Melbourne Stocked at Hopgrove

Melbourne 139 for 10 off 37 overs
Stockton and Hopgrove 140 for 3 off 29.3 overs

Melbourne were put in to bat by Stockton and Hopgrove and settled in quite quickly. Will Nicholson got off to a good start despite taking a knock on the chin from the bowling of I Smith, Nicholson was finally despatched in the 10th over by a catch off the bowling of Smith for 31. Harrison was joined at the crease by Andy Wilson who could not find the form of the previous week and he was only at the crease for 9 balls before falling to a catch by Kerrison for 3. Two overs later Harrison[10] was also caught out and he was shortly followed by Underwood [5] and it looked like Melbourne were really going to struggle. However new signing Seb Winters after two seasons out of the game was soon back into his stride and the runs started to come quickly, 59 runs were added before Winters fell to a catch from P Fairclough for 33 runs, the following over Martin Kidd was dismissed for 18 and with the wicket of James Marshall going in the same over it looked like the end was neigh. The lower order did not let the Stockton bowlers get to them and slowly nudged the score up with Oliver Steels managing 6 runs and Dave Coe [14] - despite a leg injury incurred the previous week. Melbourne were all out for 139 in 37 overs. The general consensus was that it was not a bowling wicket as proved by the fact that 7 of the wickets lost came from catches, 1 lbw and only 2 wickets were actually bowled !
I Smith - 4 for 25, D Kerrison 3 for 26, Grimes 1 for 34
In reply Melbourne actually looked like they were going to have the upper hand with some excellent bowling from Brian Underwood who dismissed D Kerrison [3] in the 4th over thanks to an excellent catch by Dave Coe, this was followed in the 6th over by the loss of Fairclough by a good catch by Nicholson howver the thorn in Melbourne side was youngster Giles Smith who had opened the batting and try as they might the could not get his wicket. However perseverance finally paid off in the 23rd over when he was bowled by Seb Winters for 69. However by now Frazer [20no] had got in his stride and after being joined by R Kerrison [29no]they soon knocked off the runs required.
B Underwood 2 for 31, S Winters 1 for 20The match ball sponsor was: Peter Rhodes Feed Services