BULLS RUE FIELDING LAPSES THEN MAQSOOD SWINGS IT FOR BURNMOOR

12th Aug 2022

NEPL Premier Division: Sat 6th August 2022: SNCC v Burnmoor (h)

Burnmoor 195-9 dec (49.2o) Ross Greenwell 22, Ryan Pringle 53, Alex Simpson 58, Craig Stephenson 17: Jonny Wightman 4-37, Sean Tindale 2-38, Lee Crozier 2-47, Calum Fletcher 1-25, Oli McGee 0-42.

SNCC 123ao (38.2o) Sol Bell 12, Simon Birtwisle 16, Alvin Dithole 14, Rob Peyton 47, Sean Tindale 11: Waqas Maqsood 4-44, Josh Coughlin 2-36, Ryan Pringle 0-23, Graeme Bridge 1-17, Ross Greenwell 2-2, Craig Stephenson 1-1.

Burnmoor won by 72 runs- 29 points, SNCC 4.

On a warm, sunny day, hoping to bounce back from Wallasey, the Bulls were left to rue three missed chances costing 61 runs & were then undone by an inspired spell from left arm Waqas Maqsood who took 4 wickets, swinging it from the Grove end.

Winning the toss, the visitors were invited to bat on the County wicket. Success in the first over as Alan Worthy (5) gloved a short ball from Jonny, behind for Rob to take the catch, 7-1. Greenwell & Brown were watchful but at 33 in the 12th, Brown (10) mis pulled to Wightman at mid on off Sean. Pringle hit 2,2,4 from the next three balls.

Crozier & Fletcher bowled in tandem for 15 overs. In the 19th Sol lost a lofted shot in the sun at long on from Greenwell off Crozier which dribbled for 4. Two overs later Greenwell (22) lofted to mid wicket where Sean took the catch off Lee, 73-3. The rate slowed as Crozier's control & Fletcher's accuracy saw 3 maidens in succession. In the 25th, seeking to break out, Pringle (30*) swept hard to square leg where Alvin got two hands to the ball but could not hold on.

In the next Craig's (6) back foot drive off Fletcher found Cragg at short extra cover, 82-4. Simpson began brightly with 2 & 4 & the total had moved onto 106-4 at lunch after 31 overs. From the first ball after lunch Simpson (17*) drove Fletcher to mid off where Sol got two hands to the ball but it spilled.

Oli's 4 over spell after lunch was unsuccessful, Simpson taking 12 off his last & the total had risen to 148 in the 39th when Pringle (53) drove Crozier to mid off where Oli took the catch. Crozier's 15 overs finished in over 41, 2-47 an excellent return. Wightman joined Tindale & Coughlin (9) skied a pull to be caught by Peyton,162-6.

The last 7 overs saw an intent to score to enable a declaration. Maqsood  (1) was bowled by Wightman, 167-7, Simpson (58) flat batted to Cragg at cover off Wightman, 181-8 & Stephenson (17) was caught by McGee at mid on off Tindale, 195-9 after 49.2o when the declaration came, 60 overs available.

Bell & Birtwisle faced Maqsood (Grove) & Coughlin (Park).  9-0 after 4 overs then after 2, wide, 4, 4, Sol (12) edged behind off Maqsood 20-1. Alvin, surviving an impassioned appeal for caught behind in the previous over, took three boundaries off Coughlin in the 8th but in the next drove, what might have been a Maqsood slower ball, to mid on where Bridge took a tumbling catch, 40-2.

In the next Birty (16) was bowled by Coughlin, 44-3, one over later Hewi (4) was bowled by Maqsood & in his next, Cragg (4) suffered the same fate as the ball swung, 57-5. Peyton started with three nice boundaries, to backward point, cover & mid wicket & looked in control as Tindale settled against Pringle (ob) & Bridge (sla).

The score had reached 88 in the 23rd when Sean (11) seemed to steer the first ball of a Coughlin over from the Grove end to Worthy at first slip. McGee joined Peyton & the score rose slowly, 93-6 at tea. Greenwell (rm) was introduced in the 33rd & he gained an lbw decision against McGee (8), Wightman (1) suffering a similar fate at the same score, two balls later, 111-8.

Fletcher (0) was lbw to Stephenson in the 36th. Peyton continued to bat resolutely but in seeking to get a batting point, advanced to Bridge & was stumped for a very worthwhile 47 (65b, 8x4), 123 all out in the 39th.

Still 8 points ahead of both Hetton Lyons & Burnmoor at the top of the Premier Division with 5 win/lose games to go beginning with Chester-le-Street (h) on Sat 13thAugust; then Eppleton (a), Benwell Hill (a), Sunderland (a), concluding with Hetton Lyons (h) on Sat 11th Sept.

Work to do to get back to the standards we have set & to aim for a complete performance, batting, bowling & fielding. We must continue. A trip to York next in the T20 area final v Richmondshire on Sun 7th August.

Duncan.