Wellington 302-5 – Taunton Outcasts 202-7
Wellington 1st XI recorded their highest total in league history as they surpassed 300 for the first time in the 32 years that they have been competing in league competition.
Rob Moysey won the toss and had no hesitation in opting to bat on a hard, dry track that, coupled with a fast outfield, equalled excellent batting conditions.
Moysey and Mark Salter added 36 in 12 overs before Salter guided one to gully and was caught for 17. At this point Outcasts had started to rein Wellington’s run rate in, but the arrival of Richard Das Neves at the crease upped things again as Outcasts became wayward with the ball and ragged in the field. Das Neves struck an innings of supreme quality as he made 140 – the highest individual score for the Red and Blacks 1st XI – as he took only 95 balls to make this landmark score.
Striking 15 fours and four sixes he flayed the county town team’s attack to all parts and was particularly severe on the short ball as he planted it over the midwicket boundary with abandon.
He added 115 for the second wicket with skipper Moysey, who himself made a fine 60.
A 70 run stand with Thom Trott who made 30 at a run a ball further increased Wellington’s score in their favour.
Das Neves was finally out at 268-4 and he was warmly applauded as he left the field.
Stuart Currall and John Paine proved that Wellington were not finished and a quick 24 run stand made sure that Wellington were in a position to make 300 and this duly occurred with Currall and Sam Cook ensuring that this happened.
For Outcasts this was the third time they had conceded 300 this season, which must be some sort of record in itself, and they had struggled in the field with numerous catches going down. Wellington footballer Greg Jackson was their best bowler with 3-98 in 12 overs.
John Paine made a breakthrough a soon as the fourth ball of the Outcasts innings as he removed Glinn who tried to cut one that rose a little too much for this shot and Alec Short took the first of his four dismissals behind the sticks.
No further breakthrough came until the 14th over as Gilbert and Mutyambizi added 63 for the second wicket with some nice controlled play. Rob Moysey got Mutyambizi caught behind and the Wellington spin trick was in operation again. Paul Short bowled 12 overs on the reel and took 2-53, he removed Gilbert for 63 and saw Mark Salter take a great catch in the deep to see off M.Lawrence.
Hewton and Greg Jackson added 51 for the Outcasts 5th wicket and it seemed as if they would get to maximum batting points and deny Wellington valuable bonus points, but Richard Short’s debut 1st XI wicket saw Hewton edge behind for 37 and then Rob Moysey took two wickets in the last over of the game to add value to Wellington’s points haul. Warren smote the last ball of the game for four to give Outcasts full batting points, but they had been well beaten by 100 runs as Wellington took 32 points to Taunton Outcasts 15.
Wellington are now on a nice run of results and will look to make it five wins in a row next week at home to Staplegrove, but the team are aware to do this the need to turn the tide and reverse a run of five straight defeats against the Taunton based side and in fact beat them at 1st XI level for the first time since September 2000.
**Thanks go to Ablelec Ltd for their generous match ball sponsorship of this game. The club are very grateful to them for their input in this respect.**
