U13s Reach Alan Bridgewater Semi-Finals

GREAT MELTON U13s beat MULBARTON U13s by 33 runs at Melton Park in the Alan Bridgewater Quarter-Final

A really good all-round team performance saw Group 2 winners, Great Melton U13s overcome Group 1 runners-up Mulbarton by the comfortable margin of 33 runs to move smoothly into the semi-finals of the Alan Bridgewater competition.

The game didn't start well for Melton, though! With a Mulbarton player ‘lost' en-route to the game, Melton generously lent the visitors a fielder, Finlay Hughes,  so the game could start but, from the first ball of the match – a full toss- Melton skipper Luke Marchant pulled the ball straight into the Hughes' safe hands at square leg.  It was a dream start for Mulbarton but Tom Moye and Fergus Hughes launched a recovery, setting about the Mulbarton bowlers with confidence, Moye striking some powerful boundaries and Hughes finding the gaps well as the pair showed good running between the wickets.  Moye had to retire on 30 and, shortly afterwards, was followed by Hughes (30 ret).  Ryan Howard and Matt Ling continued the good work, however, Howard hitting a huge six into the adjoining field before he was unluckily run out backing up in the last over for 24, leaving Ling unbeaten on 20, a good knock that included 4 boundaries. It was a sensible batting display that gave Melton a defendable total of 116-2.

N.Sharpe (15) and D.Phillips (9) got the Mulbarton reply off to a solid start against Marchant and Howard but the arrival of the economical Craig Wilson into the attack put the brakes on the scoring.  A peach of a delivery from Pat Walton knocked back Phillips' off stump and, at the end of Wilson's spell of 3-1-5-0, the visitors were behind the rate at 40-1 off 8 overs.  T.Osbourne batted well for Mulbarton, scoring 32 before retiring, but the rest of the visitors' batsmen struggled, especially against the spin of Moye (3-1-7-3) who clean-bowled Sharpe, Woolcock and Foster and whose all-round performance undoubtedly made him man-of-the-match.  The Mulbarton innings concluded at 83-4.

Melton now play Vauxhall Mallards at home in the semi-final.  The final is at Sprowston Cricket Club on Friday 16th August.

Steve Phoenix