Where better to start the weekend review than with the NEPL 3rd XI who secured the NEPL Sunday league title at Blaydon. It was a much overdue title success given we have had 3 runners up positions in the Sunday league over the past 4 years.
We only needed 6 points from the game to win the league. We batted first and largely due to an excellent 81no from Zain Ahmed, and 49 from Darshana, scored 184 for 8. The runs we scored meant we only needed 3 wickets to get the points needed to win the league, and we did that when Mathew Lockey bowled Michael Holt. Unfortunately with the game nicely poised for a close finish with Blaydon on 101 for 3, a shower of biblical proportions led to the abandonment of the game, and an early start to the celebrations.
NEPL 3rd XI scorecard v Blaydon
On Saturday the 1st XI made it back to back wins with victory over Tynemouth. After losing the toss the Hill made good use of the earlier start, with opening bowlers Luke Mussett (4 for 41) and Luke Doneathy (3 for 50) doing the damage, there was also a wicket each for Callum HArding and Kyle Coetzer. In reply the Hill chased their target in only 43 overs, due to an excellent 67no from Adam Heather, and 55 from Kyle Coetzer.
The 2nd XI came back down to earth with a bump at Tynemouth just a few days after their T20 Finals and James Bell Semi Final victories over the same opponents on the same ground, as Tynemouth gained a resounding 10 wicket victory. Batting first we were skittled out for only 111 in pnly 29 overs. Ben Mussett (27), Anth Hunter (19), Will Archbold (17) and Rohan Aatif (14) the only batsmen to reach double figures. Tynemouth had little trouble in reply, knocking our score off for no loss in 24 overs.
The West Tyne 3rd XI got back to winning ways against rivals South North at Matfen. At tea things did not look too rosey as we only posted 107 all out, Joe Fletcher scoring more than half of them with 55, Zain Ullah also getting a vital 16. In reply 2 early wickets for Aqeel Tasswar and 1 for the returning Joe Barnes, checked South North early progess, however once Zain Ullah came on as third change, wickets tstarted to tumble regularly, and he eventually finished with excellent figures of 6 for 11, as South North finished 84 all out.
