Mellor eyes cup success as Staffs start with a win
ALEX Mellor is excited by Staffordshire’s potential in the 50-over format... he now wants his players to showcase their skills.
The county made a winning start to their NCCA Knockout Trophy campaign with a three-wicket victory over Wales at Himley on Sunday.
Bad weather reduced the contest to a 35 overs per side match and Staffs successfully chased down Wales’ 179 all out to win with 10 balls to spare.
Staffordshire have had a decent run in this part of the white-ball programme in recent times with trips to both the final and semi-finals in previous seasons.
An encouraging Twenty20 Cup schedule saw Staffordshire just miss out on qualifyication from their group.
Leek wicketkeeper-batsman Mellor, who will captain Staffs in the 50-over matches, said: “T20s have been tricky ones for us as a county, but this year has seen some new faces and new methods.
“It has been very enjoyable and the younger lads have come in and done lots of learning on both the technical and tactical side of things.
“The 50-over format is the one we enjoy playing in,
though, and we want to be successful in that and the three-dayers.
“They are the two longstanding competitions at NCCA level and are the ones we are really targeting.
“We know we have a lot of match-winners and guys who can score 70-ball hundreds to change a game.
“There is a lot of quality in our squad and it’s about getting it out of the players now.”
Paul Byrne’s 3-35 had been key to limiting Wales, while Zen Malik and Michael Hill were the architects of Staffordshire’s run chase.
The pair joined forces with the hosts on 56-2 and compiled a third-wicket partnership of 79 to put Staffs on course for the points in the Group Four game.
Hill departed for 45 to bring an end to their alliance - and Malik wasn’t too far behind after being dismissed for 48.
A wobble ensured in the middle order as Staffordshire’s inexperience told to a degree when it mattered most.
Tom Hope, Louis Allison and Grant Thornton fell in pursuit of victory, but Jack Redman and Alex Coates managed to steer the home side over the line.
Earlier, Wales failed to fully capitalise on a solid start to their innings as Staffs - who had won the toss - reeled in their opponents to stem the run rate.
The visitors would have been targeting a score in excess of 200 after making their way to 84-2 in the 15th over.
But Staffordshire took a grip on proceedings and, aided by some indifferent batting, managed to keep the target within range.
Spin also proved to be the perfect weapon for Staffs as Wales struggled to find a way to knock the hosts out of their stride.
Staffs were quick off the mark in their run chase as Riki
Wessels contributed a rapid 27 before he departed with the score on 41.
Malik was dropped when he had made four, but Wales did earn another reward with the score on 56.
Mellor attempted to sweep spinner Phillips, but only managed to top edge it to Smith at short fine leg to leave the arena for 21. Hill announced his arrival by shimmying down the track and launching Phillips for a straight six.
Malik was able to play his natural game as Hill played enforcer to punish any bad ball which came his way.
Hill, who had a tough time in the T20 format, looked back to his best, although he was afforded a life when he was dropped at backward point on 37.
He had added eight more to his tally before he was trapped lbw by Rich Edwards to deny him what would have been a deserved half-century.
Malik also missed out on 50 when his pull shot off Morris went up in the air to Bevan at point with the score on 145.
The pressure began to tell on Staffs with new batsmen at the crease but they found a way to win, although they will know they made it far tougher than they should have done.
A victory was all that mattered, although Staffordshire will know there is plenty of room for improvement as they head to Warminster to take on
Wiltshire next Sunday. Staffordshire failed to advance from their group last summer after seeing the weather impact their bid for silverware.
They were beaten at Cumbria in the first encounter before bouncing back with victories over Northumberland and Shropshire.
That set up a winner-takesall match against Cheshire at Knypersley, but the rain meant that no play was possible and Staffs’ neighbours progressed to the last eight alongside Cumbria.
“Nothing will really change in our approach, it’s about being positive,” added Mellor.
“We messed up the first game last year. We were perhaps a bit under-prepared because we hadn’t played and Cumbria already had a match under their belts.
“If we had played them further down the line I would have backed us to beat them. “But we didn’t do ourselves justice on the day.
“We then recovered really well and the weather just killed the momentum we had.
“We let ourselves down to a degree against Cumbria, but it showed the character we had to bounce back from that defeat.
“What our subsequent performances also highlighted is what we’re capable of producing if we are successful.”
Staffordshire sat out the first round of 50-over matches last weekend.
Mellor said: “It has been nice to have a bit of a break.
“The T20s were four weeks on the trot and it does takes its toll on the body with all the travel.
“It’s very demanding at times, especially with working Monday to Friday and then playing club cricket on a Saturday.
“So a weekend off is not the worst to recharge the batteries and look forward to the 50over games.
“Hopefully we can be there or thereabouts, but we want to look at things one match at a time.”
In the other Group four game, Buckinghamshire easily *beat Wiltshire by six wickets.