BULLS COME UNSTUCK AGAINST SPIN AT CHESTER-LE-STREET.
1st May 2025
BULLS RECOVER WELL BUT JUST FALL SHORT IN A TENSE ENCOUNTER AGAINST CHESTER-LE-STREET.
1st May 2025
BULLS RECOVER WELL BUT JUST FALL SHORT IN A TENSE ENCOUNTER AGAINST CHESTER-LE-STREET.
NEPL Premier Div: Sat 26th April: SNCC v Chester-le Street (h) 45/45, win/lose.
Chester-le-Street 172ao (45o) Cole Pearce 68, James Thompson 23, Matthew Robinson 24: Jonny Wightman 2-26, Cody Hoffmeister 4-24, Gavin Paton 0-17, Nathan Gough 0-28, Oli McGee 4-42, Chris Hewison 0-10, Simon Birtwisle 0-15.
SNCC 165ao (41.2o) Simon Birtwisle 47, Gavin Paton 53, Oli McGee 20: Brett Hutchinson 5-18, Quentin Hughes 1-26, Matthew Robinson 1-30, Mark Watson 2-34, Jacob Heslop 1-29, Kyle Coetzer 0-22.
Chester-le-Street won by 7 runs- 24 points, SNCC 6.
A sunny day at Roseworth Terrace, Gavin Paton & Sam Ewart came in for George Drissell & Tom Jones. The visitors were invited to bat. Coxon (rh) & McCann (lh) faced Wightman (Grove) & Hoffmeister (Park). After 6 overs CLS were 13-3. Cody bowling McCann (1) in the 4th, Jonny having Coxon (3) lbw in the 5th & Cody bowling Smith (2) in the 6th, fast & full.
Paton & Gough took up the attack in the 9th & 10th. Pearce & Thompson were watchful but looked to score when the opportunity presented itself. 50-3 after 17 overs but in Oli's first Pearce pulled short balls for 3x4. Two overs later Thompson (23) drove low & hard back towards Oli who took a good catch at ankle height on follow through.
Cody returned from the Grove end & Coetzer (2) drove hard to point where Sol took the chance at chest height, a very good catch, 70-5 after 21 overs. Having taken 2x4 from Oli in the 24th Hughes(10) lost his off stump to Jonny in the 27th, 92-6.
Nathan & Jonny continued then Hewi (rm) two overs & Simon (sla) three but in the 31st Cody returned & Hutchinson (12) top edged high towards point where w/k Rob took the catch. Pearce & Robinson put on 28 until Pearce (68, 92b, 4x4,1x6) missed a sweep & was lbw to McGee. A vital innings for his team spanning 35 overs;151-8 after 41 overs.
In the last over Heslop (2) was bowled by McGee & Robinson (24 ) caught by Hewi at mid wicket, the innings ending at 172. Rather more than it might have been, 4 wickets for Cody, always challenging the batters, 4 for Oli on a day when his consistency was elusive, 2 for Jonny who bowled well. Something in the wicket so not an easy target.
Sol Bell & Adam Cragg faced the left arm pace of Hutchinson (Grove) & ob of Hughes (Park). A sumptuous back foot cover drive from ball one to Sol (4) but comprehensively bowled by a full 4th ball from Hutchinson.
In over 5 Adam (7) was yorked by Hutchinson. Two overs later Sam (0) was lbw to another full, swinging delivery from Hutchinson. In the next Hughes won an lbw decision against Hewi (5) pushing forward. In over 11 Hutchinson bowled Rob (2) & Nathan (0) with successive, full deliveries leaving the Bulls in a considerable hole at 27-6. Hutchinson departed having injured an ankle, 6o-1m-18r-5 w, decent !!
Birty & Oli repaired. The total had risen to 74 when Oli (20) surprisingly mistimed in the air on the legside for Smith to take the catch off Watson's medium pace, 7 down. Enter Gavin Paton; at 23 over drinks, SN were 87 -7, Birty 33* Gavin 5*.
As Heslop (ob), Watson (rm) & Coetzer (rm) took up the attack the partnership built, 50 in 69b, 51 mins, driven boundaries for both through the offside & a glorious maximum to the flats by Gavin off Heslop. Sadly, in the 34th Birty drove at a full Watson delivery & was bowled ending a partnership of 45. Simon (47, 75b, 7x4 114m), a very important contribution, Gavin 26*.
In overs 37, 38 & 39 Gavin drove straight powerfully 2x4, 2x6, Watson, Coetzer & Heslop suffering, his 50* in 59b, 82m, 4x4, 3x6. But in the 41stth when Jonny Wightman had been sensibly pushing singles, Gav, perhaps understandably, went for another big drive towards mid wicket & was bowled by Heslop for 53 (66b 91m, 4x4 3x6), a magnificent innings from the depths, two partnerships worth 90 in total, just such a shame it could not continue, 164-9. 4 overs remaining, 9 to win.
Cody joined Jonny, but in the 42nd was adjudged lbw to Robinson for 1. Was there a bottom edge onto pad ? Jonny (7*). A tense encounter, the damage done early in the Bulls innings by Hutchinson, followed by a determined fightback only to be cut short at the last in perhaps less than certain circumstances.
Onward to Sat 3rd May SNCC v Burnmoor (a) 1200 start, 45/45o, win/lose, we hope you can be there to watch another close encounter. We must continue!
Duncan