BULLS WINNING WEEKEND AGAINST ASHINGTON IN THE NEPL & CASTLEFORD IN THE NATIONAL CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP.

13th May 2025

     BULLS WINNING WEEKEND AGAINST ASHINGTON IN THE NEPL & CASTLEFORD IN THE NATIONAL CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP.

                                 Sat 10^th May : NEPL Premier Division:

                                 SNCC v Ashington (h) 45/45, win/lose.

Ashington 203-9 (45o) Jack Jessop 25, Jack McCarthy 67, Daniel Gardiner 32: Jonny Wightman 1-42, Cody Hoffmeister 0-32, George Drissell 3-38, Oli McGee 0-27, Tom Jones 2-36, Nathan Gough 1-19.

SNCC 205-6 (39.4o) George Drissell 89*, Chris Hewison 40, Sol Bell 16: Matthew Collins 2-45, Alex Nice 1-23, Avishka Perera 2-41, Matthew Potts 1-32.

SNCC won by 4 wickets- 24 points, Ashington 6.

On a day when the Bulls dropped 7 catches of varying degrees of difficulty & then at 40-2, they were indebted to a third wicket partnership of 107 between George Drissell & Chris Hewison to establish a winning position which came about after 4 balls of the 40th over.

A sunny day at Roseworth Terrace, Ashington won the toss & chose to bat. Jessop & McCarthy faced the seam of Jonny Wightman & Cody Hoffmeister. A steady start saw the total reach 35 after 9 overs with a run out chance not taken & another one skied by McCarthy, then on 20, falling to earth between mid on & mid wicket.

George Drissell (ob) from the Park end saw another McCarthy chance dropped at long on in his second over. In the next, the 13th, Jessop (20) advanced for a sharp single off Oli but was sent back by McCarthy who saw Sol's  throw to w/k Rob from mid on defeat his return, 49-1.

Two wickets in George's 4^th saw Perera (14) who had taken 12 from George's previous over, advance, miss & be stumped by w/k Rob Peyton. Two balls later on the back foot Ben Harmison (0) was palpably lbw. 68-3. Another missed chance to mid on in George's next presaged a partnership of 61 between McCarthy & McCafferty as Cody returned only to see a diving Birty just fail to cling onto a low catch, diving right, one handed at first slip.

93-3 at drinks after 23 overs & then Tom Jones & Nathan Gough had short spells. In Tom's third McCarthy drove back low & Tom clung onto a good catch, diving forward on follow through, McCarthy 67 (69b 10x4 1x6). 

An eventful Gough second over saw three wides & a no ball but also an important wicket as McCafferty (19, 44b 1x4) edged down the legside & saw Rob take a low catch diving to his left, 132-5 after 29 overs.

George returned & bowled Potts (1) in the next over, 6 down. Daniel Gardiner & James Harmison combined in a stand of 37 as Oli & Jonny returned but in the 39^th 2 wickets as first Harmison (9) was run out by an emphatic direct hit to the bowler's stumps by the left handed Nathan from mid on & two balls later, Gardiner (32, 31b 2x4 1x6) found Sol on the deep mid wicket boundary who took a neat catch off Wightman, 178-8.

In the 42nd Storey (7) edged Jones & w/k Rob took the catch. Nice (10*) & Collins (3*)saw the visitors to the close at 203-9.

Sol & Birty faced the seam of Collins & Nice. 28 -0 off 8 but in the 9^th Birty (11) edged an intended drive & McCafferty took the slip catch. At 40 in the 12^th Sol (16) edged Nice to McCarthy, 2 down. 

There followed a chanceless partnership of 107 between George & Chris. 93-2 at drinks George (42*) & Chris (13*). Gardiner (rm), Harmison (ob) & Perera (ob) toiled but George's shot selection was without blemish & Chris supported admirably. 132 after 30 overs & then in the 33rd, trying to accelerate, Chris (40, 64b, 4x4) steered too fine allowing w/k McCarthy to pouch, 171-4.

Rob Peyton & George added 17 before Rob (10, 14b 1x4) was stumped off a wide from Potts in over 36. Perera returned & in over 39 first Adam (7, 8b) was bowled & after hitting his first ball for 4 Oli (4) was also bowled, 191-6.

Nathan (8*) settled the nerves, benefitting from 4 Perera overthrows & then in the 40th pulling Nice to square leg. George stroked the 4^th ball for the winning boundary & remained undefeated, (89*, 91b 9x4 3x6) a consummate display, decisive shot selections, runs all around the ground.

A timely win for the Bulls,  onward to Sat 17^th May SNCC v Sunderland (a) 1200, 45/45 win/lose. We hope you can be there to cheer the Bulls on.

Duncan.

    SUNDAY 11TH MAY 2025: NATIONAL CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND 1

                                   SNCC V CASTLEFORD (h) 1315, 40/40

 BULLS TRIUMPH IN NATIONAL - TWO OUTSTANDING PARTNERSHIPS & 6 SUPERB CATCHES HELP GOUGHY TAKE  5 WICKETS IN AN 83 RUN WIN.

SNCC 228-4 (40o) Sol Bell 63, Simon Birtwisle 19, Rob Peyton 40, Chris Hewison 58* Oli McGee 40*: Calum Rowe 0-36, Connor Hynd 0-61, Eddie Morrison 2-21, Scott Hopkinson 0-24, David Wainwright 0-45, Chris Holliday 0-39.

Castleford 145ao (29.5o) Calum Rowe 25, Liam Hynd 40, Brayden Clark 15: Jonny Wightman 1-31, Cody Hoffmeister 1-23, Nathan Gough 5-43, Oli McGee 0-23, Gavin Paton 2-9, Tom Jones 1-14.

SNCC won by 83 runs.

This was almost the complete performance every Bulls supporter was waiting for. Two excellent partnerships - Sol & Rob of 94, Chris & Oli of 97 then, the day after dropping 7 chances, the Bulls were outstanding in the field with 6 superb catches & good ground fielding, Castleford  succumbing in the 30^th over after a fast start.

SN won the toss & chose to bat on another sunny day. Bell & Birtwisle faced the off spin of Rowe & seam of Connor Hynd. A steady start but after two cover driven boundaries Birty (19, 2x4) had the misfortune to be run out at the bowler's end as Morrison, with his first delivery, deflected a firm Sol drive onto the bowler's stumps, 32-1 in the 8th.

Faced by spin at both ends Sol & Rob then put together an outstanding partnership of 94, 52 singles & only 7 boundaries which featured excellent running & an eye for the spaces. 

94-1 at drinks, the slow left arm of Wainwright, complementing the off spin of Morrison & the  flatter deliveries of Holliday. Good use of the feet to the spinners, Sol reached 50 in the 23rd over. Boundaries to cover & mid wicket in the 25^th but in the 26^th two wickets as first Rob (40,47b, 5x4) advanced to a Morrison wide & was stumped down the legside.

Two balls Sol (63, 73b 6x4) on the back foot was lbw, 127-3. Lovely to see both bat well. Sadly two overs later a tight single call to cover by Hewi saw Sam Ewart (1) unable to beat Rowe's throw to the w/k, 132-4 after 30 overs.

Hewi & Oli rebuilt. The last 10 overs saw the score rise by 96. C Hynd returned but was pummelled for 42 in 4 overs, Rowe & Holliday also suffered, two  chances not taken in the 37th & last over & a number of misfields as the pressure seemed to tell. 

The final total rose to a defendable 228-4 after 40 overs, Hewi 58* (47b, 8x4), Oli 40* (38b, 5x4). 13 x4 in the last 10 overs & an outstanding 95 singles in the innings.

Chasing Rowe & Clark faced Wightman & Hoffmeister. A fast start 5 wides & 5 x4 in the first three overs, 30-0. But in the 4^th Clark (15) beaten for pace & bowled by Hoffmeister, 33-1. Three overs later Holliday was lbw to Wightman, 44-2.

Nathan Gough started a spell from the Park end in over10 & bowled unchanged for his 8 overs taking 5 wickets aided by some outstanding catches. 53-2 after 10 overs. as Oli bowled from the Grove end.

Nathan's second went for 14 as L Hynd hooked 4,6 & flat batted 4 but in his third Rowe (25) square drove hard to point where Sol took a low catch very well, 73-3. Sol, on a high, then made two excellent stops at point & although Oli suffered in over 17,in Nathan's next, the left handed Wainwright cut towards backward point where Birty dived to his left to take the catch in his left hand very close to the ground!!, 

Two balls later the right handed  Hopkinson (0) edged to first slip where the ubiquitous Birty dived to his right to take another in one hand!! 100-5. In the 20^th Nathan's 6^th Edwards (0) left handed, fended to slip where Birty obliged again !!, 102-6 at drinks.

Cody returned but it was Nathan again in the 22nd who persuaded Liam Hynd (40,46b,6x4 1x6) to drive to mid off where & Wighters made good ground to his left to take the catch low, diving forward, 114-7. The left arm seam of Goughy, his first, 1^st team 5 fer & the first for SNCC in 2025. A tribute to putting the ball in the right areas, adjusting to left & right handers & generating movement at a good pace.

In over 25 Gavin got a wicket with his first ball when C Hynd (6) edged toward first slip only to see w/k Rob dive to his right to take a superb one handed catch, 122-8. The only maiden over bowled by SNCC goes to Gav.

In Gavin's second over Morrison (8) skied towards point & w/k Rob took the catch 10 yards from the crease, 9 down. Anderson & Dickinson hit 2x4 but it was left to Tom Jones (lb) to take the final wicket bowling Anderson (9) with the 5^th ball of the 30^th over.

Onward to Round 2: Sunday 25th May 2025: SNCC v Harrogate (h) 1300 start, 40/40. We hope you can be there, it should be exciting!

Duncan.