Melville was born in July 1903 at Carnarvon, Cape Colony. He was educated at Michaelhouse, before going up to the University of Natal. From there, he studied in England at Trinity College at the University of Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar. While at Oxford, Melville made a single appearance in first-class cricket for Oxford University against Kent at Oxford in 1928. Batting twice in the match, he was dismissed in the Oxford first innings for a single run while opening the batting by Bernard Howlett, while in their second innings he was dismissed for 28 runs by Bill Ashdown.
