Wellington Cricket Club

Dreadful weather accompanied this match for the second year running and demanded some perseverance from both sets of players, but in the end a good game was played out as Wellington won their first full-length Midweek XI match for two years when they defeated Sussex tourists Holmbush Park by 30 runs last Friday.

In a game shortened to thirty overs per side due to the Under 11 match that was to follow Wellington skipper Rupert Green opted to bat first and saw his team make slow progress against Holmbush’s accurate opening attack of Marney and Roast.
Marney removed two wickets with the score only on 8, but Paul Short and David Derrick steadied Wellington’s innings before Derrick was caught in the deep.
John Paine joined Short and they brought up Wellington’s fifty. On Paine’s departure Richard Das Neves and Short put together the partnership that secured Wellington’s innings as Short made it to 39 before been stumped – a painstaking innings that was invaluable to his team’s cause.
Das Neves made 28 in his usual quick temp way before he too was caught in the deep
At 107-8 Wellington would have been happy with 120 or so, but Thom Trott and Adrian Lee added 29 in quick time to secure a testing total for the tourists. Trott made 28no with one maximum.
For Holmbush Hunter with 4-34 was their most successful bowler.

The 137 required was roughly the same as had been required the previous year, but Wellington’s strong and varied bowling attack was happy to defend this total.
Keeper Alec Short was kept busy as he snaffled four catches and a stumping as the ball did much on the damp slow surface.
Thom Trott and Adrian Lee removed the openers before spin duo Richard Das Neves and Paul Short got to work and really tied down Holmbush Park so that the run rate was rising with the overs available diminishing accordingly.
Short was on a hat-trick and his 3-6 in 4 overs was crucial.
Das Neves with 2-23 in 5.5 overs wrapped things up for Wellington.
Holmbush keeper Doidge with a pleasant knock of 53 played their best innings by far and was finally removed by John Paine who took 1-20.
Rupert Green removed Roast through a good Barry Salter catch as he made ground to get to the ball.
In the end Wellington had won by 30 runs with 2.1 overs left of the thirty and the Red and Blacks had combined well in trying weather conditions.