Impressive Debut by Aimee as C Team Beat Rackheath

GREAT MELTON C (25 points) beat RACKHEATH by 56 runs at Town Close in the Norfolk League Division 3

Melton C fielded a team containing three club stalwarts with over 2000 appearances between them, three other experienced cricketers plus 5 youngsters, including 2 girls but it was a mix that proved too potent for Rackheath as a real team effort resulted in a 56-run victory.  Aimee Palmer made an impressive senior debut, providing a welcome injection of urgency into Melton's innings with an enterprising 16 before bowling an excellent 5-over spell that yielded only 12 runs.  Tony Alborough was the star performer with a half-century and 3 fine catches but there were useful contributions from a number of other players as Melton C chalked a second successive victory.

Having elected to bat first on a fine sunny day, Melton skipper Simon Carding saw Alborough and Connor Stearman get his side off to a solid start with an opening partnership of 42 before Stearman (15) fell to a fine catch by Banham off Rymarz.  That prompted a mini-collapse as Alex Rennie (2), Mally Howard (1) and Liam Hughes (0) all went cheaply to leave Melton 68-4.  Alborough reached 52 before being bowled by a ball that kept low and, with Steve Clarke (18) and Emily Reay (7) looking to halt a further collapse, the innings stalled a bit until Palmer came in.  The 14-year-old pulled the first ball she faced for 2 and added 2 boundaries in a confident 16 before falling to a brilliant caught-and-bowled by Banham.  It was just the injection of pace the innings needed and Steve Phoenix continued in similar vein.  Batting at 9, ‘the Chairman' scored an unbeaten 26 off the last 5 overs to enable Melton to post a better-than-expected 173-9.   Rymarz (12-2-23-1), Futter (9-1-12-1) and Jose (8-3-18-3) all bowled well for Rackheath.

Carding then bowled Patrick for 2 in the 6th over of Rackheath's innings but Pazhayatlil hit some lusty blows, including 2 sixes, mainly to backward square leg.  He scored a quick 38 but, having been dropped once, he eventually holed out, surprisingly at long on, Alborough holding a steepling catch off Liam Hughes' bowling.  Rennie and Hughes, bowling in tandem, then destroyed the Rackheath middle order to leave the visitors floundering on 66-6.  Rymarz (26 not out) and Chettleborough (18) then produced a stubborn 7th wicket partnership of 39 but Hughes bowled the latter to finish with impressive figures of 12-4-17-4 and Carding (11-4-21-3) and Stearman (3.3-0-7-1) polished off the tail, helped by two further catches by Alborough – one a superb running, diving effort that earned Beefy the ‘Champagne Moment'.  It left Rackheath well short of Melton's total on 117.

Great Melton C

A.Alborough b.Jose 52, C.Stearman c.Banham b.Rymarz 15, A.Rennie b.Jose 2, M.Howard c.O'Connor b.Jose 1, L.Hughes lbw Futter 0, E.Reay Run Out 7, S.Clarke c. b.Patrick 18, A.Palmer c. &. b.Banham 16, S.Phoenix Not Out 26, S.Carding b.Banham 2, S.Wilson Not Out 3, Extras 32. TOTAL (9 wickets) 173 (C.Rymarz 12-2-23-1, P.Banham 11-0-63-2, P.Futter 9-1-12-1, A.Jose 8-3-18-3, P.Webb 2-0-19-0, J.Patrick 3-0-18-0)

Rackheath

J.Pazhayatlil c.Alborough b.Hughes 38, J.Patrick b.Carding 6, R.Brown c.Stearman b.Rennie 18, A.Jose b.Hughes 0, S.O'Connor lbw Rennie 0, P.Banham b.Hughes 0, C.Rymarz Not Out 26, J.Chettleburgh b.Hughes 18, P.Webb c.Alborough b.Carding 1, P.Futter b.Carding 1, N.Anderson c.Alborough b.Stearman 0, Extras 9.  TOTAL 117 (S.Wilson 3-0-19-0, S.Carding 11-4-21-3, A.Rennie 7-2-34-2, L.Hughes 12-4-17-4, A.Palmer 5-2-12-0, C.Stearman 3.3-0-7-1)