Wellington Cricket Club

Wellington recorded their first win at Chew Court since August 1999 with this splendid nine wicket Somerset League Division One win over the form team who had beaten both Ilton and Minehead in recent weeks to make it three wins in a row.


Chew Magna opted to bat first on winning the toss and through Witcombe and King they opened with a 97 run stand in 22 overs as they had the lion’s share of the play, but disaster struck in the next over, after the drinks break, as Wellington skipper Rob Moysey made a double breakthrough as he trapped Witcombe in front for a well made 52 and then King chipped one to Thom Trott at point to give the all-rounder a simple chance and in a flash both Chew openers had departed.
Paul Short induced Mondair – usually a thorn in Wellington’s side – to loft into the deep where Mark Salter took a great catch on the run and Chew had lost three wickets for three runs.
Their situation became desperate as Richard Das Neves spun his way through the Chew middle order to take 4-9 in 9 overs as they slumped to 120-9 in 38 overs.
Locke and Sheenan added 24 for the last wicket to add some respectability to the home side’s score, but 144-9 was a poor effort in reality bearing in mind the start that was given by Witcombe and King.
Rob Moysey took 3-31 in 11 overs and Paul Short 1-42 in 12 as Wellington’s spin attack came up with the goods.

Wellington had ample time and overs to make the 145 needed to win and it was never in doubt as Rob Moysey and Mark Salter added 79 for the first Wellington wicket.
Moysey played the anchor role and batted through the innings for a patient 39no and at the other end Salter made an excellent 48 that saw him play some delightful shots as he used his feet well to the left arm spinner Sheenan, who took Chew Magna’s sole wicket.
Richard Das Neves played a sparkling innings of 43no in 27 balls as he applied the last rights to the game as Wellington won by nine wickets with 11.5 overs to spare and the Red and Blacks took 34 points to Chew’s eight.

Wellington are now playing some good cricket and to see off the division’s form team in such a commanding fashion is a real boon. Home games with local rivals Taunton Outcasts and Staplegrove now follow and the team will be looking to keep this run going for sure.

Wellington 2nd XI suffered their second home Somerset League Reserves Competition Division Two call-off in three weeks when this time Burnham-on-Sea 2nd XI were unable to raise a team.
The opposition contacted Wellington on Thursday evening to break the news and, as a result, Wellington 2nd XI receive 28 points and Burnham-on-Sea 2nd XI are deducted 25 points and fined £25 by the SCL.
This means that the team will not have had a home game from Saturday 18th June until Saturday 6th August.

League Standings
• Somerset League 1st XI Division 1 Table
• Somerset League 2nd XI Division 1 Table

Results & Fixtures
• Somerset 1st XI Division 1 Fixtures
• Somerset 1st XI Division 1 Results
• Somerset 2nd XI Division 2 Results
• Somerset 2nd XI Division 2 Fixtures

Match Reports
• Somerset League Match Reports

Wellington’s league sides both won for the first time this season as the 1st XI saw off bottom side Whitchurch in Division One of the Somerset League in what was a fairly routine victory and the 2nd XI were involved in a close game at Winscombe in Division Two of the Reserves competition, but held firm for an 11 run win.

Next Week’s Fixtures

Saturday 16th July
**1st XI** – Away to Chew Magna in a Somerset League Division One fixture.
Depart from Courtland Road Car Park at 11.45am for a 1.45pm start.

**2nd XI** – Home to Burnham-on-Sea 2nd XI in a Somerset League Reserves Competition Division Two fixture **sponsored by The Cleve Hotel and Country Club** with **match ball sponsorship from Clean and Shine Ltd**.
Meet at Pavilion by 1.00pm for a 2.00pm start.

Sunday 17th July
**Sunday XI** – Away to Street in a friendly fixture.
Depart from Courtland Road Car Park at 1.00pm for a 2.30pm start.

Wellington Sunday XI made sure it was a thoroughly successful weekend for the club as this latest Three Counties League Division One fixture was won handsomely at the home of defending champions Axminster by a margin of 51 runs and a haul of seventeen points is a handy one at any time.


Alec Short decided to bat on a hard white track and he was part of an opening stand of 116 with John Paine that saw the Axminster attack cut to ribbons. Paine was soon into his stride as he cracked thirty by the time the hapless Fragel had bowled two overs.
He powered to 87 with five superb sixes before getting one high on the splice and spearing it to the short third man, agonisingly short of a ton for the second time this Sunday season.
Short made a good 34 that saw him bat in good style and he was looking set when Axminster skipper Larcombe (1-37 in 8 overs) got one through his defences.
Richard Das Neves and James Dyke shared a 67 run fourth wicket stand that set Wellington up for a total in excess of 250.
Das Neves made a stylish 61 as he effortlessly glided the ball around the arena and played some hard hit shots when he could.
Dyke found the gaps well on his way to 27 – a good quality knock from the 2nd XI skipper.
Paul Short with 14no guided the later batsmen to a final total of 275-9 in 40 overs as Axminster had toiled in the excessive heat and humidity.
Fragel with 3-72 in 8 overs and Manger with 3-31 in 4 overs had the best figures for the home side, but it had been hard work for them.

Andy Mitchell and Grant Davey bowled a good combined opening spell, but the only reward realised from this was a wicket for Davey (1-18 in 5 overs) as Adrian Lee accepted a good catch at mid-on.
Garner and Larcombe added 78 for the second wicket as Axminster – from Division One of the Devon League – mounted a challenge to the large total that they faced.
Garner made a stylish 61 and Larcombe 40, but the spin pairing of Paul Short and Richard Das Neves accounted for them in quick succession and this swung the game back towards Wellington.
Short took 3-39 in 8 overs and was full of variation in his off-spin guise.
Wellington concentrated on gaining what bowling bonus points that they could as Richard Short cleaned up the tail with a good second spell of medium-fast bowling that earned him 3-41 in 7 overs.
In the end Wellington won by 51 runs to gain seventeen points to Axminster’s twelve and the team can look forward to a visit to Barrington for the fourth game in their Sunday league season on Sunday 24th July.

Bristol-based side Whitchurch opted to bat first on winning the toss and took first use of a hard white pitch, but they never truly used the excellent batting conditions.
John Paine and Thom Trott made sure of this by bowling an exacting opening spell between them.
After a resolute start to their innings Paine removed the Gammon brothers, both caught behind by Sam Cook, who was making his 1st XI keeping debut for Wellington and he did an excellent job with only one bye conceded all innings.
Paine took 2-22 in 12 overs and he is bowling well at the moment.
Trott took 1-39 in 10 good overs as he complimented his opening partner well.
Paine took a hat-trick of catches as well.
They gave way to Adrian Lee and Simon Rudd, playing for the first time in 2005, and this pair of medium-pacers kept it tight with 1-18 and 2-32 respectively as Whitchurch never truly had a base to go on from.
Top quality catching aided Wellington’s bowlers as a total of eight of the ten wickets to fall went to this mode of dismissal.
Richard Das Neves and Rob Moysey spun their way through the tail and had the visitors all out for 129 in 37.4 overs.

Wellington went about the 130 needed in solid fashion with skipper Moysey batting through his side’s time at the crease for 47no.
Das Neves cracked 35 and the job was pretty much done. Mark Saunders was present at the crease with his skipper when the winning runs were hit and it had taken only 29.2 overs for Wellington to achieve a six wicket win and 35 points for the second week running.
The wins over Butleigh and Whitchurch have come at the right time and the Red and Blacks can look forward with renewed confidence to the rest of the season, but knowing that they still have work to do. Whitchurch look to have a long season ahead of them and collected ten points from the game.

Wellington 2nd XI completed the double over Winscombe 2nd XI with this eleven run away win last Saturday in an exciting match.
Wellington were asked to bat first and lost a wicket as soon as the fifth ball of the innings and were soon rocking at 32-3 as Brean, who took all these wickets, was making the ball dart and move around alarmingly as Wellington struggled to cope with the excessive movement.
Julian Jones with 24 was looking well set following on from his half-century at Butleigh the previous week, but edged one down the leg-side where Winscombe keeper Lunn took a great catch.
The steadying influence that Wellington needed came from Gary Tillett and Chris Rudd who added 82 for the fourth wicket.
Rudd played an innings that was initially cautious, but he opened his shoulders later on and was closing in on a fifty when he got a grubber and was bowled for 45.
Tillett played an excellent knock that glued the Wellington innings together as he made 49 in fine style with steady defence when needed and some fine shots when the bad ball came along.
He was out at 172-8 which brought David Derrick to the crease and he shared in an, as it turned out, vital seventeen run stand that lifted Wellington’s score to 189-8 in 45 overs. Derrick smashed a six that went so far out of the ground that the ball was irretrievable even after much searching.

Wellington delivered a controlled opening spell, but the breakthrough was not forthcoming.
With the score on 36 A.Hall drove uppishly to mid-off where Kevin Crout took an excellent low catch and the opening had been made.
Winscombe doubled the score before the next incision was made and a smart stumping by Julian Jones off of Gary Tillett accounted for Searle for 33.
Tuckett joined Mayne and they gave Wellington some nervous moments until James Dyke rose at mid-off and took a great catch off of Bob Trott to break a dangerous stand.
The run rate was rising against Winscombe’s desire and Wellington knew they had to keep it tight, but Lunn launched a vicious assault on the Red and Blacks and he had 23 in no time at all, but Gary Tillett came up with the goods at just the right time and his 3-37 in 10 overs was crucial.
Mention has to go to Andy Mitchell who bowled a the crucial 43rd over with the match position been that Winscombe needed 21 to win, the teenager went for just four runs and this was the point at which Wellington had the game under their control.
Winscombe scrambled some useful late runs from their point of view, but Wellington had kept their nerve and took 30 points from this win to the home side’s sixteen.

Wellington 1st XI got the much needed win they required at home to Butleigh in Division One of the Somerset League last Saturday, but the 2nd XI could not make it a double for the club as they went down to a heavy seven wicket defeat at Butleigh in Division Two of the Reserves Competition.

**Next Week’s Fixtures**

Saturday 9th July
**1st XI** – Home to Whitchurch in a Somerset League Division One fixture **sponsored by The Cleve Hotel and Country Club** with **match ball sponsorship from Misterton Garage**.
Meet at Pavilion by 12.45pm for a 1.45pm start.

**2nd XI** – Away to Winscombe 2nd XI in a Somerset League Reserves Competition Division Two fixture.
Depart from Courtland Road Car Park at 12noon for a 2.00pm start.

Sunday 10th July
**Sunday XI** – Away to Axminster in a Three Counties League Division One fixture.
Depart from Courtland Road Car Park at 1.00pm for a 2.30pm start.

An effective Wellington Sunday XI performance saw a fine nine wicket win recorded at Honiton last weekend when a cohesive bowling effort was matched by a whirlwind batting effort.
David Derrick called correctly again and opted to ask the home side to take first knock on a brown, pitted track.
Adrian Lee was soon revelling in these conditions as he reeled eight overs straight off and took the phenomenal figures of 5-4, all these runs coming in singles.
Wellington’s vice-captain did much with the ball in his spell and Honiton simply could not get him away at all. Excellent catching supported Lee and made sure that he got full value for his efforts. Andy Perry held onto a stinger at mid-off and keeper Sam Cook had to adjust his movement and go totally the other way and took a great catch. John Paine gave Lee the third caught victim of his five wicket bag as one looped in the air and a simple chance was taken.

At 36-5 Honiton were in severe danger of been skittled out, but their lower order showed some application that was perhaps lacking from their higher placed candidates.
But Grant Davey and Andy Mitchell bowled excellently meaning that Honiton could merely survive and not raise their run rate. Davey took 1-30 in 8 overs and Mitchell 1-22 in 7.
David Derrick bowled for the first time this season and a wide half volley was smashed to cover where James Dyke took a stinging catch to give Wellington’s skipper a lucky wicket.
A.Beighton (17no) and Broom (12) held Wellington up, but Paul Short and Richard Das Neves plugged away and in the end saw the home side dismissed for 96 in 36.1 overs.

Wellington lost a wicket in the first over to the brisk bowling of O’Brien – Honiton’s New Zealander – but this early setback only spurred John Paine and Thom Trott to win the game in a flash.
Trott made 39no and Paine 42no as they passed the target in 12.4 overs. Clean hitting and good shot placement counted in the pair’s favour and Trott won the game in the grand style as he crashed a six.
Wellington Sunday XI are still unbeaten in friendly competition so far in 2005 and will look for a second Three Counties League Division One win of the season at Axminster this coming weekend.

• Club history is thought to have been made on Saturday when the 1st XI played Butleigh in Division One of the Somerset League when three brothers took to the field in the same team for the first time for the Red and Blacks.
• Richard, Alec and Paul Short were all part of the team that recorded a 23 run win. The brothers are the sons of club chairman Duncan Short.
• Wellington batsman Marc Holloway, who joined the Red and Blacks from Bagborough in the close season, is recovering from a broken thumb that he sustained whilst fielding at Peasedown St John on Saturday 25th June. Marc faces three to four weeks out.
• All rounder Kevin Symons is still troubled by an ankle injury that he sustained at the end of May. He has not set a comeback date at the time of writing.

Wellington were asked to bat first and this potential setback was negated as Rob Moysey and Mark Salter put on 70 for the first wicket. Salter contributed 41 and Moysey a half-century with 52. This stand gave Wellington a solid base to go on from.
From a position of 120-4 Stuart Currall and John Paine made sure Wellington were bearing down on the 200 and full batting points.
Currall made 43 and Paine 30 as both cleanly struck the ball and obtained maxima at times in their innings.
Mark Saunders and Paul Short ensured that the 200 run mark was passed within the 45 overs that Wellington had available to them
For Butleigh, making their first visit to Wellington at 1st team level since 1992, Durston was their most successful bowler with 3-36 in 10 overs.

Butleigh’s reply was solid and their top four all got starts. John Paine trapped both Trotman and Tuohey LBW as the left-armer took 2-38 in 12 good overs, but Wellington were still plagued by the knocks of Gibbs and Millar who both struck crisp half-centuries.
But a run out accounted for Gibbs and Richard Das Neves showed a good pair of hands to caught and bowl Millar and from then on no Butleigh player recorded double figures as spin of both the finger and wrist variety cleaned up.
Paul Short with 2-35 in 12 overs and Das Neves with 3-35 in 10 did the initial work with their off-spinners – they have worked well in tandem recently.
Rob Moysey’s leg-spinners have been a potent force this season and his 2-43 in 7 overs sealed only Wellington 1st XI’s third win of the 2005 season, but the 35 points they gained go a long way to easing any worries the Red and Blacks have of getting involved in a relegation dog fight.
Butleigh took 15 points from the game.

Next week’s match with Whitchurch sees the start of the second half of the season and it is a game that Wellington need to win against a team that have struggled since gaining promotion from Division Two last season.

**Thanks go to Abbey Road Garage (SW) Ltd of Street for their generous match ball sponsorship of this match.**