WILL CARR SPARKLING CENTURY AS BULLS ACADEMY EARN BIG WIN OVER SACRISTON.

19th Aug 2025

WILL CARR SPARKLING CENTURY AS BULLS ACADEMY EARN BIG WIN OVER SACRISTON.

Sun 17^th Aug 2025: NEPL Sunday First Division: SNCC Academy v Sacriston (h)   40/40

SNCC Academy 268-6 (40o) Aadi Bethanabatla 25, Will Carr 105*, Andy Doig 36, Sam Lee 35: Jake Atkinson 3-47, Patrick Price 1-27, Ben Hubber 0-19, Harry Iveson 1-47, Luke McSkelly 0-12, Callum Dodds 1-56, Rowan Nailer 0-39.

Sacriston 79ao (25.5o) Luke McSkelly 10, Ben Hubber 14, Patrick Price 14: Will Young 2-10, George McConnell 4-17, Sam Lee 1-17, Archit Upadhye 3-15, Joseph Dresser 0-4.

SNCC Academy won by 189 runs - 25 points, Sacriston 8.

A sunny day at Roseworth Terrace welcomed visitors Sacriston, 2024 Sunday First Division champions. In the event the Bulls won comfortably as Will Carr 105* his first senior century & the first for him at SNCC, led a commanding batting effort which amassed 268-6 in 40 overs, also a record score for the Academy.

Then bowling out the visitors for 79 in 25.5 overs; Will Young 2, George McConnell 4, Sam Lee 1, Archit Upadhye 3 the wicket takers, a smart, low first slip catch by Angus & finishing with an excellent, retreating overhead catch by Varun Gudipati at mid off to take the last wicket off Archit.

The Bulls chose to bat. Angus Southern & Aadi Bethanabatla faced the seam of Atkinson & Price. The latter bowled 4 overs for 4 with three maidens & included the wicket of Angus (3) adjudged lbw when well forward, 19-1.

Jan hit 10 in Atkinson's 4^th over but mistimed to mid wicket from the last ball, 36-2. In the 11^th Aadi (25,38b 4x4) edged a drive to w/k Ratcliffe off Iveson, 51-3 in the 11th. Andy Doig joined Will & the partnership developed such that at drinks after 20 overs the total was 107; Will 26* Andy 30*. Two straight drives by Will, destined for the boundary, had the misfortune to hit the bowler's stumps!!

Fortune for Will in over 25 as a pull to deep square leg off Atkinson was dropped. One ball later Andy (36, 32b, 5x4) lost his off stump as he aimed to drive Atkinson straight, 128-4, a handy partnership of 77 ended.

Runs apace in the next 4 overs  as both Will (5x4) reaching 51* with a back foot drive through cover & George (2x4) made Iveson, Dodds & Atkinson pay for variations of length. Then George (8), from only 5 balls, was bowled by Atkinson aiming a drive to leg, 165-5.

Sam Lee joined Will as Dodds (ob) & Nailer (rm) took up the attack.181 after 30 overs as byes & wides added to the total, became 214 after 34 as the pair ran well & punished the bad ball. Sam, driving through mid on, cutting past point, hoisting over mid wicket, surviving a dropped chance to mid on, got to 35 (35b 5x4) in over 36 when he edged a drive to w/k Ratcliffe, an exuberant knock contributing to a partnership of 61 in only 6.3 overs, 226-6.

Joesph joined Will & from overs 37 (11 runs), 38 (9,) 39 (6), & in the last Will pulled to fine leg for 4 to get to his 100*. Another boundary & 12 from the over meant a close at 268-6 Will 105* (104b 16x4- 3 to cover,7 behind square leg, 3 to long off, 1 straight & 2 to mid wicket) Joseph 4*-a  commanding performance cheered on by his team mates, rehydration necessary, it was a warm day!

In reply Bulmer & Sam Hubber  faced Will Young (rm) & George McConnell (lm). Bulmer (1) lobbed to Jan at mid wicket in the first. In the 4^th Hubber (3) edged George to slip where Angus took a good low catch, 14-2. In his next Ratcliffe (1) edged George to w/k Will Carr, 17-3. This became 24-4 in the 8^th as George, in the middle of conceding 3x4, from ball 2 Nailer skied a pull to be caught by Jan at short extra cover.

Fletcher (0) followed in over 9 bowled middle stump, full & straight, 33-5. Jan made a diving stop at cover &then George concluded his 6 over spell by bowling Dodds (3) who swung but lost middle stump, 38-6.

In the next, Sam Lee's first, McSkelly (10) lofted in the air to cover where Aadi took a good catch above his head, 38-7. In Archit's first Atkinson (1) lofted to Jan at mid wicket, 40-8.

Some respite as Ben Hubber & Price were resolute. Drinks were taken after 20 overs at 58-8. Joseph began a spell & in the next, Archit's 5^th  Ben Hubber (14) mistimed a full toss to mid wicket where Aadi took the catch, 66-9.  Price drove Archit for4 off the back foot through cover but from ball 5 lofted towards mid off where a retreating Varun held a very good catch over his head as he tumbled, 5.8 for both technical merit & artistic impression for the backward roll !!

A commanding win, 25 points, three games to go, 74 points the gap to leaders CLS who have completed their programme of 14 games. May the weather be kind & availability be good.

Onward to Sun  31st Aug SNCC Academy v Newcastle (a) 1330 40/40

                       Sun 7^th Sept SNCC Academy v Whitburn (h) 1330 40/40

                       Sun 14^th Sept SNCC Academy v Newcastle (h) 1330 40/40.

We hope you can be there to cheer the team on.

Duncan.