EPPLETON COYNE IT IN!
BROWN’S OUTSTANDING 80 SETS UP SECOND SUCCESSIVE VICTORY BEFORE JOE BOWLS OVER VISITORS FELLING
Eppleton are off to a flier in the Premier Division, with Saturday’s 100-run demolition of Felling making it two wins out of two for the Church Road club.
Opener Marcus Brown hit 11 fours in a 168-ball 80 to lead Eppleton to a daunting total of 257-7, backed by Luke Henderson (25, with three fours), Joe Coyne (33, with a six), Craig Scurr (46, with seven fours and a six) and Jandre Erasmus (29 not out, with a four and three sixes).
Chris Goudie bagged 3-64 and Mark Turner 2-49.
In reply, Felling could only muster 157 all out, with South African professional Erasmus taking 3-38, but Coyne stole the show with 5-40 in 12 overs, with Scurr taking 2-32.
Goudie (35, with seven fours) and Philip Taylor (30, with five boundaries) were among the runs for Felling, who were dismissed for 157 in the 51st over.
Hetton Lyons have matched neighbours Eppleton by also winning their first two games, this time with a thumping 150-run win away to Whitburn.
At one stage, the Lyons were 19-3 and 53-4, with Craig Smith taking 5-35 for the Villagers and Dan Quinan snatched 2-31.
However, captain Jarvis Clay hit 16 boundaries in a tremendous knock of 80, from 116 balls, while Robert Talbot added 97 off just 90 balls, with 13 fours and two sixes, to get them up to 241. Ben Whitehead added 17 down the order.
In reply, apart from opener Daniel Shurben (27), Whitburn could not live with the bowling of Reece Wood (4-10) and Whitehead (3-7).
James Thompson added 17, but Whitburn were dismissed for 91 in 31 overs. Josh Coughlin, Jonny Malkin and Eddie Watson also struck.
Chester-le-Street lost at Newcastle by four wickets.
The current champions were all out 151, bowled out in 42 overs, despite 67 from opener George Harrison, with eight boundaries, in an opening partnership of 51 with Kyle Davis, who made 29. Adam Hickey added 16.
Callum Harding, with 4-24, and Ben Quirk (3-38) did the damage with the ball.
Newcastle knocked off the required runs, although they were in trouble at 13-3 and 49-4 until Jacques Do Toit smashed 61 and Sean Tindale with a rather more sedate 33 not out.
Stephen Cantwell bowled his opening best to take 3-30, but it was in vain. Hickey took 2-51.
Durham Academy drew with Tynemouth after the home side scored 188-6, with Ben Debnam scoring 48 and Tahir Khan made 52, with Liam Trevaskis taking 3-45.
The Academy youngsters fell a little short of the target at 148-6, with contributions from Scott Steel (49 not out) and Matthew Potts (38), with Andrew Smith taking 3-35.
South Northumberland made it two wins out of two, when they narrowly beat South Shields, by just one wicket, in a very low scoring game.
Shields were bowled out for 78, with Luke Elliott digging in for 38 off 110 balls and Sam Embleton making 22, while Jonny Wightman enjoyed a magnificent haul of 5-15 off just 8.2 overs and Stephen Humble taking 3-10.
In reply, South North just managed to get over the line, with opener Simon Birtwisle top scoring with 25 and skipper Adam Cragg made a valuable 23. Matthew Muchall, with 3-33, and Chris Stewart (4-33) nearly pulled off an unlikely win with their excellent bowling.
Benwell Hill are top after two games with 56 points, after their second win of the season, by seven wickets, at Stockton.
The Teessiders were dismissed for 123. Seventeenyear-old off-spinner Max Williamson took a magnificent 6-27. Steady batting by Adam Heather (25) and James Schofield (28), plus 31 not out from Craig Wallace, saw the Tynesiders home.