Melton's All Stars set to shine

Dustin Melton will field a mainly South African XI as his All Stars team takes on Sudbury at Friars Street today as part of the club’s successful Cricket Week programme, writes Ken Watkins.

The line-up includes Murray Commins, Bury St Edmunds’ overseas player, along with players attached to London-based clubs. The match starts at 11.30am.

The All Stars are standing in for the regular Thursday Cricket Week opponents Olicanian Striders, who have had a shortened tour this year, and are travelling back to Yorkshire today for a wedding tomorrow.

“The Striders have been coming here for 25 years,” said Sudbury chairman Louis Brooks. “They will be more than welcome to come back next year.”

Brooks played for Symantec against Sudbury on Tuesday, a match that went down to the wire. James O’Brien (102) and Alan Macdiarmid (101no) helped Sudbury to 274-4 dec, and Symantec needed two off the last ball to win, but could only manage to tie the match.

The fielders made the most of the paddling pools being used by children at the ground. “We were dipping our hats and heads in them to try to keep cool,” said Brooks.

But the hot weather – no real rain at the ground since May 6 – has been welcomed as Sudbury try to recover lost revenue at the start of the season. “People forget how wet it was then,” said Brooks. “We lost 16 matches, which impacts on finances.”

The week kicked off with Bardwell winning Sunday’s six-a-side tournament, beating defending champions Symantec Old Boys in the final.

Symantec (139-4) played a T20 match at Halstead (137-8) on Monday, winning by five wickets, the first 11-a-side game they had won in six years.

Monday’s traditional match between Sudbury (281-4, Colin Walters 71no) and Grammarians (183-5) ended in a draw.

Tomorrow sees a T20 three-way between Sudbury, Acton and Twinstead.