CHAMPION MIDWEEK BULLS END ON A HIGH WITH DEFEAT OF BOMARSUND.
15th August 2025
MIDWEEK BULLS DEFEAT CLOSEST CHALLENGERS NEWCASTLE CITY.
7th Aug 2025
MIDWEEK BULLS DEFEAT CLOSEST CHALLENGERS NEWCASTLE CITY.
NTCL Mid Week Open League: SNCC v Newcastle City (a) 20/20
Newcastle City 115-8 (20o) Ali Nadeem 41, Muhsinul Jazeem 19, Muhammad Umar 21: Danny Collins 2-29, Will Young 1-28, Simon West 2-24. Tom Seymour 1-19, George McConnell 1-7.
SNCC 116-4 (16.5o) Tom Seymour 32, George McConnell 52*, Danny Collins 6*: Akshay Saharan 2-19, Muhsinul Jazeem 0-19, Abid Mukhtar 0-16, Mohammed Tahir 1-27, Subhan Shahzad 1-23.
SNCC won by 6 wickets - 9 points, Newcastle City 2.
A cloudy evening in Gosforth, the hosts chose to bat. Danny & Will bowled the first 9 overs. In the first a boundary to Shahzad (4) but then bowled by a Danny inswinger, 4-1. In Will's second Wigham (9) was bowled by a in swinging delivery. In the next, an outstanding piece of fielding by Varun saw him pick up at backward point & effect a direct hit to the bowler's stumps leaving Verma (1) stranded, 3 down.
Umar (21) had batted nicely but in Danny's 5th he was bowled off a pad. Simon & Tom bowled overs 10-19, 43 runs & 3 wickets. Ahmed (1) was bowled by Simon, opener left handed Nadeem (41) very well caught by w/k Steve Harper standing up to Tom & Saharan (2) fell the same way, caught Steve bowled Simon, 7 down.
George bowled the last over & from the last ball of the innings Jazeem (19) skied to be caught by Will Oliver at cover. The hosts 115-8 after 20 overs. Tahir 7*.
A difficult start for the Bulls, Steve (0) edged Saharan to w/k Umar in the first over 5-1. Tris (4), aiming to steer, edged behind in over 3,16-2. The opening bowlers were brisk, hard to see & get away, but Tom (32, 5x4,1x6) & George (52*, 5x4, 4x6) batted positively.
Tom driving sumptuously straight down the ground & George showing immense power square of the wicket when bowlers dropped short, including one remarkable 6 cut over point & an uppercut for 4. At 75 Tom (32) was adjudged to have edged to w/k Umar off the off spin of Tahir, 3 down.
Will Oliver (0) went back to Shahzad & was bowled at 95, but Danny (6*) & George (52*) ran very well in the worsening conditions of fading light & drizzle without the benefit of sight screens. The winning run came in the 17th over, the extras totalled 22 (5b, 7lb, 3w, 7 nb).
Onward to Thurs 7th August SNCC v Ashington (h) 1800, 20/20
Thurs 14th August SNCC v Bomarsund (h) 1800, 20/20.
The Bulls are currently on 92 points with two games to play. Second placed Newcastle City on 85 with one game left, to third placed Warkworth on 82, also with one left. A maximum 10 points for a win. So 4 points would secure the Midweek Open League Championship for 2025. We must continue!! Do come along & cheer the team on.
Duncan.