Melbourne captain James Coupland won the toss and put Stockton in the bat on a drying wicket.Opening bowlers Scott Coupland and Ben Thompson bowled tight severely restricted the batsman and were rewarded with wickets for Coupland thanks to catches by Oliver Steels and Alex Barlow to see off both openers - Dan Fairclough [6] and Rich Kerrison [26]. Thompson notched up the wickets of Gowda lbw and Jamie Kerrison [10] who he bowled in the 16th over to put Stockton on 51-4. and returned Thompson figures of 10-4-21-2. Brian Underwood entered the bowling fray in the 17th over and in his next 6.5 overs decimated the Stockton innings as Williams was caught by keeper Matt Beevers, Perera & Gonsalves were bowled, Kale caught by a superb left hand catch by Steels and a diving catch by James Kirby returned next weeks bridegroom to be Underwood bowling figures of 5 for 13. Of the Stockton middle and lower order only Pete Fairclough made double figures.
In reply Melbourne struggled against the tight bowling of D Fairclough and D Tyler. Tim Blackmore was out lbw off the bowling of Fairclough in the 7th over and James Coupland followed him back to the sidelines the following over to put Melbourne on a concerning 15-2 however Oliver Steels joined Ian Kirby in the middle and the two added a further 32 to the board before Steels [14] was bowled by Gonsalves. Ben Thompson then joined Kirby and the two added a further 29 before Thompson [17] was also bowled by Gonsalves. Ian Kirby hit the winning boundary for Melbourne in the 24th over finishing the match on a good 36* and a well deserved victory for Melbourne.
Many thanks to the match ball sponsor - Johnson Haulage.
Next week sees Melbourne at home to Ovington