BULLS WINNING WEEKEND IN NEPL & NATIONAL CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP.

27th May 2025

  BULLS WINNING WEEKEND IN NEPL & NATIONAL CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP.

       Sat 24^th May: NEPL Premier Division: SNCC v Hetton Lyons (h) 45/45

Hetton Lyons 127ao (32o) Stuart Walker 24, Jarvis Clay 43, Chris Martin 15: Jonny Wightman 5-21, Cody Hoffmeister 1-14, George Drissell 1-25, Nathan Gough 0-18, Oli McGee 0-27, Gavin Paton 2-17.

SNCC 129-4 (22.1o) Sol Bell 20, Sam Ewart 34, George Drissell 49*, Adam Cragg 21*: Cameron Grimwood 0-29, Oliver Watt 0-12, Aaron Watson 1-42, Chris Winn 3-40, Harrison Lowther 0-6.

SNCC won by 6 wickets- 24 points, Hetton Lyons 2.

After overnight rain the day was fine & sunny. A strong breeze blew across the ground as the visitors were invited to bat. Abbas & Fishwick faced Wightman & Hoffmeister. Abbas took 4,4,2 off Cody's first but in his second drove to cover where Sol took a straightforward catch, 17-1.

Two wickets for Jonny in the next over as Fishwick (6) edged & Rob Peyton took a good diving catch, low to his right. Two balls later Birbeck (0) was bowled emphatically, a swinging yorker rearranged the stumps, 18-3.

Clay & Walker settled against the spin of Drissell & seam of Gough until Walker (24) set off for a sharp single to cover off Nathan but was beaten by Sol's swift pick up & direct hit to the bowler's end, 62-4.

Clay took advantage as Oli's length suffered. Adam, diving full length to his right, was unlucky not to be able to cling onto a strong drive from Martin off Oli in the 19th. Drinks were taken at 101-4 after 22 overs.

Gavin had started a spell & in his second Martin (15) edged to w/k Rob, 104-5. The innings then fell away with 5 wickets falling in 5 overs. Adam's athletic stop at short extra off Oli presaged Winn (12) lbw to a full ball from Gav. Two wickets in the next to Jonny as Clay (43, 55b, 6x4 1x6) was bowled, an inventive innings with scoops, then Lowther (0) edged to George at 1^st slip, 124-8.

Two overs later Jonny completed his 5 fer as Watson (1) hit towards mid on to present Hewi with a catch & in the 32nd the positioning of a silly mid off persuaded Watt (0) to play an expansive shot only to miss & be bowled by George. Interestingly, 70 of the 120 runs came in boundaries.

Starting at 1430 Sol Bell & Sam Ewart faced the sla of Cameron Grimwood & seam of Oliver Watt. Steady progress reaching 41 after 10 overs which included 2x4 to Sol (20*) & 2x4 1x6 to Sam (21*).

Then, perhaps unexpectedly, 4 wickets in 3 overs as Sol (20) edged to w/k Clay off Winn's medium pace away swing, Sam (34) hit Watson straight to Walker at mid wicket, Chris (1) aiming to the on side skied to mid off & Rob (2) wafted an edge to Clay both off Winn, 64-4.

George & Adam then put together a partnership of 63 in 8.1 overs to win the game. A 6 to long on to Adam in the 19th,15 from Winn in the 20^th included a 6 over backward square leg to George & the same number of runs off Watson in the 21st included another 6 onto the indoor centre from George, over long on.

Adam struck the winning boundary to square leg from the first ball of the 23rd over. George 49* (27b, 5x4 3x6) Adam 21* (26b, 3x4 1x6). 

The Bulls move up to 3^rd in the Premier division behind unbeaten leaders Burnmoor & Chester-le-Street.

Onward to Sat 31st May SNCC v Shotley Bridge(a) 1130, win/lose/draw 110 overs, we hope you can be there.

BULLS TRIUMPH OVER HARROGATE IN THE NATIONAL- CRUCIAL CRAGG & ALEXANDER PARTNERSHIP THEN JONES SPINS A WEB TO TAKE 5 WICKETS.

        Sun 25^th May 2025: ECB National Club Championship round 2

                                            SNCC v Harrogate (h) 40/40

SNCC 222-8 (40o) Will Alexander 43, Adam Cragg 97, Sol Bell 11, Nathan Gough 11: Craig Broadley 2-26, Will Harwood 4-62, Pavan Seneviratne 0-14, David Stiff 0-19, Jack Shutt 0-50, Ishan Abeysekara 2-43.

Harrogate 152ao (31o) Isaac Light 50, Jack Shutt 30*, Ben Carr 13, Ishan Abeysekara 14, David Stiff 23: Jonny Wightman 2-19, Cody Hoffmeister 0-17, Gavin Paton 0-28, Nathan Gough 1-19, Tom Jones 5-39, Oli McGee 2-26.

SNCC won by 70 runs- round 3 v Sheffield Collegiate (a) Sun 15^th June.

With rain threatening the visitors won the toss & chose to field. Sam Ewart & Sol Bell faced the left arm seam of Broadley & rm of Harwood. A strong start, 13 from Harwood's first including two straight drives by Sam but sadly in the third Sam (9, 2x4) skied an intended pull to offer a caught & bowled to Broadley, 17-1. Will Alexander entered at number 3 but would not bowl.

25-2 in the 6^th as Sol (11) defending was bowled by Harwood. Hewi glanced for 4 but in the 10^th skied to mid wicket & was caught by Ambler off Harwood, 33-3. There seemed help for the seamers in the wicket. 

Will & Adam were watchful against change bowlers Seneviratne & Stiff. Will showing concentration, composure & patience took18 balls to get off the mark but then a steer to third man & an over later a hook for 4 got him on his way. Adam drove Harwood through cover & then heavy rain at 1405 led to a 20 minute delay, 54-3 after 13 overs.

Resumption then but drizzle which gladly stopped. The total rose to 87 after 20 overs, Will 21*, Adam 20*. Off spinner Shutt & leg spinner Abeysekara then bowled unchanged until over 36. Drinks were taken after over 27 at 129-3. Will had just taken 10 off Shutt, driving straight & pulling over mid wicket, Adam 35* reversed powerfully for 4.

In the over after drinks Will (43,71b, 3x4) drove back to Abeysekara who tumbled to his left to take the catch. The end of a vital partnership of 96 & much credit to Will for his application under pressure, blossoming as the innings progressed.

Nathan hit Shutt straight for 6 in the 31st & in the next Adam reversed Abeysekara for 6 to get to 50*, an astonishing shot towards Roseworth Terrace. In the same over Nathan (11, 15b 1x6) playing forward, was stumped by Light, 155-5. Oli joined Adam & the pair pushed on.

In the last 8 overs 67 runs were scored as Adam stroked powerfully straight, through cover, to mid wicket, reversing the leg spinner to backward point, Oli dabbed & ran. Broadley & Harwood returned to bowl overs 37-40. Over 38 yielded 18 as Adam pummelled successive 6 's to mid wicket & long on.

Oli (9) attacking, was caught by Stiff at mid wicket in the same over, 203-6. Gavin (8) hit a 6 to backward square leg before being bowled by a slower yorker from Broadley, 212-7 after 39 overs. In the last Adam hit 2x4 & connected well to mid wicket from ball, 4 only to be caught on the boundary by Abeysekara for a magnificent 97 (121b, 10x4 3x6) so deserving of three more!! 

The innings closed at 222-8; a very good comeback from 33-3; 27 extras included 19 wides; defendable.

The right handers Hammill & Carr faced Wightman (Grove) & Hoffmeister (Park)

In over 3 Hammill (1) forward, was comprehensively bowled by Jonny. 27-1 after 10 overs with Light (3x4) showing intent, Carr nudging 8. Gavin & Nathan began spells & in Gav's first Light skied straight which Oli, covering from mid off, caught but could not quite cling on as he fell.

In Nathan's first 3 wides including a catch down the legside but from ball 5 Carr (13) cut hard to point where Sol took a good catch with aplomb 39-2. Nathan's radar continued to be awry so Tom Jones began a spell from the Park end in over 16 & with his 5th ball, persuaded Bates (4) to drive hard to short extra cover where Adam caught a good catch, low down, 67-3.

In Gavin's 5^th Oli again had ground to cover at mid off as Ambler skied but at full stretch above his head, just failed not complete the difficult catch. After drinks at 92-3 Oli gained his revenge as Light (50, 54b 7x4) advanced but was bowled, 94-4. Two wickets in the next for Tom as Ambler (14) was caught & bowled low to his left on follow through & then Abeysekara (2) lofted to the mid wicket boundary where Nathan obliged, 

In Tom's next Stiff hit a 6 but from the last ball, Harwood was bowled, 107-7. Stiff (23, 3x6) hit consecutive 6's in Tom's next but from ball 4 lofted to long on where Cody took the catch, 120-8. A maiden 5 fer for Tom, pitching it up. Broadley (1) was bowled by Oli in the next over.

Shutt was positive striking 5x4 including 2 from the returning Jonny from the Park end but a single saw Seneviratne (1) loft to long on where Cody completed the catch, Harrogate 152 all out in 32 overs.

Another good display by the Bulls in that different team members stood up when required.

Onward to round 3, SNCC v Sheffield Collegiate (a) Sun 15^th June, 1300 start 40/40. Travel arrangements will be announced shortly. We hope you may be there to cheer the Bulls on. It might be exciting !!

Duncan.