Race Night gallops back to St Audry's this Good Friday 7th April! Hosts Deane, Eddie, Malcolm and Sue are under starter's orders to provide an entertainment-packed evening, with 8 films of actual horse racing. Simply bet on your favourite horse to win. It's a great, fun night for the family - all ages welcome!

Arrive 7pm for first race at 7.30 pm, £7 per ticket (includes sausage & chips), raffle and bar open. This is the club's main fundraiser of the year - all proceeds go towards the season ahead and our headline project of replacing the practice nets.

Contact Deane Weller by email or phone 07516 434988 for tickets.

Eddie and two Toms are stars of opening win

Race Night returns to St Audrys on Good Friday 19th April. Eight films of actual horse racing where you bet on your favourite horse to win. It's a great, fun night for the family - all ages welcome!

Arrive 7pm for first Race at 7.30 pm, £5 ticket (includes sausage & chips), raffle and bar open. All profit used to help fund our cricket club.

Contact Deane Weller by email or phone 07799 132553 for tickets, or Phil King on 07878 605657.

Malcolm has once again done a grand job in compiling all of the Men's and Women's scorebooks and stats for the full 2021 season. Click on the buttons below to find out who took the wickets and catches and who scored the runs!

It was a great end to our Cricket Week, particularly after the disappointment of losing Friday's activities to heavy rain. The sun came out for the Legends and so did a number of familiar faces from the past. Stuart D looked like he'd never been away, starting with a sharp catch in the opening and another at the end and then adding a 30+ retirement with the bat. Joe launched himself for a spectacular one-handed catch, Darren refreshed his memory as he opened the bowling and Richard hit the stumps three times (which would have met with approval from Stefan). Josh S would have enjoyed cleaning up Josh B with his seldom-seen seamers and we were happy to share the occasion with a Legend from another local team as Bruce collected another wicket to add to his vast haul for Woodbridge over many years.

The Melton Sunday side total was a manageable 137 and with retirement scores from Tom Sid and Stuart the Legends got home with five wickets and six overs to spare. This included two good wickets for Max and two for skipper Tom, who prevented the senior legend from adding to his club total.

It was good to see a few other Legends who put in an appearance - presumably Adam, Jack and Mick are now too old to play proper cricket (!)

And, of course, there was another chance to see Dougie behind the timbers. It was another tidy performance to add to the 500+ appearances he has made since 1996. Dot was there to support him and us - as she has done for all of those 500+ days of cricket. Also off the field we were grateful for Peter and Co for providing the barbecue and for Kate for keeping the finances and the scorebook in order. It was pleasing that the day created some more Melton memories and also raised additional funds for the club's ambitious future plans. It all helps to ensure more Melton Legends will be created over the years to come.

The match was an opportunity for the Legends to see the promise of the younger players coming through at Melton; for those younger players to appreciate the dedication and loyalty behind the runs and wickets on the records of the Legends; and to reflect on those who were unable to join us on a lovely day in the sun.

Suffolk Cricket have announced the following online courses, which are free and available to members aged 13 and above. All players are likely to be called upon to score and/or umpire in league games this coming season, so this is a great opportunity to brush up on your knowledge:

Working with the ECB Association of Cricket Officials (ACO) and the Suffolk ACO association, we've setup a dedicated Suffolk ACO area. Initially this offers anyone interested in getting to know more about umpiring or scoring (eg parent, guardian, teenager, senior players, non-players, committee members etc) the chance to take a "free" introductory online course. Whether it's scoring or umpiring or indeed both, it will hopefully be of interest to people, especially whilst we continue to be in lockdown. Details of the respective weblinks to register below;

Basics of scoring - https://booking.ecb.co.uk/d/pjq1gj

Umpire stage 1 - https://booking.ecb.co.uk/d/pjq1gb

This is very much aimed at recreational cricket and could be anyone that just wants to know more about umpiring and/or scoring, wants to help out with junior or senior matches at their club or players umpiring /scoring during club matches. If of course anybody would like to progress, then more courses are available, however it's not mandatory.

Malcolm has been busy tracking down and compiling all of the Men's scorebooks and stats for the 2020 (half) season. Click on the button below to find out who took the wickets and catches and who scored the runs!

Thanks for your help, Eddie. We were one short until Eddie volunteered to join our ranks, making it three fathers and sons in the line-up at Nacton. We batted first but Mark was late because he had detoured to Kesgrave (why?) and so the two Nicks opened. Nick S enjoyed the opening over which saw 12 runs on the board. But with a very strong cross wind it was not easy and the home team hung onto a series of good catches. At 39 for five we were struggling, and 51 for six was not a lot better. Geoff HC struck three legside boundaries but it was still only 94 when the ninth wicket fell. Enter Eddie to add six overs and 11 runs to the innings for a Jack Leach-type innings of 0. Seth scored 16 not out to take our total into three figures, and 105 gave us something to defend.

Despite a good opening spell from Seth it took Conor to make the breakthrough with a good catch by Rupert. Mark hit the stumps to make it 53 for two but it started to rain and soon it was sweeping across the ground. We carried on but conditions were worsening. Conor had one for two from four overs, but was finding it hard to hold the slippery wet ball and ended with one for 10 from six - a great spell. Ethan also picked up a wicket and it was good to see the two young spinners working in tandem.

After 24 overs common sense prevailed and the match was called off with Nacton 90 for four. Well done to all for sticking it out for 20 minutes in very wet conditions - and thanks to Nacton captain Billy and his team for accepting the abandonment with grace.

Plus signs despite heavy defeat.

It was hard work and in the final analysis we were well beaten, but there were a number of positives.

First the negatives: Losing the toss on one of the hottest days of the year with a noon start and then having to field for 40 overs in very high temperatures against strong opponents.

Now the positives: The whole team stuck to the task, never gave up and produced some good cricket at times.

The Kesgrave openers came out swinging, but they both took one chance too many against Prasanna who claimed both wickets, one thanks to a solid catch by Nick B. Opposing captain Ryan batted sensible, conserving his energy with a series of boundaries. Ethan bowled tidily and Richard slowed things down in the middle, both claiming a wicket - a return catch well claimed and a safe catch by Conor. Fynn claimed Ryan's wicket nine short of his century thanks to a fine catch in the deep by Mark. However, the runs kept flowing and a daunting total of 252 was posted at the end of the innings.

The reply was twice derailed by run outs, both with direct hits from distance which was unfortunate. Deane hit three fours and then a six and out, while last man Fynn struck three fine boundaries before being well caught trying to hit a fourth.

It was not an easy afternoon but the attitude shown was first class and there were sun-burnt but smiling faces at the end.

An enjoyable trip to the seaside.

We had a very enjoyable afternoon at Felixstowe. The home team were good hosts, everybody had a chance to bat or bowl and there were a few very good performances.

After the two Nicks had given us a steady start - at least it was a big improvement on the previous week - Ethan looked good in partnership with Richard. The Captain helped take the score to 124 for five and then shared a 60-run partnership with Deane who had another of his disputed LBWs - the ball may have gone under the wickets as it lodged between his pads six inches in front of the stumps. The real revelation was when Alex arrived and started stroking boundaries on both sides of the wicket. At 184 for seven Malcolm retired when he reached his 50 and there was time for Alex to get within one hit of his half-century when he was caught behind. Seth hit a couple of fours when batting with his dad, Geoff, and a final score of 209 for seven off 35 overs looked very competitive.

Seth and Alex opened steadily with Seth taking a deserved wicket in his sixth and final over. Conor and Ethan bowled well together, with Ethan taking the second wicket. Conor might have had a third but Deane spilled the catch. Ben Read, who had deserved his two wickets earlier, went on to hit two sixes and eight fours in his 53. When he missed a straight one the reply slipped to 149 for seven by the close, with Richard and Nick B both picked up their first wickets for the team and Deane making up for his earlier miss with a fine tumbling catch at mid-off.

The match was played in a very good spirit and we look forward to next week. Eight players are already selected.