BULLS RECORD CONVINCING WINS OVER BOLDON (T20) & NEWCASTLE TO RETURN TO THE TOP OF THE PREMIER LEAGUE

22nd May 2018

NEPL T20

SNCC 192-5 (Birtwisle 49, Trevaskis 42, Cragg 55* Edwards29)

BOLDON 61ao (16.3o) Wightman 6-14, Birtwisle 2-5, Tindale 1-8, Crozier 1-7)

Score Card: http://sncc.play-cricket.com/website/results/3310854

In bright sunshine, against a weakened Boldon side with injuries to Scott & Patterson, & after the early loss of Peyton(6), the Bulls pummelled the Boldon attack for 192-5 in the allotted 20 overs. Birty drove & pulled his way to 49 (5x4,1x6) in 33 balls, Liam Trevaskis, with certain timing down the ground or over mid wicket, at more than a run a ball 42( 4x4,1x6) in 28 balls, David Edwards 29 (3x6) from 18 balls & skipper Adam Cragg, with deft reverse sweeps a plenty, 55* (8x4, 1x6) off 25 balls. Exhilarating ! Good running a feature.

Boldon's innings never really began, 13-5 in the 5th over thanks to Birty, Jonny Wightman & Sean Tindale. Forster(19) & Wood (12) rallied but, from the Road end, Wightman was on fire returning 6-14 in 4 overs of rhythmic quick bowling. Birty's 2-5 included that of Durham's Barry McCarthy bowled for 1. A win by 131 runs, 6 points. Next T20 home to Castle Eden, Fri 1st June, 1745.

SNCC 247-8 dec (54 o) (Trevaskis 77, Birtwisle 30, Tindale 31, Craigs 21, Stanyon 32*: O McGee 4-57)

NEWCASTLE 157 ao (35.4o) Du Toit 63, B McGee 44*: Wightman 5-26, Tindale 1-18, Crozier 1-42,  Craigs 1-18.)

Score Card: http://sncc.play-cricket.com/website/results/3328053

Another sunny day at Roseworth Terrace saw SN lose the toss & be asked to bat. Birtwisle & Dale opened against the pace of Harding & the spin of O. McGee. At 9 a mix up saw Sam Dale slip & fail to beat the throw of bowler Harding to the bowlers end, 9-1. John Graham (4) was then adjudged lbw to McGee in the 4th over, 17-2.

Birtwisle & Trevaskis rebuilt against a cleverly rotated attack which gave nothing away, until at 70, Birty was well caught at first slip for 30(3x4, 50 balls) off Shenton. Cragg joined Trevaskis & the pair advanced to 104 before Cragg was also adjudged lbw to McGee for 19. There followed a partnership of 59 between Trevaskis & Tindale which accelerated after the drinks break. Trevaskis was eventually held by Du Toit, retreating at backward point off Quirk, for a well compiled & vital 77 (6x4, 2x6, 118 balls).

Peyton joined Tindale & the pair put on 27 before Peyton (19) was caught at cover driving McGee. That became 194-7 as Tindale (31), a composed innings, was bowled by Harding. Each of the last 5 wickets had been achieved in the first over of a spell ! Stanyon joined Craigs & stroked his first ball through the covers for 4. In 4 overs the pair, attacking the bowling for the first time in the innings, put on 40, Stanyon 32*(5x4, 1x6 15 balls) Craigs 21(2x4, 1x6, 19 balls) before Craigs was stumped charging McGee, enabling the declaration at 247-8 after 54 overs, an unlikely scenario a few overs earlier.

The McGees opened for Newcastle & at 12 Oli was caught by w/k Peyton above his head, gloving a hook off Tindale.  Kieran Trevaskis was then caught by Peyton off Wightman for 0, 13-2. Simpson  joined Ben McGee & had scored 8 when he rather tamely chipped Wightman to Graham at mid wicket , 41-3. Enter Jacques Du Toit.

After a first scoring shot was almost caught at mid on, with superb timing & placement, Du Toit threatened to win the game on his own. 9x4 & 2x6 in a 42 ball innings which ended surprisingly at 118 when he lofted Michael Craigs first ball high to long leg where Wightman took the catch. 

Snoxall was then run out after a huge mix up which saw a gloved Peyton throw down the bowler's stumps, 121-5. Wightman returned & accounted for Roseby, Quirk & Harding so that the score became 145-8. Two neat catches for w/k Peyton. Ben McGee had continued stoically & reached 44* when Shenton was well held by Birtwisle off Crozier. Last man Thompson was absent so the innings ended at 150 after 35.4o.

30 points but two deducted for a slow over rate, something to address. Hetton Lyons defeat to Whitburn saw the Bulls regain top spot by 3 from a victorious CLS.

A tough game at Tynemouth (a) on Saturday 26th May, 1230 start, is preceded by  FRIDAY 25TH DURHAM V WORCESTERSHIRE AT ROSEWORTH TERRACE, IN THE ROYAL LONDON ONE DAY CUP.

Duncan D. Stephen