Great Melton Cricket Club have a new sponsor in Anglia Pallets.

Wymondham & Attleborough Mercury: Chairman Steve Phoenix and Woody Loines of new sponsors Anglia Pallets with Great Melton's first team. Picture: CLUBChairman Steve Phoenix and Woody Loines of new sponsors Anglia Pallets with Great Melton's first team. Picture: CLUB (Image: Archant)

The Bungay based company have agreed a three-year shirt sponsorship deal and Woody Loines from Anglia Pallets, a Melton player, handed them over.

The new shirts didn't bring a change of fortune for Melton's Saturday teams, though, as another losing weekend leaves the club with only one win in their first 12 league games.

The firsts entertained Martham who were promoted with them — as champions — from Alliance Division Three last season and things seemed to be going well as the free-scoring visitors were restricted to 135-5 off 35 overs, thanks largely to a superb spell by Nick Mackenzie (3-14) and a controlled one from spinner Joe Bickel (2-28). Big-hitting Johnnie Allen then took a liking to returning seam bowlers to take the score to 222-9. Melton felt they were in with a chance at tea on a good batting track, despite opener Richard Wood feeling unwell for the second consecutive match. Muthugala Lanka (5-25) then trapped three Melton batsman on the crease as Clarke, Tipple and Hales all fell lbw in an early collapse that left Melton's reply in tatters at 30-5. They were eventually all out for 130 in the 34th over, a 92-run defeat.

The A team travelled to play Denver for the first time in the club's history. A partnership of 69 between new sponsor Loines (44) and Sam Mann (40) left Melton at 105-2 at one stage but, despite solid contributions from Nick Aston (18) and youngsters Josh Wright (13) and Tom Moye (26) they finished on 189-9. Opening bowlers Kyle Mason (9-3-23-1) and Josh Wright (9-1-36-3) then reduced Denver to 5-2 and 36-3 but the home side eventually secured victory with three wickets and 10 balls to spare.

The B team visited Castle Acre who set a challenging target of 223 although Caitlin Ellis (3-45), Matt Rushton (3-29), Nick Gristwood (2-44) and Kevin Ellis (1-22) ensured maximum bowling points for Melton. At 43-3 with Bugg, Wilkinson-Loines and Fawad back in the pavilion, chances of victory looked unlikely but an excellent 133-run partnership between Chris McKay and Connor Stearman kept hopes alive. However Stearman was caught for 44 and McKay run out for 77 within two runs of each other and Melton finished 21 runs short on 202-9 although maximum batting and bowling points was some consolation.

There was a stellar performance on Sunday from Great Melton's George Bunn who scored the first-ever double century in the club's 44-year history.

Bunn carried his bat for an incredible 203 not out against Acle, hitting 18 fours and 10 sixes — a massive achievement in a 45-over game.

It resulted in Melton scoring 319-5 with Lohit Kannan the next highest scorer with 35.

With Melton using 10 bowlers Acle finished on a creditable 202-8 but Melton still won by 117 runs.

Disappointingly for the C team on a glorious summer's day, their scheduled game against Old Buckenham C at Town Close on Saturday was called off when the visitors failed to raise a team.

There were four wins for the club's junior sides. The U15s beat Acle in the ECB Cup and Garboldisham in the Andy Seeley while the U13s (v Rocklands) and the U11s (v Norwich and v Horsford) also won.