Chay’s century inspired Melksham to vital win

Melksham 210-9 Heytesbury and Sutton Veny 102ao. Melksham won by 108 runs

MELKSHAM 1st XI emerged triumphant during their bottom-of-the-table clash against Heytesbury & Sutton Veny, winning by 108 runs victory thanks to an inspired century from Chay Forester.  

The must win clash for both sides got off a fast start, with Forester wasting no time getting runs on the board.  Runs failed to flow from the other end though, with first Mark Wiltshire (1) and then Tom Wallis (0) unable to get going, leaving the score at 63-2 after 14 overs.  

Skipper Joe Veacock was next in at the crease, finally providing Forester with some much-needed support. Both batsmen continued to score throughout the following overs, during which Forester reached his fifty. Sadly, Veacock was then trapped LBW for 15, unable to convert his good start into a big score, leaving his side 112-3 after 27 overs.  

Any hopes Heytesbury & Sutton Veny had of turning the game around after this breakthrough were soon dashed though, with Forester now kicking on to put his side firmly in control. Soon enough he reached his century, the first from any Melksham player this season, with Ross Holbrook also playing his part in killing the game with a key 25. 

Both batsmen were dismissed in the final stages the innings, with Forester finishing his impressive innings on 111. The home side were able to come back strongly as the innings ended, picking up 5 wickets in the final 7 overs; but Melksham’s tail enders were able to keep the score moving, with their side reaching a commanding total of 210-9.      

The host’s response started well, reaching 50 for no loss inside 13 overs: despite some at times furiously quick bowling from opener Liam Merrett. Thankfully, Joe Veacock was on hand to make the breakthrough for Melksham not long afterwards. Gary Ings picked up another during the following over and soon the visitors were flying through their opponent’s batting line up.   

Rich Hemmings stepped up and produced a fine performance to effectively end the match as a contest, picking up 4 wickets for 28 runs; whilst Veacock himself finished with figures 3-16. The efforts of both bowlers left Heytesbury & Sutton Veny reeling on 89-8 off 28, helped by a tight display from everyone in the field which ensured there were few easy runs for the batsmen. 

Freddie Honeybone finished the tie off with his brief spell of 2-7, condemning Heytesbury & Sutton Veny to a measly score of 102, and ensuring Melksham clinched a crucial second win of the season.  

The 2nd XI were equally as successful, earning a 47-run win over Devizes 3s. The start to the afternoon was a difficult one, with an early burst from Devizes leaving Melksham struggling on 12-3. James Bailey and Tony Trotman (21) were on hand to rescue their side though, with a fine 55 from Bailey helping to drag his side to a more respectable total of 137-9 of 45. The bowlers knew that a tight display was needed, and they duly delivered, bowling their opponents out for a mere 91 runs. Mark Mullis (3-28) and Tom Watling (2-23) led the way, whilst skipper Chris Long delivered the killing blow late on with figures of 3-6.    

Melksham Cricket Club would like to thank LW Roofing for sponsoring the matchball used in the 2nd XI’s game against Devizes 3s 

Bradford-on-Avon 2s 169 all out   Melksham 2s 170-3  

MELKSHAM 2nd XI got their Division 7 West campaign of to a winning start with a 7-wicket victory away to Bradford-on-Avon 2s, with a fantastic late show from Ian Doyle and Tom Bew helping to see the team over the line with just 2 balls to spare.  

Skipper Chris Long won the toss and opted to send his side into field first. Himself and Andy Footner got the action underway with the ball, with both bowlers initially kept at bay by the Bradford openers. Melksham were not to be denied for long though, with Long taking 2 wickets in consecutive overs to leave Bradford 27-2 after 12 overs.  

Bradford’s run rate did pick up once the opening bowlers were pulled from the attack, but Melksham remained a threat thanks to spinner Tom Watling. He matched the efforts of his skipper by picking up 2 wickets; but unfortunately, he was unable to remove Bradford’s main man Paul Vooght. He and 5th wicket partner Seth Robinson forged a healthy partnership as the second half of the innings progressed, with the hosts now 142-4 after 35 overs and now with a strong grip on the match going into the tail end of the innings. 

Melksham’s captain brought himself back into the attack and was immediately rewarded with the wicket of Vought (61), thanks to a catch from Tom Watling. Robinson (36) was then dismissed in a similar fashion, caught by Tony Trotman of the bowling of Daniel Carpenter. Long and Carpenter were able to tear through the tail to restrict their opponents to 169 all out of 42.1 overs. Long finished with impressive figures of 5-18, whilst Carpenter’s late cameo yielded him figures of 3-14 of 3.1 overs.   

Melksham openers Ian Doyle and Jonny House were conservative in their approach during the early overs of the chase. The first 10 overs saw the duo accumulate a mere 9 runs, mostly due to the tight bowling of the hosts. The run-rate did pick up but not as quickly as Melksham needed if they were to keep up with the target.   

The arrival of Daniel Carpenter after the dismissal of House (13) did inspire a slight acceleration, but Bradford’s bowling remained tight. For a few periods during the middle of the innings both Carpenter and Doyle found themselves bogged down, with attempts to relive the pressure often being frustrated. In the 33rd over Carpenter was dismissed for 22, with Melksham needing 90 of just 12 overs if they were to claim an opening day victory.  

Tom Bew proved to be just the man for the job. He wasted no time in accelerating the scoring, striking multiple boundaries within balls of arriving at the crease. Doyle also upped the ante in the final few overs, helping to set up a grandstand finish as the game progressed into the final few overs. After a fine innings Bew was dismissed painfully short of a fifty on 49, but Doyle, who had managed to reach fifty, was in the end able to get Melksham home with just a ball to spare, thanks also to a late cameo from Tony Trotman (5).