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Premier Cricket: Melville kicks off year with a double victory

Francis CurroMelville Gazette

The Premier Cricket season resumed after the two-week Christmas break with back-to-back one-day fixtures on Saturday and Sunday in rounds 9 and 10.

Melville defeated reigning premiers Rockingham-Mandurah by 28 runs on Saturday, before inflicting a 156-run thrashing on fellow finals hopefuls Gosnells on Sunday.

Melville looked slightly precarious at 4-125 on Sunday before Drew Porter (101) and Ryan Duffield (96n.o.) combined for a match-winning 131-run partnership.

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Porter’s second century of the season was integral to Melville setting the Hawks a challenging target of 288.

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Tom Kerr-Sheppard struck in the opening over and Gosnells was always on the back foot, with Blake Reed taking four wickets and Fraser Hay finishing it off to claim figures of 2-0 from five balls.

On Saturday, Duffield and Porter rescued Melville from trouble at 5-91 to lift it to 9-244.

Duffield blasted 94 from 62 balls, including eight sixes, before being caught off Kyle Gardiner.

The Mariners lacked partnerships, while Duffield backed up with the wicket of Dane Ugle.