Balance the Key as A Team Lose to Catton

GREAT MELTON A (6 points) lost to OLD CATTON (23 points) in Division 5 of the Norfolk Cricket Alliance.

It's been a difficult couple of weeks for Great Melton A. Balance is key, in sport as in life, but sometimes remains elusive. Melton, short of bowling options, went into the game against Old Catton with an unbalanced team, a calculated gamble dictated by player availability. Dampness in the pitch suggested that batting would be at its most difficult early in the game, so winning the toss seemed imperative. Unfortunately the coin fell Catton’s way & their  skipper wisely chose to have a bowl. The Catton seamers exploited the dampness & lack of pace in the pitch perfectly, making life difficult for the Melton batsmen, particularly early on. Consequently the home side were never able to build the momentum necessary to post a big score, and in spite of most batsmen making starts no one was able to dominate, so they stumbled to a par-at-best 208-6 at the interval. Nick Gristwood was the pick of the batsmen with a well constructed 48.

In reply, Old Catton went about their task positively from the word go. The afternoon sunshine had dried the pitch by then which made the going easier but Fossey (43) & Pickett (102) batted particularly well for the visitors. Melton, in truth, bowled poorly and were never able take control. That they could only pick up 2 consolation wickets along the way was telling as Old Catton cantered home in the 36th over for a well-deserved victory.

So from 4 consecutive wins to 2 straight defeats and another difficult fixture looming this week. Balance, as ever, remains key.

Simon Woods