HIGHEST OPENING PARTNERSHIP OF THE SEASON BUT RAIN FOILS BULLS & RESULT CONSIGNS TYNEMOUTH TO DIVISION 1.

16th Sep 2025

     HIGHEST OPENING PARTNERSHIP OF THE SEASON BUT RAIN FOILS BULLS & RESULT CONSIGNS TYNEMOUTH TO DIVISION 1.

    Sat 13^th Sept 2025: NEPL Premier Division: SNCC v Tynemouth (a) 45/45 win/lose

SNCC 172-1 (26.4o) Chris Hewison 50, Sol Bell 93*, David Edwards 11*: Phil Morse 0-36, Will Rhodes 0-42, Matthew Brown 0-27, Martin Pollard 0-27, Dan McGee 1-14, Andrew Smith 0-15.

Match abandoned at 1735 ; outfield unfit: SNCC 7 points, Tynemouth 5.

Overnight rain meant a delayed start at 1230 but no loss of overs. The Bulls won the toss & chose to bat. Rain was forecast & the pressure was on Tynemouth to play & win, beginning 6 points in arrears of Shotley Bridge & 7 of Ashington, in 11/12^th place in the Premier Division.

Chris Hewison & Sol Bell face the slow left arm of Phil Morse & seam of DCCC's Will Rhodes. The wicket was slow with a touch of occasional bounce from the Preston Avenue end. The sun shone fitfully through scudding grey clouds, the boundary was brought in 5 yards on the scorebox side to avoid areas of dampness. Sawdust was scattered on wicket ends.

Rain between 1237-1250 saw the Bulls at 14 after 3 overs, one over lost each made it a 44 over per side match. A solitary maiden in over 5 to Morse but 8 from Rhodes's next as 4 singles accompanied a pull to mid wicket by Chris.

13 from Morse's next as Chris drove straight & then pulled to mid wicket. 10 from Rhodes's  5^th as Sol clipped 2x4 +2 to backward square leg, 56 after 10 overs then 10 from the 11^th  as both batters took 4+1.

Brown & Pollard entered the attack, a hint of a drop at 84 by w/k Bowman in Brown's second & a very difficult chance in his third to a retreating long off which McAlindon, at full speed over his shoulder, got hands to, but could not cling on.

Sol, who was timing the ball well, reached 50* (59b, 9x4) in the 18^th taking 2x4 from Brown straight & to mid wicket. Pollard suffered in the 19^th as 13 leaked including 4 leg byes & 4 byes. Rhodes returned but Sol stroked 2,2,1 then Chris pulled to mid wicket for 4 then drove straight magnificently for 6, 134 after 20 overs.

The highest partnership for any league wicket by the Bulls in 2025 ended at 138 when Chris (50, 58b, 6x4,1x6), a determined & resourceful innings, drove McGee to long off where Rhodes took the catch. David Ewards joined Sol & drinks were taken at 154 after 24 overs.

Smith's first included 4 overthrows to give Sol 5. In McGee's third he spurned a tough caught & bowled chance low to his left off a Sol drive . At 1415 rain halted play after 4 balls of the 27^th over at 172-1, Sol 93* (92b, 11x4,1x5), a really on song batting display & David 11* (9b, 2x4).

Tea was taken. Thereafter, despite several tours of the outfield by both umpires & players, amid both sunshine & showers but less drying wind, Umpires Glen & Walker eventually deemed the outfield unfit to play & at 1735 abandoned the game.

A sad end for Martin Pollard in his last game as Tynemouth 1^st X1 capt & for Tynemouth, one of only three clubs never to be relegated since the NEPL's inception in 2000, the other two being Chester-le-Street & South North.

Sol 655 runs at 38.53 (3x50, 2x100, NEPL11th), Cody 36 wkts at 15.56 (2x5w, NEPL 6th) Rob 27 victims (NEPL 4th).

Post match Chris offered heartfelt thanks to the team for their not inconsiderable efforts being runners up in the Premier League on 350 points, especially getting so close to an ECB Club Championship national semi final, being finalists in the NEPL T20 & to Rohan for his input presenting him with a gift of bright pink training shoes to add to the colourful yellow & orange crocs he likes to wear !

The celebrations continued into the night at SNCC as the 2's confirmed a  third place finish in Division 2 with a 7 wicket win over Tynemouth.

Onward to the Annual Presentation Evening when SNCC celebrates another season on Sat 20th September in the Indoor Centre from 1800. 

Your correspondent hopes you have enjoyed reading these reports & would welcome your feedback. May we all winter well. 

Duncan.