High five for Melton
Debutant Jim Rice was the star man as Great Melton's Alliance Division Four season got off to a winning start with a five-wicket win.Visitors Aldborough were invited to bat on a slow but true early- season surface, and captain Troy Allan was quickly into his stride with a flurry of well-struck boundaries.
Debutant Jim Rice was the star man as Great Melton's Alliance Division Four season got off to a winning start with a five-wicket win.
Visitors Aldborough were invited to bat on a slow but true early- season surface, and captain Troy Allan was quickly into his stride with a flurry of well-struck boundaries. Cooper found the going harder and it was not a surprise that he was the first wicket to fall. A relatively harmless delivery drifted down the leg side, cannoned off Simon Woods' pads and onto the stumps, with Cooper out of his ground.
The introduction of debutant Rice stemmed the flow of runs from Allan's bat with his left-arm spin.
While Rice was economical, Neil Hubbard was positively miserly. Allan was keen to find the fence but a cut to a delivery that was just to close to him was well taken by a diving Mark Scott in the gully.
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Cramp, Cannon and Saunders were all dismissed by Rice; Melton's out cricket was excellent and both Gristwood and Daryl Godbold took excellent catches.
Barnard added some steel and top scored with 24 but with wickets falling at regular intervals he was forced to look for quick runs and almost inevitably was caught off Rice trying to hit over the top.
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Nick Gristwood, aged 16, showed his promise with a useful four-over spell in which he picked up the wickets of Armiger and Dingle.
Josh Wilson picked up the last wicket of Taylor as Aldborough were bowled out of 127 with Rice (4-37) and Hubbard (2-0) the pick of the bowlers.
In reply, Richard Wood and Marcus Godbold opened for Melton. Godbold chipped a full toss to Allan for one. Martin Bunn looked in good touch but had to retire hurt for five and when Wilson became Perry-Warnes second victim and Wood then drove a full-length delivery straight to Cooper, Melton slipped to 43-3.
Rice and Matt Clarke restored order with a partnership of 60. Clarke was bowled for 26. Mark Scott and Rice (39) edged slowly towards the total against an improving attack. Scott hit out and when he pulled the ball to the boundary in the 34th over he saw his side to a five-wicket win.
