Wellington Cricket Club

Wellington slumped to a third Somerset League Division One defeat in a row as their batting didn’t have enough in the tank to carry off the chase on newly-promoted Minehead’s 195-7, falling 24 short of the target set by the seasiders.

Minehead opted to bat on a good wicket and were ‘all at sea’ when their first wicket fell as Stevens bolted up the wicket was out by a country mile had Wellington composed themselves a little more, he was run out, but nearly got back. Goodrum latched onto anything short and pulled and hooked well, but Gary Tillett yorked him on his way to Wellington’s best figures of the day of 2-33 in 12 overs.

At 119-5 Minehead’s innings was at a crossroads with Tudball having gone for exactly 50, but Sully put on an impressive display of hitting as he hit 32 in just 14 balls of clean, crisp batting. His merry spree was ended by Kevin Symons (2-58) whose slower ball was well disguised and he departed stumped by Alec Short.
Minehead made it to 195-7 by tea.

Wellington’s reply started solidly enough as Mark Salter and Rob Moysey got into the teens before Salter got an absolute pig of a ball – a grubber that would have gone under the sticks if it could have done – the umpire had no option but to give Wellington’s captain out. At 16-2 Wellington needed consolidation and Moysey was joined in this task by Stuart Currall and they added exactly 50 before Currall was given out LBW to left arm spinner Denish who flighted and looped the ball well on his way to 3-25 in 12 overs.

Moysey was fourth out at 77 having made 44, he hit 7 fours in his excellent effort. Simon Rudd and Tom Trott pushed Wellington onto 120 with a 43 run fifth wicket partnership, but the return of paceman Sully broke the back of the Wellington innings as he claimed 4-49 in 12 overs.

Wellington went from 120-4 to 143-9 and a heavy defeat was on the cards. That this was not suffered was down to last wicket pair Gary Tillett and Adrian Lee who added a spirited 28 with Tillett making 13 and Lee 15no with a sightscreen bound six to boot. Tillett was out to the first ball of the last over as Graddon with 3-31 wrapped things up for Minehead as they claimed 34 points to Wellington’s 15.

The next two games for Wellington – away to Taunton Outcasts and home to Chew Magna – are very important and the team will need to get something out of them if this season is not to become a hard slog.