BULLS DEFEAT NEWCASTLE BUT FALL TO CLS IN BANKS BOWL100 FINAL.

28th Aug 2025

             BULLS DEFEAT NEWCASTLE BUT FALL TO CLS IN BANKS BOWL100 FINAL.

                      Sun 24^th Aug 2025: Banks Bowl 100 Finals day at South North.

                                         First Semi final: SNCC v Newcastle (1030)

Newcastle 108-8, (100b) D Humble 22, K Trevaskis 15, S Pinnington 21: Andy Doig 1-9 (20b), Ben Hobbs 1-30 (20b), Danny Collins 1-9 (10b), George McConnell 0-10 (5b), Will Young 1-19 (15b), Gregor Pearce 2-12 (20b), Jacques Graham 1-12 (15b).

SNCC 109-4 (79b) David Edwards 33, Andy Doig 61*: Adam Moore 0-18 (10b), Alistair Gibson 2-14 (20b), Levi Olver 031 (20b), Will McLaughlin 1-21 (15b), Rob Walker 1-25 (14b)

SNCC won by 6 wickets.

The Bulls secured their place in the final of the Banks Bowl 100 competition with a convincing 6 wicket win over yesterday's victorious opponents Newcastle. 

20 sets of 5 balls awaited, a maximum of two sets from one end consecutively were permitted. A  fast start for Newcastle as Pinnington & Humble drove straight. 42 from 25 balls but from the first ball of Will Young's set 6 Humble (22) drove high towards long off. David at mid off gave chase & after running 30 yards dived to take a superb catch a few feet in front of the sightscreen, c'est magnifique ! 42-1.

Bowling two sets consecutively from one end throughout, at 67 in the 10^{th ,} Andy from the Grove end, bowled Trevaskis (15) leg stump. One run later Pinnington (22) advanced to Gregor, was beaten & stumped by w/k Ben Sid, 68-3. Chances to point, mid off & mid wicket & a misjudgement at long on did not prove to be costly.

Gregor's three sets had conceded only 11. In set 14 Tyser (6) drove Danny to wide long on where Angus made good ground to his right to take the catch, 81-4. 88 -5 in Gregor's last set as Walker (5) advanced & was beaten to be stumped by Ben. Gregor had bamboozled taking 2-12 from 20 balls.

In set 17 Olver (11) cut Jacques to point where Angus took the catch, 92-6. In the next Periera (1) drove Ben Hobbs hard to cover where Andy took a good overhead catch, 100-7. In the last set Gibson (5) was run out from the last ball. 108-8, a good bowling & fielding performance that could have been even better.

Edwards & McConnell faced the seam of Moore & Gibson. George (4) was bowled by Gibson at 14 after two sets. Andy Doig joined David & immediately struck 2x4 off Olver & then 6, 4 off Walker in set 7, 49-1.

From the 50th ball David (33, 25b, 2x4 2x6) was adjudged caught by w/k Trevaskis off McLaughlin, 73-2. Andy reached 50* (29b, 6x4 2x6) in set 12 as Olver suffered again straight & to long on. Angus (1) leading edged to cover in the 13^th off Gibson & Jacob (6) hit a full toss to cover in the 15^th 98-4 but Andy sailed on despatching Walker for 2,2,6 to finish 61* (36b, 7x4, 3x6) in company with Danny (1*) the winning runs coming from ball 79.

                 BANKS BOWL 1OO FINAL 2025: SNCC v CHESTER-LE-STREET.

Chester-le-Street 139-6 (100b) Josh Metcalfe 22, Liam Colledge 13, Liam Cook 13, Luke Allen 30, Andrew Bell 24*: Andy Doig 2-26 (20b), Will Young 1-37 (15b), Danny Collins 0-22 (20b), George McConnell 0-5 (5b), Ben Hobbs 0-15 (10b), Gregor Pearce 2-18 (20b), Jacques Graham 1-14 (10b).

SNCC 100 ao (94b) Andy Doig 22, Ben Sidney-Wilmot 13, Angus Southern 45: Gabi Hughes-Pinan 1-29 (20b), Hedley Windows 2-24 (20b), Josh Metcalfe 1-14 (20b), Harry Simpson 2-16 (20b), Liam Colledge 1-16 (14b).

Chester-le-Street won by 39 runs.

Choosing to field, the Bulls bowled 10 balls from the same end but mostly with different bowlers whilst, interestingly, CLS chose to ask one bowler to bowl two sets of 5 consecutively. CLS talisman Andrew Bell (48*) damaged a hamstring in the semi final win over Hetton Lyons but took the field for the final & his late order batting on one leg again proved crucial.

7x4 in the first 6 sets, Andy, Will, Danny, George, Ben then Andy but at 42 Colledge (13) was caught at long on by Andy off Gregor (lb/g). In the same over Metcalfe (22) was bowled, 46-2.

From the 51st ball, Allen (4) lofted Andy high to long  off where David took the catch, 56-3. Gregor leaked only 4 in his second set. Then Jacques bowled Cook (13) with ball 62, 68-4, Robson drove for 6 three balls later.

Connolly (11) was caught low at cover by Gregor off Andy from ball 80, 101-5. But Andrew Bell launched Danny for 6 as set 17 went for 10, 111-5. Ben bowled a tidy set 18 for only 6. Will took a good, high caught & bowled to dismiss Robson (30) in set 19,125-6  but in set 20 conceded 14 with 3x4, Bell 24* Jackson 6* CLS ending on 139 after 100 balls, rather more than would have been hoped.

Chasing the Bulls lost George (0) to the second ball, spooning to cover off Hughes-Pinan. 3x4 to Andy off Hughes-Pinan & a 6 off Windows in set 3 but in set 4 Andy (22) mistimed to mid wicket & four balls later David (8) cut to point, 32-3. Angus drove Hughes-Pinan 3x4 but in set 5 Jacob (0) was bowled by Metcalfe (ob) & 4 balls later Danny (0) was run out pursuing a tight single to cover which was refused, 48-5.

Ben Hobbs (0) then hit Simpson's leg spin high to long on where Robson took the catch. The Bulls in a hole at 49-6 after 42 balls. A little sanity returned as Angus & Ben Sid rebuilt but with tight bowling to a well set field & athletic boundary stops, progress was only steady. 73 after 65 balls but then Ben Sid (13) also launched Simpson to long on where Robson obliged, 73-7 (66b).

Angus struck Colledge for 2,6,2 in set 15 but in set 16 Gregor (5) was run out returning for two to third man, 91-8. Windows returned & conceded 7 but Angus (45) was then adjudged run out by a direct hit from cover from ball 86 when it seemed he was safely home.

In Colledge's third set Jacques (1) edged to w/k Allen. The Bulls 100 all out from 94 balls: a tale of what might have been. Too many wickets lost too quickly, perhaps too many big shots attempted too soon & insufficient rotation albeit against an athletic fielding side. 

Well done to the team for getting through to the final. We must continue to search for improvement beginning with the league game on Sat 30th Aug at home to Whitburn from 1200, 45/45 win/lose. Three league games remain, do please come along to cheer the team on.

Duncan.

PS: We are delighted to report that Bar Manager, the irrepressible & much loved Bill Kidd, returned home from hospital on 26^th August. We send our very best wishes to him, to his wife Susan & to all his family hoping for a speedy recovery & to see him again soon.