BULLS INDEBTED TO MCGEE & GOUGH THEN HOFFMEISTER TAKES 5.

2nd Jun 2025

BULLS INDEBTED TO MCGEE & GOUGH THEN HOFFMEISTER TAKES 5.

                               Sat 1st June 2025: NEPL Premier Division. 

                         SNCC v Shotley Bridge (a) 110o, win/lose/draw.

SNCC 221-8 (54o) Sol Bell 52, Simon Birtwisle 32, Chris Hewison 34, Oli McGee 23, Nathan Gough 50: Oliver Gibson 0-58, Reece Carr 1-39, Ross Burdon 5-24, Joe Gibson 1-67, Daniel Anderson 0-26.

Shotley Bridge 144ao (31.5o) Dan Anderson 13, Ross Burdon 13, Paul Greenwell 18, Kieran Milburn 31, Jack Temple 32*, Oliver Gibson 16: Cody Hoffmeister 5-63, Will Alexander 1-30, Oli McGee 1-17, Gavin Paton 1-6, Tom Jones 2-27

SNCC won by 77 runs- 28 points, Shotley Bridge 3.

A breezy day a the Spa Ground, the Bulls chose to bat. The outfield was fast but bumpy in parts requiring concentration & a willingness to take a few bruises from the bouncing ball. Sol Bell & Simon Birtwisle faced the seam of Oliver Gibson (Riverside) & Reece Carr (Wood). An opening maiden but then 10x4 in the next 7 overs as shots that evaded the fielders went to the boundary.

After 14 overs of seam, 62 without loss, the slower bowling of Burdon from the Riverside end gave both control & wickets. Birty (32,46b, 6x4) drove low to Anderson at mid on in Burdon's first. Rob Peyton (9) was content to give Sol the strike but in Burdon's 6^th he pulled hard towards mid wicket to see Carr pull off a magnificent catch high to his left in two hands, 98-2.

Three wickets then fell in 4 overs as first Sol (52, 74b, 10x4) who had batted beautifully driving in the V, edged Joe Gibson to w/k Andrews standing up who took a sharp catch. At 101 Adam Cragg (2) pushing firmly forward to Burdon, edged to gully where Carr again took a sharp chance going to his left. At 105 Will Alexander (0) got the faintest of edges to w/k Andrews also off Burdon, 105-5 at lunch, Burdon 4-16 from 9 overs. Oli faced a maiden.

Hewi was patient, steering to third man or hitting to leg but after a straight drive to the sightscreen two balls later, to his dismay, drove & c & b chance back to Burdon, 134-6 in the 39th over; Hewi 34, (41b 4x4) a crucial innings.

Nathan Gough joined Oli who had been resolute in defence, taking 29 balls to get off the mark but his patience proved pivotal as first Joe & then Oliver Gibson had spells. Burdon's 15 overs ended in over 43, a quite magnificent 5-24 with 3 maidens.

Oli continued to be obdurate, 50 balls for 6 runs, but with Nathan driving down the ground with certainty or pulling to leg, the pair put on 72 for the 7^th wicket in 14 overs as Anderson had 4 overs & Joe Gibson 3. Having taken 13 off Joe Gibson's 14^th over, & then back to back boundaries off the returning Carr Nathan (50, 43b, 6x4, 1x6) was yorked.

A hard hitting innings as part of a partnership made possible by Oli's discipline in not giving his wicket away, had shifted the momentum towards the Bulls, 212-7 after 53 overs. In a frenetic last over, Oli (23, 68b 3x4) was run out going for an impossible call for two by Gavin (6*) who had struck a boundary first ball in the previous over, as did Tom Jones (5*) in the last. The declaration then came after 54 overs at 221-8.

In reply Anderson (rh) & Burdon (lh) faced the seam of Cody Hoffmeister (Wood) & Will Alexander (Riverside). Another fast start, 32 after 4 overs, but in the 5^th Burdon (13) edged Hoffmeister to w/k Rob Peyton. At 43 two wickets in 4 balls as first Anderson (13) skied Cody to mid on where Tom Jones took the catch then 2 balls later Mustard (0) edged low & hard to second slip where Hewi took a very good low catch to his right, 43-3.

One over later Will Alexander, having conceded 9 in his first three balls, saw Carr (4) slash hard to see w/k Rob take the fast travelling ball in his right hand, 52-4. Oli McGee began a spell in over 10 & in his second Greenwell (8) launched high over mid off where a retreating Hewi took another superbly judged catch in the swirling breeze, over his head, 75-5.

In this period the fielding was of a high order, none more so than the athletic Adam Cragg at short extra & Hewi in the gully who both saved many runs. At 1635 w/k Rob Peyton damaged a thumb & had to retire for repairs. The 'dislocation' back in place, he returned after two overs & resumed keeping.

Gavin Paton, who had distinguished himself with a full length dive to save a boundary, began a spell from the Wood end & in his third Milburn (32) was pinned in front, lbw working to leg, 97-6 after 19 overs.  Tom Jones (lb) bowled two overs for 10 before tea from the river end. Tea was taken at 1715, 107 after 22 overs, U17 Jack Temple 20*.

In the first over after tea, Cody Hoffmeister took his 4^th wicket as Hall (1) edged behind for Rob's third catch, 108-7. In Cody's next at 113, Andrews (6) was bowled, a first 5 wicket haul for Cody in the 2025 NEPL season. Tom resumed & after being struck for 4 then 2x6 by Oliver Gibson (16) persuaded him to play another big shot which skied to short fine leg for Birty to pouch.

The sky grew darker, the wind blew, Jack Temple continued batting with composure but in over 32 Joe Gibson (2) launched towards deep mid wicket where Oli's safe hands secured the final wicket, a win by 77 runs. Temple 32* (54b, 6x4) remained impressively undefeated.

A good win for the Bulls who remain in third place in the Premier Division having won 5. We await the prognosis on Rob's damaged thumb.

Onward to Friday 6^th June: Banks T20 group A SNCC v Ashington (h) 20/20

Sat 7^th June: NEPL Premier Division: SNCC v Newcastle (h) 1130, 110o, win/lose/draw....... we hope you can be there, it might be exciting !

Duncan.