls reached 89-2 after 23 overs, based on David Edwards's 54, but then lost their last 8 wickets for 34 in 10.1 overs, all to the leg breaks of Simpson & off breaks of Metcalfe, who took 9 in total between them, to be bowled out in the 34th over. A cautionary tale!
Matthew Cranston & Ethan Connolly faced the seam of Will Young & Joe Dresser. 38-0 after 9 overs included 14 wides. Will Oliver (rm) suffered as a variable length was punished, his first two overs going for 21.
The off spin of James Lunn & Nick Tomlinson bowled the next 10 overs without success & the score rose to 101 after 22 overs. Jacques Graham (sla) entered the attack in over 23 & in his second, Connolly (42) pulling, was well caught low down by Nick at mid wicket.
Nick & Jacques continued in tandem to over 29. Will O's second spell of two overs bedevilled by variations again but in over 31 Jacques bowled Cranston (71,91b, 5x4, 4x6) who had batted well, an important breakthrough, 158-2. Having driven 3x4 off Will O, in the same over, Wilson (37, 27b 6x4) was bowled, 172-3.
In over 34 Luke Allen (0) was lbw to Lunny & in his next Metcalfe (2) was caught chest high, close to the rope by Nick at long on 179-5. Jacques completed a good spell of 2-23 in 8 overs in the 37th. Lunny likewise in over 38, 2-23 in his 9 overs. Will Young returned but it was Joe Dresser who took 4 wickets in three overs. George Harrison (8) was caught by Jan Ozmen at mid wicket, & two balls later John Harrison (0) was lbw to a full delivery, 189-7.
In his next Cook (11) was caught by David Edwards at point, 202-8. Simpson (15) was caught by Edwards again at point in the 44th & in the last Armstrong (1) was run out when Angus Southern threw the stumps down at the non striker's end.
The Bulls reply saw David Edwards & Nick Tomlinson face the seam of John Harrison & off spin of Josh Wilson. A fast start, boundaries to both in the first, 23 at the end of the third but in the 4th a misunderstanding saw Nick (7) turn to leg & set off but sent back & run out, 24-1.
David & Jan built as Eagle (rm) & Wilson continued. Three consecutive extra cover drives for David in the 15th as Eagle overpitched. But in the 17th, Simpson's first, Jan (13 ,38b), off the back foot, was caught by Cook, 72-2.
From the 19th over Simpson (lb) & Metcalfe (ob) bowled unchanged & it seemed the Bulls shot selections were awry. 89-2 after 23 overs but in the 24th David (54,81b, 7x4) sweeping, was bowled by Metcalfe. In the same over Will Carr (0) was lbw on the front foot, 89-4.
In over 26 James Lunn (3), playing back, was bowled by Metcalfe, 5 down. Three overs later Angus Southern (11) hit a full toss straight to deep square leg & was caught by Eagle, 104-6. Joe Dresser (13) hit a 6 but, sweeping, was lbw to Metcalfe at 112 in the 30th, 7 down. In the next Jacques Graham (2) playing to leg, was caught by Connolly at mid off, off a Simpson leg break,115-8.
In the 33rd Ben Sidney-Wilmot (5) was caught by J Harrison at mid wicket off Simpson & in the next Will Oliver (5) was lbw to Metcalfe, his third such victim.
8 wickets lost in 10.1 overs for 24 runs, we are better than this !! Only 33.1o used of the 45 available. Mes amis, we have got to bat the overs & have the confidence to use our feet to the spinners !!
Onward to Sat 3rd May 2025, NEPL Div 2 SNCC v Tynedale (h) start 1200 45/45, win lose. We hope you can be there to cheer the team on.
Duncan.