We needed a team like we never needed a team before (guna have to merge to one Coolio)
We had two teams, but the under 11's needed more (guna have to merge to one Coolio)
We set some players free
But don't worry, they were still all home for tea
So Sunday was the day when two became one…….
Yes, I have started our latest under 9 match report with a Spice Girl song, and now feel a little depressed as most of the Under 9's have no idea who the Spice Girls are!!!
Quickly moving on….
Due to the U9's incredible talent, four of our squad made the step up to make their debut in the u11's game which took place on the same Sunday, which, mixed with the holiday season (we know Simon, it's the cricket season), meant we merged our two under-9s teams to create the ultimate wicket taking team.
The latest festival took place at Seaton Burn Cricket Club on a very hot and rather windy Sunday afternoon. However, prepared with the club's gazebo, melted ice pops, and a HUGE melon (don't ask), the team stuck in and what a team they were.
First up saw us take on South-North. Losing the toss, we bowled first, and we got off to a great start with Matthew taking a wicket with his second ball, followed by a fantastic tight bowling effort from Oliver.
In his first game for Benwell Hill, Koko was up next, who bowled 4 dot balls in his over, with Maciella following suit and bowling another 4 dot balls in hers! This was before Myles had a mixed-over, seeing his first ball hit the wicket straight on, but his second ball hit over everyone's head for 6! On the third ball, the batter was clean bowled; however, the fourth ball went for another 6….well, you get the pattern for the over!
There were two great runouts by Amelia and Oliver, which saw South North reach 239 for 4.
We came back fighting in our response and got off to a great start with 5 runs off the first ball. Myles and Matthew added a further 21 in their remaining 11 balls, although Matthew was caught at long-on by Coach Coolio, who was sub-fielding (for South-North at long man off – the team has no words!). However, our Benwell Hill team cruised forward with a score of 271 for 4. A nice win to get us started!
Second game, and we took on a very strong Backworth. However, Backworth found themselves an under 9 short so had a sub fielder in our very own Benwell Hill's Emily W, who played for them fresh from a football tournament, and a change to the Benwell Hill team seen a dedicated Joseph replace Oliver on his return from a birthday party (under 9's and their social lives!).
Losing the toss for the second time, we bowled first, and again we were fantastic! Conceding only 5 boundaries all innings and taking two wickets, restricting Backworth to 225. Going in to bat, the team played with a strategy from Coach Coolio "do not lose any wickets by trying to hit big shots"…….did they listen?
A little.
Losing only 2 wickets all innings (it would have been 3 if Backworth's wicket keeper didn't drop Amelia off Emily W's bowling (that would have been an interesting car ride home)), each pair of batters hit a boundary and what was even more impressive was that we ran 18 singles! This saw us sail to our second victory with a score of 235 for 2.
The final game and we came up against a solid and renowned Morpeth team in the festivals. For the third and final time, we took to bowl first, and we continued to show what a strong bowling attack we are, conceding just two boundaries, and Myles, Maciella, Austin, and Amelia conceding only a single run from their over! We also saw fantastic wickets from Joseph, Austin, Amelia, and Emily S, which helped us settle Morpeth on a modest score of 212 for 4!
However, what happened next, well, let's just say the heat got to us!
Matthew and Myles went into bat, and we lost three wickets in the first over! But our under 9's are nothing if not resilient, and both Matthew and Myles came back fighting, hitting a 4 each and Myles swinging like there was no tomorrow to hit a big 6 off the last ball to get us back up to a score of 200.
Then came our steady eddies, an incredible batting performance from Koko, Joseph, Austin, and Emily S, followed by Amelia and Maciella's own game of hit and run….(9 singles and a 4 in 12 balls) saw us finish as all-round tournament winners with a score of 235 for 5!
Our under 9's continue to go from strength to strength, and what's more, these guys play as a team. Friends both on and off the pitch, it's great to see the spirit of Benwell Hill shining through (of course, it also helps to win too).
All players deserve a huge congratulations as this was not an easy festival. It was hot, Coach Coolio traded sides for South-North in the first game (he has A LOT of making up to do), and this team was a mix of players from separate teams.
Our under 9's value their wicket over the big shots, which shows a great understanding of the game, and leads us to…..
Another 3 games, another 3 wins. Making it 11 wins out of 12 so far this season, with the only defeat being when we had to play ourselves – and we're sure that doesn't count!
