Melville hits Dowling Shield double ton

Harry Melville (Supplied) 266488_01

Young cricket star Henry Melville has shown his class, hitting 205 from 149 deliveries in a Dowling Shield match on Wednesday.

Melville clubbed the Greenvale Kangaroos bowlers at Kardinia Park as he hit 23 fours and three sixes.

The score came as the Geelong Cricket Club posted a score of 4/396.

Melville put together a 209-run partnership with Kaden Marum (87 from 63 balls), while Campbell Snookes added 52 from 66 opening the batting.

Melville’s knock is believed to have been the highest score ever posted in the Dowling Shield, which features the best under-17 junior cricketers in the state.

The inning lead Geelong to a 223-run win in the 50-over game, with Melville outscoring the Greenvale batting side.

Good bowling from the Cats meant no Kangaroo went on with their start, and the side was bowled out for 173 from 40 overs.

Ted Bain took 2/36 from 10 overs, while Snookes claimed 2/15 from 4.4 overs.

Melville’s inning was his second hundred of the tournament, having scored a then-career high 142 not out in Geelong’s opening game against Essendon on Sunday.

It came as part of a 229-run partnership with fellow young star Ollie Peake.

The pair came together with the Cats at 1/7 and spent the next two and a half hours putting on a masterclass, hitting 23 fours and two sixes between them.

Peake hit 114 in that game and took three wickets from seven overs with the ball.

The Cats posted 3/296 from their 50 overs, and were economical with the ball, keeping Essendon to 8/196 from their 50 overs.

Peake then backed up the inning with a second ton on Tuesday, hitting 101 from 111 deliveries against Melbourne.

In the closest result the Cats had had so far, Geelong claimed an 82-run win.

The Cats put up 4/267 batting first and then bowled Melbourne out for 185 in 39 overs.

Bain took 4/32 while Flynn Chirgwin took 3/10 from just 16 balls.

Geelong sit on top of the Dowling Shield ladder ahead of Sunday’s round four game.

The competition will then take a week off before the final group game on February 13, where Geelong will travel to take on St Kilda.

Semi finals will then be played on February 20 ahead of the Dowling Shield final on March 14.