Joey, Dale & Ryan Star In A Hat-Trick Of Wins
Joey Greenslade, Dale Weston and Ryan Hayward produced the stand-out performances as Melton made it three wins out of four at the weekend. Joey scored an excellent 91 at the first team continued their good start to life in Alliance Division 1 with a 46-run victory over Downham-Stow A. After openers James Cross (5) and Dom Evans (9) had departed relatively cheaply, a partnership of 98 between the Greenslade brothers Chris and Joey took Melton to 123 before Chris departed for 64. George Bunn (18) then joined Joey and the score ticked along nicely as the pair ran well between the wickets. Corey Rushton added 10 before Joey finally holed out to a catch on the boundary, just 9 short of a deserved century. Rich Waddell (17) and Manish Sharma (17) added valuable runs as Melton reached 248-8 from their 50 overs. A 50 partnership between Ryan Watson (21) and Olly Hooker (31) gave the visitors a decent start to their reply but a great spell of 10-5-13-3 from Richard Waddell reduced them to 83-4 at 30 overs. Thereafter wickets fell fairly regularly although a 9th wicket stand of 46 between David Grady (33) and Jack Stacey (29) ensured Downham reached 200. They were eventually bowled out for 202 in the 49th over with two wickets apiece for Nick Mackenzie and Lewis O'Donoghue and one each for Joey Greenslade, Dom Evans and Josh Wright. There were also 5 catches for wicket-keeper Corey Rushton.
Dale Weston took 5-18 including a hat-trick as the seconds dismissed Bungay for just 67 in 32 overs. Only 2 Bungay batsmen made double-figures as James Alcock (7-4-5-2), Mark Newbould (9-2-25-2) and George Ryan (6-3-9-1) supported Dale's heroics. Melton A lost 2 wickets in their reply but Matt Clarke (18 not out) and Sam Davey (20 not out) saw them to a comfortable 8-wicket victory in the 18th over.
The B Team also continued their good start to the season under new skipper Woody Loines by winning by 7 wickets at Caister. There was another good bowling spell from young spinner Sammy Belderson (9-2-26-0) but it was the seamers who took the wickets, 3 for Matt Rushton (3-30) and 2 each for Matty Robinson (2-7), Angus Holt (2-27) and Frankie LeGrange (2-25) as Caister were restricted to 143-9. Lee Whiddett (29) and skipper Woody (31) then took the score to 69-1 before Lee was bowled by Nathan Durrance but Ryan Hayward saw Melton to a comfortable second win of the season in the 35th over with an unbeaten 58.
The C Team did well to score 162-9 on a tricky wicket at Town Close with Dean Parfitt hitting 45 and Aidan Brand 28. There was also a useful unbroken 10th wicket stand between skipper Duncan Greenslade and Clive Rennie – returning to Melton after a few seasons away – that took the Cs to a 4th batting bonus point. There was an early breakthrough when young Matt Redman bowled the Castle Rising opener in the third over but wickets became more difficult to come by after that and Castle Rising went on to win by 5 wickets.
Lots of the Juniors were in action during the week with wins for the U11 Fire at Great Witchingham; the U15 Phoenix by 53 runs at Rocklands where George Fawkes scored 50 not out and Laurie Poulson 45; the U15 Blaze by 9 runs at at Reepham & Salle and the U13 Phoenix by 148 runs at home to Cromer where Lucas Berney, George Fawkes and J.C. all scored 40-plus and Max Cubitt 32. Melton didn't lose a wicket in scoring 184 off just 16 overs before bowling out Cromer for 36, Olly Marshall taking 6-7 in 4 overs.
The Over 40s also started their season against Rocklands at Melton Park. S.Stokes scored 42 not out and Rupert Wilson retired on 30 as Rocklands made 124-9 all out in their 20 overs, Jonathan Howard taking 3-17, Olly Harris 3-22 and Gary Coulson 2-18. Johnny and Martin Bunn then both hit unbeaten 30s but Melton couldn't quite maintain the necessary momentum after they were out and ended up losing by just 3 runs.
All in all, though, it was a good week for the club.
