A YOUTHFUL Great Melton side were outclassed by EAPL opponents Great Witchingham as they were sent crashing out of the Lady Mary Trophy by 183 runs.Witchingham skipper James Spelman had no hesitation in opting to bat first on a glorious afternoon at Melton Park and openers Shaun Arthurton and Hale started brightly on a good deck in spite of a useful opening spell from Jack McCurley and Justin Stephenson.

A YOUTHFUL Great Melton side were outclassed by EAPL opponents Great Witchingham as they were sent crashing out of the Lady Mary Trophy by 183 runs.

Witchingham skipper James Spelman had no hesitation in opting to bat first on a glorious afternoon at Melton Park and openers Shaun Arthurton and Hale started brightly on a good deck in spite of a useful opening spell from Jack McCurley and Justin Stephenson.

Melton appeared subdued in the field and the first of many chances went begging when Arthurton under edged a low chance to the keeper.

McCurley picked up an ankle injury in his third over, which kept him out of the attack for the rest of the innings and was replaced by Josh Wilson, but the away team's batters continued to punish anything loose, reaching 90 for no loss at

drinks.

Arthurton continued to enjoy several lives and seemed almost embarrassed to reach his hundred and sacrificed his wicket shortly after to young leggie George Bunn, presumably considering his job to be done.

Melton then enjoyed their best period of the game, Bunn removed Arthurton jnr first ball, closely followed by DeSalis bowling Colishaw also for a duck.

However by this stage the score was already up to 170 with 20 overs remaining and the Witchingham middle order continued to make Melton toil in the heat.

Jonathan Spelman (71), Knowles (29) and Sri Lankan Gamage (36 no) ensured that the home team's fielders spent almost as much time fetching the ball from the cow fields as they did on the outfield, taking their score up to a massive 349-7 from their allotted 45 overs.

With no real hope of hauling down such a huge score, Melton's batsmen set out to try to gain some respectability from their reply and openers Alex Cooper went some way to achieving that by compiling a solid 50 partnership from the first 15 overs.

The innings changed with the introduction to the attack of Jonathan Spelman, who bowled with great control and swing from the start. Cooper was the first to fall, bowled for 29, followed soon after by Marcus Godbold, then Josh Wilson, both falling lbw for 0 to the impressive Spelman.

Clarke went the same way for 26 and Lee Whiddett, batting with a hand injury could, only add six until he tickled Spelman to the keeper.

Melton skipper Simon Woods watched from the other end as Stephenson (1) and Bunn (0), adding 18 to the total until he was well caught a leg slip off the bowling of spinner Colishaw. McCurley made five, before Daryl Godbold and Leo DeSalis put on the second highest partnership of the innings, adding 43 for the last wicket, taking the score to 166 and thus avoiding the follow-on by 17 runs. Godbold senior finished top scorer with a belligerent unbeaten 33.

This Melton side contained only four first team players and they will continue to struggle in Sunday Cup competitions unless they can field a stronger team in the future.