Wellington’s first midweek game of the season was a tight draw in which the home side fought back well from a position where the Sussex tourists looked to be heading for a first ever win over the Red and Blacks.

Holmbush Park opted to put Wellington into bat in cool showery conditions and there were frequent stoppages for rain, but this did not stop Bob Trott and Rob Moysey adding a solid 70 for the first Wellington wicket as both overcame the inclement conditions.
Moysey made 29 and Trott 33 and neither seemed in much trouble, that was until a call for a regulation single was refused and Trott was left stranded at the non-striker’s end and was duly run out.

This signalled a tame period for Wellington in terms of run scoring as the score limped over the 100 mark.Tom Trott and Paul Short added some impetus to the proceedings and Short ended with 41no, a fine effort in difficult batting conditions.
Chris Kitto aided Short at the end as Wellington made 138-5 by tea.

Adrian Lee took two quick wickets before Barten and Doidge put together a good third wicket stand for the tourists that looked as if it had set the base for a victory push by them.
Doidge made a composed 21 that supported his partner’s knock of 60 – his third successive half-century in this fixture – Barten hit the ball hard and cleanly and had he stayed in the visitors would have been mighty close, but Simon Rudd snared him as he tried for a lavish drive and with this the bottom fell out of Holmbush’s innings as Rudd took 4-15 in 9 overs in tandem with Denis Fullstone who bowled a tidy spell of left-arm medium pace, taking 1-21 in 7 overs.

Survival was Holmbush’s only choice after this and they negotiated this successfully despite Rob Moysey taking a late wicket through that cricketing rarity – a David Derrick catch.
Honours were even at the end of a good game despite the weather.