2013 Season gets underway!!

Great Melton lost to Mattishall by 114 runs in a Friendly

Great Melton got their 2013 season underway with a trip to Mattishall for the season’s first friendly.

Winning his first toss as a Melton skipper Richard Waddell elected to field, with the side being a mix of 1^st XI, A team and B team players, on a pleasantly sunny April afternoon.

Opening the bowling with himself and slow bowler Rob Sims the visitors got off to a good start keeping their hosts to just 29-1 off the first 10 overs.

In the next over it got even better as Gary Coulson, replacing skipper Waddell, took the second wicket of the innings leaving the hosts on 20-2 of 11 overs.

The celebrations were short lived as Melton did not take a wicket for another 15 overs as O. Hubbard (54) and J. Cole (86) put on 105 for the 3^rd wicket.

Cole was being particularly harsh on any shorts balls Melton served up as well as being aggressive off the front foot too, hitting 5 sixes and 7 fours whilst Hubbard patiently went about his business at the other end.

Mattishall didn’t look like losing another wicket until the introduction of Olly Harris into the attack which had immediate success as he removed Hubbard for a well-made 54.

Harris got Melton back in to the match as he took a wicket in each of his first four overs to leave the hosts on 185-6 but with still 15 overs remaining.

Cole was still hitting boundaries at will until he gave a chance on 77 when hitting out to long on but unfortunately was put down by Neal Clarke.

Clarke then slightly redeemed himself as he was brought into the attack and removed Cole with his second ball for a blistering 86.

Melton looked as if they would keep their hosts to under 220 at this point but E. Whitling (47) and J. Grant (36) batted well for 9 overs, putting on an impressive 67, Mattishall’s tail wagged and they managed an excellent early season total of 285 all out in the last over.

Melton’s reply did not start well as Toby Wyatt was dismissed lbw for a fourth ball duck on the second over.

It got worse as M. Cook was bowled for 2 in the 5^th to leave the score on 19-2.

Skipper Waddell then came to the crease and steadied the ship alongside Matt Clarke.

Clarke was the bowled for 15 playing onto his stumps with the score now on 56-3 after 13 overs.

Liam Hughes came to the crease, looking to get some early season time in the middle, looked assured stroking a couple of boundaries before playing over the top of one.

Olly Harris then joined his skipper at the wicket with a chance to show what he could do with the bat, having had few opportunities, as well as the ball.

Alongside Waddell the pair looked to get some valuable time in the middle early in the season as the game looked beyond Melton’s reach but there were plenty of overs left.

Waddell was particularly harsh on anything short and Harris was driving well as the partnership started to tick and so did the scoreboard.

They had put on 50 when Waddell was forced to leave the field with bad cramp 3 short of his half century. Harris made an excellent 32 but after he was dismissed the innings petered out with N. Clarke (14*), R. Sims (7) and J. Bickel (4*) looked to get some useful time in the middle

The innings finished on 171-7

Mattishall Scorecard

O. Hubbard b Harris 54, J. Eastoe-Smith ct M. Clarke b. Sims 8, D. Weber lbw Coulson 14, J. Cole ct Sims b. N. Clarke 86, M. Milne ct M. Clarke b. Harris 2, b. Whitbourne b. Harris 0, M. Balls ct cook b. Harris 6, E. Whitling ct Hughes b De Salis 47, J. Grant ct Wyatt b. Coulson 36, G. Chetwood not out 16, M. Fordham lbw Bickel 1. TOTAL 285 all out (44.4 overs) extras 16. R. Waddell 7-1-32-0, R. Sims 8-0-46-1, G. Coulson 6-1-37-2, J. Bickel 6-1-38-1, L. de Salis 7-0-60-1, O. Harris 7-1-22-4, N. Clarke 4-0-37-1

Great Melton Scorecard

M. Clarke b. Fordham 15, T. Wyatt lbw Whitling 0, M. Cook b. Whitling 2, R. Waddell ret hurt 47*, L. Hughes b. Weber 14, O. Harris b. Cole 32, N. Clarke 14 not out, R. Sims ct. Whitling b. Grant 7, J. Bickel 4 not out TOTAL 171-7 (45 overs) extras 34.         J. Grant 5-0-21-0, E. Whitling 6-2-19-2, M. Fordham 5-0-19-1, D. Weber 8-1-32-1, M. Balls 8-0-30-0, J. Cole 5-2-6-0, B. Whitbourne 3-1-4-0.