Melksham 1s found themselves on the receiving end of a humiliating defeat for the second week running, losing by 148 runs during a difficult afternoon at Wanborough.
Winning the toss and electing to bowl first, the visitors got off to a good start by keeping the runs to a bare minimum as Wanborough’s opening batsmen opted merely to defend their wickets in the early stages. Melksham were becoming increasingly frustrated with the lack of wickets, but after 20 overs their opponents only had 45 runs on the board. Wanborough did somewhat accelerate, getting to 87 by the 30th over; during which Gary Ings finally claimed his side’s first scalp.
With wickets in hand, the home side were now able to push on. Jack Footner, Matt Lee and James Walters each claimed a wicket each in the final third of the innings, but a late burst from the Wanborough batsmen saw their total skyrocket. They would go on to finish on 208-4 after their 45 overs, a total that would leave the bowling side feeling somewhat hard done by after what was a relatively solid effort in the field.
With batting proving to be a major Achilles heel at times this season, Melksham knew that they would have to produce a serious improvement over recent weeks if they were to have any chance of claiming a much-needed win. Sadly, it quite quickly became apparent that this would not be the case when some miscommunication in the middle led to Daniel Carpenter being ran out early doors. Chris Long and Tom Bew kept the impeccable Wanborough bowling attack out for a short while; but when the later was bowled for 8, the flood gates opened in terrifying fashion. Joe Veacock, Jack Footner, and Freddie Honeybone all went for ducks in quick succession, to leave their side in the embarrassing predicament of 17-5.
Matt Lee was able to halt the slide with a quickfire 19 while Chris Long, who had been helplessly watching the carnage from the non-striker’s end, simply held on for dear life; he only managed 7 runs in an innings that lasted 102 balls. When both these batsmen departed the score was 53-8, the tail barely lasted much longer and eventually Melksham finished on a meagre 60 all out.
Meanwhile the 2nds suffering their first reverse of the season at the hands of Bathford 2s. Batting first, Melksham stumbled to 34-7; but brothers Gary and Steve Burns hit fifty each to help up the score to 170 all out. But unfortunately this proved to be nowhere near enough, with Bathford comfortably knocking off the target with 7 wickets to spare.