BULLS MARCH ON WITH 6 WICKET WIN OVER NEWCASTLE: JONNY BUSHNELL ON FIRE. Sat 1 Aug 2026: NEP

1st Aug 2026

Newcastle 124ao (44.4o) Matthew Stewart 32, Chris Youlden 25, James Dawson 19: Jonny Wightman 1-29, Jonny Bushnell 6-26, Will Alexander 2-27, Calum Fletcher 0-20. Oli McGee 0-16.

SNCC 127-4 (28.4o) Sol Bell 26, Jonny Bushnell 50*, Rob Peyton 37*: Joe Stuart 1-44, Harry Lumsden 2-36, Gavin Paton 1-22, Josh Stirling 0-25.

SNCC won by 6 wickets- 23 points, Newcastle 1.

A warm day at Roseworth Terrace with cloud & the sun trying to get through, the Bulls won the toss & asked Newcastle to bat. Ghuman & Charnley faced the swing of Wightman (Grove) & seam of Bushnell (Park). 4 runs & 4 leg byes from the first over but in the second Ghuman (1) on the crease, edged Bushnell to second slip where David Edwards took a neat, low catch, 9-1. Matthew Stewart entered at number 3.

26 without further loss after 10 overs, including three maidens &  with several pieces of good fielding to applaud. Sol chasing 40 yards to save 4, Adam at short extra diving to do the same, Rob twice diving a long way to save byes.

Will Alexander began a spell in the 11th & one over later Charnley (5) was comprehensively bowled by Bushnell's leg stump yorker, 33-2. In the next, Cahlin (6), seeming to sit on the back foot & only partly forward, was bowled by  Will through the gate, the middle stump knocked back, 40-3.

Stewart was composed & with Youlden progressed the score to 61 after 20 overs. Two further pieces of fine  fielding from Sol & Oli as a fine drizzle began. Then at 65 in the 21st over Stewart (32) drove at a wider one from Will & Edwards took a neat, low catch in the gully, 4 down.

Will's 7 over spell ended with figures of 2-27. Calum & Oli took up the attack & in the last over before the 1300 lunch break, the left handed Coulthard (11) drove Wightman, now from the Park end, toward mid on where Calum made quick strides to the ball, picked & ran him out with a direct hit to the bowlers stumps !! A magnificent piece of fielding, 87-5.

Five maidens in 6 overs after lunch & in the 4th Youlden (25) edged a drive off Wightman toward slip where David Edwards took his third good catch, low to his right, 89-6. Dawson inside edged for 4 to fine leg, Stirling drove past point as Wightman & McGee strove for a further wicket. 

111-6 after 40 overs & then Bushnell decimated the tail. Stirling (9) slashed & w/k Rob Peyton caught the edge, 113-7. In his next, Lumsden (1) was lbw. hit mid shin, & in what turned out to be the last over two wickets as Dawson (19) was defeated by a leg stump yorker & 3 balls later Stuart (0) miscued a push to leg, the leading edge  lobbing high for Bushy to take the catch off his own bowling, 124 all out after 44.4 overs

Bushy 6-26 from 10.4 overs with 4 maidens, awesome!

The drizzle had abated & the sun emerged as the Bulls reply began at 1448. Hewison & Bell faced the slow left arm of Stuart (Park) & the left arm seam of Lumsden from the Grove end.

In the 4th, to his frustration, Hewey (0) pulled straight to mid on off Lumsden, 6-1. Two overs later Edwards (6) not fully forward, edged to w/k Youlden off Lumsden, 16-2. Sol had begun to time the ball & stroked 2.4.1 to third man, mid wicket & cover in the 8th over. Bushnell with 2x4 saw the total at 46 after10 overs. 

Then in the 12th, Gavin Paton's first from the Grove end, Sol (26) on the back foot, edged to w/k Youlden, 47-3 . Stuart, who had bowled unchanged from the Park end, bowled a maiden. In the next Bushy stroked Paton for 2,4,2 through the covers off both front & back foot.

Sadly, in the 15th over, Adam Cragg's (1) first attacking shot found deep mid wicket not having to move to take the catch, 56-4. Bushnell & Rob Peyton defended & were content to push singles, 63-4 after 20 overs.

Stirling (ob) joined Stuart & the spinners bowled unchanged for 7 overs. The scoring rate began to climb as Peyton steered to fine leg for 3 then, in the next, drove Stirling for 4,2,4 to mid on, mid wicket & straight, 81-4 after 24 overs.

In the 25th Bushy punched 4 to point off Stuart followed by 1 then 2 to cover. In the 26th Peyton drove Stirling to mid off for 4 then straight for 6 100-4 after 26 overs. Another 10 runs from Stuart's next as Peyton punched off the back foot through cover for 4 & drove straight for another 3 balls later.

Paton returned but suffered as Bushnell stroked 4.4.2.1, taking the total to 121-4. The winning runs came in the next as Bushy drove 2 to long on then completed the win & his 50* with a boundary. From the uncertainty of 56-4, this was a composed & effective 5^th wicket, winning partnership of 71*.

Bushy 50* (63b, 7x4) an exemplary day of bowling & batting , Rob 37* (45b 5x4 1x6), 23 points for the win & a lead of 82 points in the NEPL Premier Division with 6 games to go.

Onward to Sat 8 Aug SNCC v Felling (h) 110 overs win/lose/draw from 1100, the last one is this format before the last 5 games which are 50 overs each, win/lose matches, 24 points for a win, bonuses for the losers.

Then on Sunday 9^th Aug, the regional final of the T20 at Harrogate : SNCC v Marton (NYSD) (20/20 ) from 1300 is the second semi final,  with a final at c 1700. Harrogate play Townsville CC in the first game at 1000. Travelling arrangements are being confirmed & will be advertised asap.

We hope to see you there.

Duncan.