Melton to Field a Ladies Team

Ladies out and girls! Would you like to give cricket a try? If so, Great Melton is the place for you!

Following an approach by Chris Brook, manager of Norfolk U15 Girls and Assistant Manager of the U17s, Executive Committee approval has been given for a Great Melton Ladies team in 2012. It is intended that the team will compete in the T.G.S. Ladies League against teams from Norwich, Fakenham, Winterton, Lowestoft & Garboldisham, when possible playing home matches (up to 5) at Melton Park on Sunday afternoons. The team will comprise some of the Norfolk U17 and U15 squad with the best of Melton’s own girls. The new players will add to the numbers who attend our Friday coaching sessions.

The good work already begun with Melton’s younger girls will continue and an U13 team has been entered in the County Lady Taverners Competition.

Women and girls interested in playing cricket are advised to contact Chris Brook or Mark Cadge.

New Players Welcome at Pre-Season Nets

New players are welcome to attend senior pre-season nets at the UEA Sportspark on Monday evenings from 6 p.m. to 8. p.m. As well as any potential new recruits, the nets are open to all senior players, and juniors who play in senior Saturday or Sunday sides or would like to be considered. This includes 13-17 year-olds looking to play in the C team.

The sessions run for 7 weeks until 2nd April. After the Easter break practise sessions will move to Melton Park on Tuesday evenings (6.30—8.00).

The UEA dates are (all Mondays) 20th Feb (6-8); 27th February (6-8); 5th March (6-8); 12th March (6-8); 19th March (6-8); 27th March, 2nd April (6-8).

There will be a standard £3 charge per session.

Chairman reaches 60 not out!

It is Steve’s 60th birthday today (feel free to check the public announcement in the EDP!). We all know how much he does for the club so whether today of all days he can manage a “day off” from checking and posting to the club site remains to be seen! Either way on behalf of all at GMCC, happy birthday Steve!

New Club Kit

After a fair bit of background work by Steve Phoenix and Kim Stearman, we have a new clothing supplier, WINTECH INTERNATIONAL. The company has revamped our kit designs incorporating our adopted club colours of Royal and Navy Blue. Playing shirt, trousers, fleece, tracksuit, polo shirt, shorts, hoodie and cap, all with Great Melton’s Phoenix logo are available in some very attractive ‘deals’ and the prices are fantastic.

The aim is to have as many players – senior and junior – and officials/parents/helpers etc. wearing the club kit so we can raise the profile of the club. Please let Kim have your orders. The ordering ‘window’ is now open but it will close on Monday 5th March.

Link to kit details and pictures
Flyer (Word 97-03)

Link to order form
Kit Order Form

Cricketforce 2012

The tee-shirts have arrived, the bacon is ordered and it’s full steam ahead for another NatWest Cricketforce event! After the success of last year’s when over 60 volunteers turned up to help with the pre-season preparations it is hoped that there will be an even better turn-out this year. Put the day in your diaries: Saturday 31st March. Norwich City are away so there’s no excuse! We might even send a team to Town Close to help out there! See the video of last year’s event on the website.

Click the link to see last year’s fantastic video (courtesy of Michael Sibert)

Tour 2012

Following the success of last year’s ‘Superheroes Tour’ we are hoping to travel to the other end of the country this year.  Newcastle is the likely venue and Richard Waddell will act as interpreter.  He is also hoping to arrange a game against his old club.  The dates for your diaries are Sunday 5th – Tuesday 7th August.  We’ve asked not to be given a MNSL fixture on that Sunday.  Chris is again the main tour organiser – with assistance from Richard – so he’ll be supplying further details in due course.

A.G.M. Report

With 2011 being the club’s most successful season ever, climaxing in the 1st Team’s second successive promotion, Great Melton will begin 2012 occupying their highest-ever place in the Norfolk Cricket pyramid.  Not surprisingly the atmosphere at the well-attended A.G.M. held last week was wholly positive and there were few changes of personnel as 1st Team, A Team and C Team all look forward to the challenge of competing in higher divisions.   Mark Scott’s record of only one defeat in 2 seasons at the helm, speaks for itself.  With two championships in the bag the Firsts’ ebullient skipper is looking forward to Alliance Division 2 cricket although, he did inform members that his third season in charge would be his final one.  Lee Whiddett was re-elected A Team skipper having led his team to Alliance Division 5 promotion last season and the partnership of Manager Clive Gristwood and captain Mally Howard would again ensure the blossoming C Team stays in good hands.  The only two changes are in the B Team and Sunday Teams where the father and son combination of David and George Bunn will take more active roles.  David takes over as B Team skipper while George will follow in a long tradition of teenage Sunday captains.

In fact the future of Sunday cricket at the club provoked much discussion with some urging a return to a less competitive Sunday format that would enable some of the club’s younger players to be blooded while others favoured remaining in the Mid-Norfolk Sunday League.  In the end it was decided that Melton will continue to compete in the league but, thankfully, following the struggles of last season in the Shield Premier Division,  in the less pressurised Boyle Division 1.  The Carter Junior Cup and some friendlies would provide an outlet for the youngsters.  Midweek skipper Daryl Godbold, who was also re-elected, had the historic Norfolk Junior Cup to show for the ‘Marauders’ efforts in 2011 but he lamented the fact that the club had entertained too few touring sides and hoped this would change next Summer.

Chairman and Junior Development Officer, Steve Phoenix, said that the Junior Section continued to thrive with the Under 13s and the Under 11s both reaching County finals and the U11s also winning the South Norfolk Community League.  He praised the considerable efforts of Coaching Coordinator, Simon Carding and his team of coaches, assistants and managers and the work of Membership secretary Andy Cameron.  Next season the club are intending to enter the U9s in the Alliance Competitions as well as the U15s, U13s and U11s.

Treasurer Grenville Ireland presentation of the accounts showed the Finance Committee’s careful planning ensured the club continues to prosper in these difficult times with a small surplus made on the season.  With the cost of  maintaining the superb Melton Park facilities, hiring a second pitch at Town Close School and the hire of the UEA for nets the Treasurer stressed the need for the money to keep coming in especially as Melton have plans to improve the scoreboard and re-furbish the artificial practice area in the not-too-distant future.

The scoreboard and the nets are part of the club’s detailed Development Plan of which the Chairman presented a summary.  Among the club’s targets are to continue to promote girls’ cricket and field a girls’ team, to become more involved in schools and to increase volunteer participation including succession planning for key roles like that of groundsman.  With the First Team being the flagship of the club the aim is also to be playing Division 1 or Premier Division Cricket within the next 5 years.

Melton are always keen to welcome new players, especially those of 1st Team standard. Please contact the Chairman or Mark Scott.   Pre-season nets start on Monday 20th February at the UEA from 6.00 to 8.00 p.m. and continue every Monday until April 2nd.  Junior Coaching begins on Friday 20th April.

Other officers elected were:  President Andy Seeley; Chairman Steve Phoenix; Secretary John Burdett; Treasurer Grenville Ireland; Membership Secretary Andy Cameron; Welfare Officer Celia Phoenix; Groundsman Mike Phoenix; Junior Coordinator Steve Phoenix; Coaching Coordinator Simon Carding; Girls’ Coordinator Mark Cadge; Junior Representatives Chris Greenslade and Joe Bickel.

(This is the report that I sent to the Wymondham & Attleborough Mercury.  Steve)

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Plenty to Celebrate at Presentation Dinner

The success of the First Team in winning the Frankly Digital Norfolk Alliance Division 3 championship was reflected in the awards at Great Melton’s Presentation Dinner held at Glen Lodge.  Prolific batsman, Richard Wood, was Player of the Year for the fourth successive year having enjoyed an outstanding season that saw him score 843 league runs at an average of 93.67.  Fellow batsman Dave Allum who was promoted to the first team early in the season and took his chance with both hands, scoring 367 runs at an average of 52, was voted the ‘Most Improved Player’ while skipper Mark Scott received the Aldous Special Award for his achievement in guiding the First Team to two successive championships in which the team have only lost once.  In addition the captain contributed 27 league wickets.  Two other first team players, Alex Cooper and Chris Greenslade, also received awards.  Cooper, the club’s leading run scorer in all forms of cricket with 1049 runs, was voted Sunday Player of the Year for his 515 runs while 14-year-old Greenslade was the U17 Player of the Year having established himself as a first team player as well as being a regular in the successful Norfolk U14 side.

Jason Whiddett, a consistent performer over many years, at last received deserved recognition for his contribution to the club with the A Team Player of the Year shield, his 701 runs helping the second team, captained by his brother, Lee, also achieve promotion, finishing runners-up in Alliance Division 5.  The B Team Award was won by newcomer Fawad Kaiser whose 26 wickets at 14 made him leading wicket taker for Woody Loines’ side that finished 3rd in the Lucas & Fettes Norfolk League Division.  A third promotion was achieved when the C Team, skippered by Mally Howard, finished 2nd in their first season in Norfolk League Division 6.  Experienced wicket-keeper and opening batsman, Steve Clarke, was voted Player of the Year for his 234 runs (average 29) and 13 victims.

The two Clubman of the Year shields went to two stalwarts of the club.  The award voted for by the players again went to hardworking groundsman, Mike Phoenix, the 8th time he has won the Keith Hall Shield in the last 14 years.  The Aldous ‘Special’ Clubman Award was presented to Assistant Groundsman and Treasurer, Grenville Ireland, who also organises the dinner and who was described by Chairman Steve Phoenix as “an unsung hero”.

Midweek skipper Daryl Godbold, whose team added to the club’s success by winning the Norfolk Junior Cup, received a special award to commemorate 500 appearances for Melton while appearance shields also went to Neal Clarke (300) and David Bunn (100). Other ’appearance’ award winners who were not at the dinner were Martyn Bunn (100), Johnny Cooper (100), George King and Ryan Hayward (100).

With the U13s and U11s reaching County finals and the U11s winning the South Norfolk Community League, Steve Phoenix congratulated everybody on “the club’s best-ever season” and thanked the large team of volunteers for enabling this to happen before pricking any potentially inflated egos with his ‘chairman’s ode’ entitled ‘It Isn’t Fair!’ The awards were presented by Vice-President, Chris Lacey, a founder member of the club back in 1974.

With Great Melton First Team competing in Alliance Division 2 next season, the club now enjoys its highest-ever position in the Norfolk cricket pyramid and planning has already begun for next season.  The A.G.M. will be on Wednesday 23rd November at the Pavilion (7.30 p.m.).

The Marauders earn their place in Norfolk history

Gt Melton CC v Swaffham CC

9/11/2011

Melton’s Midweek Marauders ended another successful and enjoyable season by lifting one of cricket’s oldest trophies, the Junior Cup.

Fielding a strong well balanced side Gt Melton started the game as favorites following two comfortable league victories against their fellow Div 3 opponents. And this view was further enhanced when the Div 3 champions put an early stranglehold on the Swaffham batting after electing to field first.

David Bunn (2-18) impressed again as he and Nick Gristwood (1-30) bowled immaculate lines and lengths to restrict the score to just 31 off the 6 over’s they had bowled in tandem. Eagle (7) and Oxborough (8) couldn’t get going against the relentless accuracy and both fell to Bunn.

Early in his 4 over spell Olly Harris (1-32) continued the pressure asserted by Gristwood, also finding the guile to dismiss Titmarsh for 14. The match looked pretty much over when Alec Payne skied an attempted slog off the spin of George Bunn but Daryl Godbold put down the chance and Payne gleefully carried on. His 23 off 11 balls threatened to take the match away from Melton as over’s 10,11,12 and 13 went for double figures.

Another missed chance and a bizarre incident where Bunn had bowled one of the aggressors only for the umpires to not agree didn’t help the cause but Melton finally picked up a semblance of control as Bunn’s (3-39) and Gristwood’s last over’s took 4 wickets. The Swaffham innings closing on a slightly below par 124 for 9.

Alex Cooper and Richard Wood, who had again looked sharp behind timbers, opened up Melton’s reply and when they could reach the wayward early bowling of Joachim and Dye, looked in prime form.

Cooper (20) unluckily fell smashing Smith (3-16) to the cover boundary fielder and when Wood fell to the same bowler, for the same score, Swaffham were back in the game.

Tom Wilson, who took an excellent catch to dismiss the dangerous Payne, battled away as he and Marcus Godbold kept the run rate around the asking rate even though neither hit their best summer form.

The introduction of the sharp J Payne (2-19) had real effect on the match as he dismissed both Wilson and Whiddett with full quick balls and when Godbold was ran out going for a second run, a brave Swaffham could claim they were on top and sniffing an upset.

Daryl Godbold (8) and the cool, calm and collected Simon Brett (8*) scrambled enough runs to leave Melton needing a getable 10runs to win off the last over but with G Bunn yet to face the match did hang on a knife edge.

3 runs off came off the first 3 balls, Melton needed a boundary, and Bunn found one as he expertly guided the fourth legitimate ball to the third man boundary for four. That left Melton needing 3 runs for victory off 4 balls and Bunn duly obliged with a spanking straight drive off the very next ball to win the cup for Gt Melton by 4 wickets.

So the Marauders will join the likes of Didlington and Melton Constable Institute on the 120 year old trophy and they will keep it safe and sound as its team reflects on a superb season for our ever improving club.

Wonderful just wonderful!

The Shed

Junior Festival a Great Success

The sun shone and there was some excellent cricket played as 68 young players enjoyed Great Melton’s 7th Junior Festival. On Friday the Under 9s were in action with a round-robin seven-a-side competition resulting in a win each for the Sharks, the Eagles and the Dragons. With all 3 teams having lost 6 wickets it came down to runs scored. Just 9 runs separated the teams but the medals went to the Eagles team of Kai Wilkinson-Loines, Will Thompson, Sam Johnson, Hollie Marchant, Joe Wright, Lohit Kannan and Alice Greenslade. Player of the Tournament was Dragons’ captain Mark Attfield.

On Saturday morning it was the turn of the U11s and U13s who played an 8-a-side competition with the Foxes team of Sam Carding, Rob Smith, Marcus Mawby, Ryan Howard, Craig Wilson, Connor Jermyn, Ben Bailey and Theo Hinton winning the Eddie Symonds Cup. Lightning Captain, Connor Stearman, was Player of the Tournament with 53 runs in his 3 innings without being dismissed as well as some economical bowling (3-0-10-0)

The afternoon U17s/U15s tournament followed the same format as the club’s senior six-a-side and included 2 invited over-age players, coaching assistants, Ryan Hayward and Jake Mardell. Three teams with names again based on County T/20 teams , the Gladiators, the Steelbacks and the Spitfires, played each other twice with the final match between the Gladitors and the Spitfires deciding the competition. Gladiators, led by Daniel Hayward, scored 62-2 and Spitfiires were restricted to 52-1 in reply so the Gladiators team of Hayward, Mardell, Josh
Wilson, Scott Lyle, Joe Bickel and Peter Frazer won the trophy. Player of the Tournament was Wilson whose powerful batting brought him 86 runs in 4 undefeated innings.

Between the two Saturday tournaments, Great Melton Patron Sir Edward Evans-Lombe presented the end-of-season trophies and certificates following what has been the club’s most successful junior season ever. Chairman and Junior Development Officer, Steve Phoenix, thanked all the volunteers that had helped make the club so successful and said that, in all, the juniors had won 46 and lost just 14 of their 60 fixtures, with one game rained off. The U11s had won the South Norfolk Community Shield Competition and had reached the final of the Terry Moore Trophy while the U13s had also finished runners-up in a County Competition, the ECB Trophy. Both the U13s and U15s had finished 3rd in the South Norfolk League and in the Alliance competitions’ Group stages while the U17s reached the Carter Junior Cup semi-final. Four players, Chris and Joe Greenslade, Luke Marchant and Tom Moye had represented Norfolk.

It was a good day for the U13s Connnor Stearman who picked up 3 trophies. As well as the Player of the Tournament, Connor was also voted Players Player-of-the-Year and Manager’s/Coaches Player-of-the-Year. Other Award winners were as follows:

U9s: Manager’s/Coaches’ Player-of-the-Year, Patrick Walton; Most Improved, Matt Carter, James Carter, Olly Black; Excellent Attitude, Will Singleton, Joe Wright, Aaron Bradfield; Commitment & Attendance, Sam Johnson, Lohit Kannan, Mark Attfield.

Girls: Manager’s/Coaches Player of the Year, Aimee Palmer; Most Improved, Hollie Marchant; Excellent Attitude, Cassie Mawby, Charlotte Walker; Commitment & Attendance, Emma Bunn, Aimee Palmer, Becky Greenslade, Alice Greenslade

U11s: Player of the Year, Ryan Howard; Manager’s/Coaches Player of the Year, Fergus Hughes & Luke Marchant (joint); Most Improved, Logan Stearman; Excellent Attitude, Luke Marchant; Commitment & Attendance, Jake Bush, Tom Moye, Lewis Thurston, Matt Walker, Craig Wilson.

U13s: Most Improved, Craig Attewell; Excellent Attitude, Alex Rennie; Commitment & Attendance, Craig Attewell, Sam Carding, Ben Carding, Joe Greenslade, Olly Thompson, Marcus Mawby, Rob Smith, Matt Thurston.

U15s: Player of the Year, Craig Woolrich; Manager’s/Coaches’ Player of the Year, Scott Lyle; Most Improved, Craig Woolrich; Excellent Attitude, Joe Bickel; Commitment & Attendance, Michael Farmer, Joe Bickel, Dylan Green, Stuart Wilson.

U17s: Commitment & Attendance, George Bunn , Daniel Hayward. (Player of the Year Awards will be presented at the Club Dinner on October 8th)