BULLS SORRY SATURDAY BUT SUPER SUNDAY.

10th Jul 2025

BULLS SORRY SATURDAY BUT SUPER SUNDAY.

NEPL DEFEAT TO CASTLE EDEN BUT 24 HOURS LATER AN EMPHATIC 8 WICKET WIN IN THE NATIONAL OVER YORK.

Sat 5^th July 2025: NEPL Premier Div: SNCC v Castle Eden (h) 110o w/l/d

SNCC 91ao (39.3o) Chris Hewison 14, Nathan Gough 10, Oli McGee 16, Gavin Paton 11: Isaac Unsworth 3-20, Callum Appleby 3-7, Jon Malkin 3-29, Robbie McGlasham 1-21, Mandeep Singh 0-8.

Castle Eden 95-3 (24.5o) Ben Simpson 14, John Spellman 26, Mandeep Singh 28*, Nick Sampson-Barnes 15*: Jonny Wightman 1-17, Cody Hoffmeister 0-11, George Drissell 2-21, Oli McGee 0-35, Gavin Paton 0-0.

Castle Eden won by 7 wickets- 23 points, SNCC 1.

A disappointing day for the Bulls, asked to bat first on an uncharacteristically green wicket against a Castle Eden attack who then bowled very well, making the most of the surface. 28-4 became 48-6 after 17 overs before a sort of recovery to 83-7 at lunch,11 maidens in the 34 overs to that point.

But immediately afterwards losing their last three wickets for three runs in three overs, succumbing to 91 all out. 

As a strong south westerly breeze blew, Rob Peyton & Sol Bell faced the right arm seam of Unsworth (Grove) & Appleby (Park). In over 2, an inside edge 4 to Sol but comprehensively bowled by Appleby 3 balls later, 4-1. A similar fate for George Drissell (4) in over 3 after a steer for 4, late movement off the wicket saw his off stump pegged back, 9-2.

Two more maidens then Rob Peyton (6) was adjudged lbw to Unsworth seemingly well forward & a tad high, 16-3. 20-3 after 10 overs then after 2x4 to Birty (8) off Unsworth, a leading edge was caught at cover, 28-4.

Malkin's off spin entered the attack in over 14 & Sam Ewart took 4 +2. In his second Sam (8) forward, edged to slip. One over later Chris (14, 45b) playing forward, was bowled by McGlasham, 48-6.

Malkin & McGlasham (rm) bowled in tandem for 14 overs & in over 24 Nathan (10) in attempting to swing Malkin to leg, only succeeded in lobbing a catch on the offside from the back of the bat, 68-7.

McGee & Paton resisted. The strong south westerly continued to blow, lunch was taken after 34 overs at 83-7. A Gavin boundary off Malkin in over 36 but in the next McGee (16) edged Appleby, now from the Grove end, low to slip where Sampson- Barnes took a good catch.

In the next Gavin (11) aiming a drive to leg, edged to point off Malkin.  Appleby then gained an lbw decision against Hoffmeister (2) on the crease, Wightman 1*, a cautionary tale!

All the bowlers were accurate, Appleby's consistently good length saw commendable figures of 8.5-5-7-3, three wickets each for Unsworth & Malkin.

In reply Malkin & B Simpson faced the seam of Wightman & Hoffmeister. Success from ball two as Malkin (0) skied an intended pull to be caught by w/k Rob Peyton, 0-1.

No further success as Simpson & Spellman pushed the score along slowly. 29-1 after 9 overs when George Drissell (ob) entered the attack. Simpson (14) lofted George towards long on in his second where Sam Ewart made good ground to his left to take the catch, 39-2.

Oli McGee began a spell in over 13 but both Spellman & Singh swept both spinners fine to keep the score moving. A superb stop by Sam at third man, a 6 to long on by Singh & next ball a possible edge to w/k Rob that did not stick off Oli, 60-2 after 17 overs. 

With many close fielders Spellman (26) edged off a pad to short leg where Chris took the catch, 66-3, 5 maidens in 9 overs. However 6 boundaries in the next 5 overs, 3 each to Singh, pulling & dabbing & Sampson-Barnes driving over mid on, saw the winning runs come after 25.5 overs, Singh 28*, Sampson Barnes 15*.

This result sees the Bulls retain third place but now only 3 points above Castle Eden in fourth.

Onward to Sat 12^th July SNCC v Chester-le-Street (a)1130, 110 overs, w/l/d.

Sun 13^th July T20 finals day at CLS; SNCC v Burnopfield (second semi final from 1330), we hope you can be there to cheer the team on.

BULLS DEFEAT YORK BY 8 WICKETS  TO MOVE TO ECB NATIONAL CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP ¼ FINAL.

                Sun 6^th July 2025: SNCC v York (h) NCC round 4: 40/40

York 194-7 (40o) Will Fraine 38, Luke Kilby 55, Simon Lambert 21, Harry Sullivan 23*: Jonny Wightman 2-39, Cody Hoffmeister 0-44, Will Alexander 2-27,George Drissell 0-26, Oli McGee 2-30, Nathan Gough 0-21.

SNCC 196-2 (37.1o) Rob Peyton 29, Sol Bell 82*, George Drissell 56, Chris Hewison 21*: Jon Moxon 0-48, Ed Booth 0-27, Breidyn Schaper 1-13, David Brent 1-45, Harry Sullivan 0-37, Luke Kilby 0-24.

SNCC won by 8 wickets- National ¼ final v Ormskirk (h) Sun 27^th July 40/40.

What a difference a day makes on the same, but closer shaved surface & a distinctly different colour, the Bulls bounced back from Saturday's disappointment with an emphatic 8 wicket victory over York.

The visitors were invited to bat. Fraine (rh) & Snell (lh) faced the seam of Wightman & Hoffmeister. Success for Jonny from ball 4 as Snell edged to w/k Rob Peyton, 0-1. Wightman's first 4 overs for only 8 but Cody suffered in over 8 as Fraine punched 4x4 to cover, backward point, a pull to square leg & a pick up to the same spot, 30-1.

Will Alexander from the Grove end bowled overs 9,11,13 & 15. matched by George (ob) from the Park end. In Will's third Fraine (38, 36b, 8x4), who had stroked some sumptuous boundaries, injured a calf muscle but chosen to continue, drove Will to mid on where Jonny took the catch, 53-2. 

At 63 after 19 overs, rain intervened at 1405 necessitating a 24 minute break but no loss of overs. Immediately on resumption, in Oli's first, Schaper (18) was lbw on the crease, 65-3.

Kilby (rh) & Lambert (lh) pushed on slowly, as Oli & George twirled & Cody returned. Lambert struck a 6 to long on but in Nathan's second from the Park end, the 28th, he attempted a single to cover only to be beaten at the bowler's end by Sol's wonderful direct hit, 110-4.

Jonny returned but Nathan, bedevilled by wides, was replaced by George. In the 33rd as Oli returned, Wilson (13) advanced but missed & was stumped by Rob, 141-5. Sullivan (lh) showed good intent, lofting Jonny to long on for 6 & to square leg for 4, & Kilby blossomed but in over 36, Will, now from the Park end, bowled Brooks (5), 152-6.

Some enterprising stroke play saw the total rise to 183 in the 39^th when Kilby (55, 71b, 7x4) lofted Jinny to deep mid wicket where Sol took a well judged catch on the boundary, 182-7. Cody's last went for 11 as Sullivan struck boundaries on the legside, ending 23* Booth 2*, a total of 194-7 at 1607.

In reply Rob Peyton & Sol Bell faced the brisk seam of Moxon (Grove) & Booth (Park). Rob was fluent hooking & cutting  Moxon for 4 & driving Booth past mid off, 22 from 4 overs then 10 from Moxon's third as both struck boundaries.

The slow left arm of Schaper began a controlled spell from the Grove & in his second Rob (29, 29b, 5x4), containing some elegant drives, was bowled around his legs sweeping, 44-1. George Drissell joined Sol, Brent's off spin replaced Booth & then Sullivan (sla) replaced Schaper, spinners bowling in tandem but no alarms as the rate settled at 5's.

50-1 after 10 overs became 95-1 at drinks after 21, Sol 29* George 33* including a 6 to mid wicket off Brent. The spinners continued, George despatched Brent for another 6 to mid wicket then Booth returned for 2 overs & then Kilby (rm) but no breakthrough was in sight.

Having reached 50 at 1811,18 minutes later, with the total at 105 in the 31st, George (56, 74b, 4x4 3x6) swung Brent to Lambert on the deep square leg boundary. A measured, chanceless innings complementing Sol's ability to rotate the strike off front or back foot. A match defining  partnership of 145 in 22 overs with Sol reaching his 50 off 70 balls, 4x4, at 1822.

Chris Hewison joined Sol & although a chance to point was not taken in the 35^th off Sullivan, the pair moved inexorably to the target with Chris lofting to long on & Sol driving off the back foot either side of point. Moxon returned from the Park end conceding 8 & the winning boundary came in his next, with a sweetly struck on drive from Sol from the first ball of the 38^th over. 

Supporters cheers rang out as the despairing dive from the mid on fielder failed to stop the boundary to the Pavilion. Sol 82* (112b, 8x4,1x3, 7x2, 30x1) his athleticism outstanding; Chris 21* (18b, 4x4 )the powerful companion.

Always important to bounce back. Onward to the ECB National Club Championship 1/4 final, SNCC v Ormskirk on Sun 27^th July at home 1300, 40/40. This is part three, the Bulls having met & defeated Ormskirk in 2016 (h) James Miller (66) in the semi final & 2021 (a) Chris Hewison (73) in the 1/4 final. We hope you can be there, it might just be exciting.

In between T20 finals day on Sun 13th July at Chester le Street & tough league games to come against Chester-le-Street (12/7 a), Burnmoor (19/7 h) & Ashington (26/7 a) in a traditional holiday period, so no respite in the quest for the maintenance of the high standards set.

Duncan.