BULLS UNDONE ON A GREEN WICKET-DOIG FIREWORKS IN VAIN.

28th Aug 2025

                 BULLS UNDONE ON A GREEN WICKET-DOIG FIREWORKS IN VAIN.

     Sat 23 Aug 2025: NEPL Premier Division: SNCC v Newcastle (a) 45/45 win/lose.

SNCC 210-9 (45o) Chris Hewison 21, Sam Ewart 18, Oli McGee 25, Andrew Doig 80*: Josh Stirling 1-38, Asher Hart 2-25, George Darwood 1-41, Joe Stuart 2-36, Will McLaughlin 2-40, Levi Olver 0-29.

Newcastle 211-7 (43o) Matthew Stewart 52, Asher Hart 17, Bobby Green 80, George Darwood 18*: Cody Hoffmeister 2-38, Simon Birtwisle 2-42, Nathan Gough 2-45, Oli McGee 1-36, Andrew Doig 0-29, Will Young 0-14.

Newcastle won by 3 wickets- 24 points, SNCC 7.

Losing the toss on a green wicket made life difficult for the Bulls missing bowlers Wightman, Alexander, Paton & Drissell & w/k Rob Peyton but giving a first team league debut to 16 year old seam bowler, Will Young. Then, from the depths of 46-4 & 76-6, Andy Doig's swashbuckling 80*, containing 9x6 & 1x4, enabled a respectable total of 210 -9 after the 45 overs permitted. In reply Newcastle also stumbled to 47-3, including an important chance not taken, but a very good partnership of 102 between Stewart & Green laid the platform &, despite a late wobble, they reached their target with two overs to spare.

Hewison & Bell faced the spin of Stirling (Cemetery) & seam of Hart (Avenue). Coping with regular movement off the surface the pair had taken scoring opportunities & the total had reached 31 in the 8^th when Chris (21, 21b, 3x4) edged to w/k Youlden off Hart.

In Darwood's second, the ninth, an Edwards drive was deflected onto the bowler's stumps & Sol (11) was unlucky to be run out backing up; his second such dismissal in three weeks. Three well struck boundaries for David (12) but at 46, half forward, he also edged to w/k Youlden off Darwood. 

At the same score, one over later, Birty (2) forward, edged Hart to Youlden, 46-4. Ewart & Cragg resisted for nine overs as Darwood continued, Stuart (sla) & McLaughlin (rm) began. Sadly, in over 22 Sam (18), on the back foot, edged Stuart to w/k Youlden, his 4^th catch. Drinks were taken & in the next Adam (11), to his frustration, dragged on to McLaughlin, 78-6.

Oli at 7 & Andrew at 8 steadied the ship & it was Andy who began to drive strongly smiting Stuart over mid wicket twice for 6 & when Stirling returned he was driven straight for 4. Olver was also driven straight for 6 in over 32. In over 35 Oli (25, 4x4,32b) skied McLaughlin to cover, 152-7.

In over 38 Olver (sla) was driven for 6 over mid wicket & then straight but in the next Nathan (10) edged Stirling to give w/k Youlden his 5^th catch, 176-8. McLaughlin was not spared as Andy drove consecutive 6's in the 41st to long on & straight. At 195 in the 42^nd Cody (2) was bowled by Stuart but there was still time for two more Doig maximums as Darwood, amid some short pitched bowling, was driven straight in the 43 & Stirling over long on in the 44th.

Will (1*) resisted Darwood, sneaking a single & the innings ended at 210-9, rather more than had been imagined 22 overs earlier. Andy (80*, 81b, 1x4, 9x6) an exhilarating display of clean hitting !

In reply Coulthard (lh) & Stewart (rh) faced the seam of Hoffmeister (Cemetery) & sla of Birty (Avenue). Success from the 4^th ball as Coulthard edged Cody & Hewi, diving to his right at second slip took a very good, low catch.  Hart pulled Cody for 4 then Birty for 6 but at 18 in the 5^th skied an intended pull & Doig took the catch at mid on. In Cody's next Stewart cut to gully, where Sol had just moved, but crucially, as it turned out, could not cling on to a waist high chance.

Nathan & Oli began spells from the 10^th & it was Oli in the 11^th who persuaded Youlden (11) to pop a catch to short extra where Adam pounced, turn & bounce, 47-3. There followed a match defining partnership of 105 between Stewart & Green. 117 at drinks after 23 overs as Andy & Will attempted a breakthrough. The pair had rotated the strike well & taken advantage of variations of length, Green (39*), Stewart (37*).

Birty returned for a 5 over spell & in the 30th Stewart (52, 85b, 5x4) skied to deep mid wicket where Nathan took a good catch. Ten runs & four overs later Fletcher (5) was bowled by Birty, 159-5. Green sailed on at a run a ball driving through cover or pulling over wide long on.

Nathan returned & his second, the 40th, produced two wickets amid 4 wides!! Green (80, 90b, 10x4) edged to w/k Sam at 195, a very positive innings full of intent, & 3 balls later Stirling (1) was bowled, 197-7. Darwood (18*) had settled & produced some nice drives to extra cover & midwicket & in company with Olver (8*) saw the winning single taken  from the last ball of the 43^rd over. 

Victory for Burnmoor over CLS sees them retain the Premier League title for 2025 with three games remaining. The Bulls retain second place on 295, 10 ahead of CLS.

Onward to Sat 30th August SNCC v Felling (a) 1200, 45/45 win/lose. We hope you can be there to cheer the team on.

Duncan.