Wellington Cricket Club

Wellington Sunday XI’s latest Three Counties League Division One fixture went in favour of the home side as they were blown away when it came to their turn to bat as the score dipped to 26-6 in the face of an explosive opening burst from the Premier One side.

TSA opted to bat first on a green track and were given a solid start by Jennings and Bradford who added 46 for the first wicket. Andy Mitchell gave them much to think of, but went unrewarded.
Wellington gifted them several extras, but it was Richard Short who mde the breakthrough when Jennings looped a simple chance to Rob Moysey in the gully.
Phil Nicholls was doing plenty with the ball and he got one through Pimm’s defences.
Nicholls bowled eight overs off the reel and 1-24 represents a good effort from the fast bowler.
Rob Moysey and Richard Das Neves bowled a good combined spell of wrist and finger spin that kept TSA in check at the mid-way point of their innings.
Das Neves took 4-36 in 8 overs and Moysey took 2-51 in his 8 overs as much variety of delivery was served up.
Thom Trott rounded things off for Wellington with a wicket first ball and Grant Davey returned to the attack and was a much better proposition at the end of the TSA innings.
A good piece of work between Richard Das Neves and Phil Nicholls saw that Baldock was run out on the last ball of the innings and Wellington had claimed ten points at the half-way stage of the game.

They added only one more point as they were blown away when it came to their turn to bat.
Hawkins and Grundy bowled quick and straight and reduced Wellington to 26-6.
Skipper Alec Short and Rob Moysey consolidated with a 23 run seventh wicket stand with Moysey making a useful 19.
But 49-6 became 49-8 and a huge defeat was beckoning, but Short played a stoic innings as he resisted all that TSA could throw at him, that was until he played one to leg and just slipped back far enough to dislodge the leg bail and thus he was out hit wicket for 21.
Grant Davey played a bright little innings for 13, but he found Grundy in the deep and Wellington were all out for 83 and TSA had won by 108 runs.

Despite this been a huge defeat Wellington still took only four less points from the match to TSA’s total because they had claimed the full youth bonus.

TSA took 15 points to Wellington’s eleven.

Wellington 2nd XI ended their away travels with the long trip to Bath to take on Peasedown St John 2nd XI and it was a successful one for James Dyke’s team as they came away with a six-wicket win to all but secure their fourth place in Division Two of the Somerset League’s Reserves competition.
Dyke won the toss and asked the home side to take first knock, serving up a poor collective effort with the bat, where only three players made it to double figures.
Home skipper Warsinski played a top knock of 77no and without that his team, who are relegated anyway, would have been no where.
Adrian Lee and Martin Short ensured that tight control was applied from the off by Wellington, Lee taking a wicket in his first over, and Short not far behind in capturing a wicket early on.
Simon Rudd bowled an exemplary spell of 12 overs taking 5-26 in the process that broke the back of the PSJ innings – four of his five victims were bowled and this states the excellent control he bowled with.
There were wickets for Andy Mitchell and Chris Rudd as well and Adrian Lee wrapped things up to finish up with 2-18 in 6.1 overs as Wellington were set a modest 140 to win.

Although the target should not have posed any real issues at 24-3 Wellington were in need of a steadying hand. Alex Sparks rose to the occasion with a top effort of 74no to follow on from his 79 at Temple Cloud last weekend and 108 in the Under 17s cup match. He struck the bad ball with aplomb and set the Red and Blacks on their way.
He added 67 for the fourth wicket with Chris Rudd, who made a useful 19 and the win was secured with James Dyke making 23no as 35 points came the way of Wellington 2nd XI.
Wellington 2nd XI are unbeaten in the second half of the 2005 season so far and will hope to keep this record in tact against Butleigh 2nd XI at home next weekend.

Wellington 1st XI concluded their home Somerset League Division One season with a resounding 107 run win over Peasedown St John and broke through the 400 points barrier for the season.
PSJ asked Wellington to bat on a dampish track and early on it was a struggle for the home side as a wicket was lost to the fourth ball of the game and the visitors applied good early pressure.
Richard Das Neves was immune to this pressure as he crashed 27 in 18 balls as he cracked the ball through the covers with elegance, he tried the shot again, but it did not get up and he was bowled.
Rob Moysey was going about his business in a steady fashion and on the departure of Das Neves he opened his shoulders and cracked an excellent 66 in 87 balls that cemented his team’s hopes of a large total to defend.
Moysey was sever on the short ball and pulled with power and timing. His cover driving was another great thing to watch as well.
Thom Trott was looking set for a large innings, but was removed having made 23.
Stuart Currall worked the ball around well for 16, but the real impetus to carry Wellington past 200 came from Marc Holloway and Mark Saunders who added an unbroken 101 runs for the sixth wicket, making 46no and 49no in the process.
This pair worked the ball all round the wicket and pressurised the PSJ fielders into making basic errors and this tactic worked as Wellington closed on 239-5 in 45 overs by tea.

PSJ were never really in the hunt after their skipper Denning as out caught as he looped one up to Kevin Symons at mid-wicket and he accepted an easy chance to give Richard Short a wicket.
Thom Trott was a handful from the other end as he got bounce and lift from the pitch. He took the crucial wicket of Sil as he trapped him LBW. Trott took 3-43 in 9 overs.
Kevin Symons joined the attack and he bowled beautifully to take 3-26 in 9 good overs.
Symons found his line and length from the off and PSJ never came to terms with his skiddy action and he profited.
Joyce and Gullock held up the win with their 29 run 9th wicket stand, but Rob Moysey and Paul Short completed the win with three wickets between them.

This was a fine way to end the home season and Wellington 1st XI have been strong at Courtland Road this season with only Chew Magna leaving with a win. If the away form had been as good the team would be higher than they are now.
This win should see that Wellington finish no lower than fifth.

To assist the selection panel for the club’s friendly matches during September it would be useful if members would note their availability for each game on the posters that will be displayed at the pavilion from this weekend onwards.

The matches in question are as follows;

Sunday 4th September – Langport (a)
Saturday 10th September – Uphill Castle (a)
Sunday 11th September – Chard (a) *This match is a Sunday League fixture*

Cheers

DD

Wellington 2nd XI posted their highest ever league total as they soundly beat relegation bound Temple Cloud 2nd XI in Division Two of the Somerset League’s Reserves Competition last Saturday, thus completing the double over the runners-up from last season’s 2nd XI Division Three North-East.

James Dyke called correctly again and opted to bat on a dry, dusty track and Bob Trott and Julian Jones added an opening stand of 30 before Trott was bowled off a slight edge for eight.
Alex Sparks joined Jones and this accelerated the Wellington scoring rate. This pair added 70 with Jones latching on to the loose ball with glee and he was looking set for a big score when he bowled behind his legs for 38.
Simon Rudd then joined Sparks and they laid into the Temple Cloud attack with venom as Rudd moved from 20 to 40 in five scoring shots – all fours. He was eventually out for 59 looking for one more large shot.
Sparks continued to 79, his best Wellington score, as he played a delightful innings with 12 fours in it as he worked the ball around well as well as latching on to the loose ball.
He was out to a good catch at square leg.
Chris Rudd posted a half-century as he and Wellington skipper James Dyke added 77 for the fifth wicket – a stand that included the magical 300th run of the Wellington innings.
Rudd made 51no and Dyke 31no as Wellington closed on exactly 300-4 in 45 overs.
Withers with 2-44 was Temple Cloud’s most successful bowler on a day of toil for them.

If their time in the field was exacting, the horror show served up by the home side’s top order was worse as Adrian Lee despatched three of the top four, all bowled, with out a run between them.
Lee did much with the ball and figures of 3-9 in 6 overs are a good return for the medium-pacer.
Martin Short worked hard bowling up the hill and his 0-24 in 9 overs do not do him justice as he made many a batsman play and miss.
Simon Rudd bowled a tidy spell of medium paced swing bowling and was rewarded when he trapped Appleyard in front for ten.
Davis and Temple skipper Newmarch added some respectability to their team’s score with a stand of 35, but Chris Kitto’s teasing off-spinner accounted for Davis for 41 and he went on to take two more wickets to end up with 3-28 in 6 good overs.
Chris Rudd removed Newmarch and Stevens late on with his varied medium-pacers and it was left to David Derrick to claim a first league wicket for Wellington when Culblaith spooned one over the keeper for Alex Sparks to run back and claim a good catch.

This gave Wellington 2nd XI a massive 165 run win which ranks as the club’s second largest league win by runs.

The Red and Blacks collected 35 points to Temple Cloud’s 10.

Wellington 193 for 5 wickets tied with Ilton 193 for 8 wickets.
Wellington 25 points – Ilton 22 points.

After loosing to Minehead the week before, Wellington did them a further favour this week by tying this game with Ilton with the last ball of the game. The result meant that Ilton who were top of the table will have to do extremely well in their last two games if they are to wrestle the title away from Minehead.

Wellington skipper , Robert Moysey lost the toss and was asked to bat first on what looked to be a good dry wicket that should have produced a large total.
Wellington’s openers, Salter and Moysey found the going extremely hard against the bowling of Aston and Sethi, who both found a good tight line and length. Indeed Australian Aston, who had come down from Leeds for the day, found some extra bounce in the pitch, that troubled both openers. As it was Moysey (29) and Salter (33) managed to guide the score to 75 without loss, with some dogged batting that gave Wellington a good base on which to build the rest of the innings. Unfortunately Moysey fell first as he tried to increase the run rate, and Salter fell 25 runs later, after a brief partnership with Richard Das Neves.

Das Neves (49) played one of his trade mark innings punishing anything short and playing the ball through mid on with ease. With him at the crease a total of 200 looked likely, but as he was about to score another half century, he tamely patted a return catch to Shaffique, who readily accepted the chance.

At 148 for 4 Wellington could have fallen apart, but a super innings of 40 not out from Stuart Currall, helped from some good running from Paul Short ensured that the Wellington total of 193 for 5 was competitive, although it appeared twenty runs light of a winning total.

The pick of the Ilton bowlers was Indian Shaffique who’s 12 overs gained 3of the five wickets to fall.

Ilton’s reply started slowly as Australian Welsh and his partner Butt tried to build a platform from which to win the game. They were hampered at one end by an excellent spell of bowling by Thom Trott, who bowled with great control and remove the dangerous Welsh for 20. This brought in Aston who after a watchful start began to bat like a man with a train to catch. He smashed the Wellington bowling to all parts of the ground, and aided by some poor Wellington catching, looked like he was going to win the game at a canter. His eventual dismissal for 83 was the signal for a change in fortunes as the Wellington attack began to re-establish itself. Wellington’s three pronged spin attack of Moysey, Das Neves and Paul Short reduced the run rate, but needing only 60 runs from the last 15overs Ilton still looked favourites.

Vickery and Shaffique were taking singles as they needed them and hitting the occasional boundary, however the stumping of Vickery and some poor running from the Ilton tail left them needing four runs off the last over. Tom Trott was assigned the task of bowling it, which he did superbly well leaving the scores level with one ball remaining. Wellington therefore surrounded the bat, and the ball was duly hit straight to Paul Short who took a high catch to dismiss Cox and tie the game.

The game was an extremely exciting contest and one that could have been won by either side. As it was Wellington have cemented their mid table position with two games to play and next week entertain Peasdown St John, the only side who are capable of doing the double over Wellington this year.

Rain delayed the start of Wellington’s visit to Somerset League Division One leaders Minehead by 90 minutes and thus lopped 20 overs off the game and it became a 35 over a side affair.
Rob Moysey won the toss and opted to bat first and it was he and Mark Salter who gave their team a good start with a fifty run opening partnership.
Salter made a solid 22 before he became the first to fall as he was caught off of Graddon’s brisk medium pace.
Richard Das Neves joined his captain and they proceeded to add 63 good second wicket runs for Wellington as both these players made it into the forties before departing within the space of one run of each other.
Moysey was run out for 46 – a good hand from Wellington’s skipper and Das Neves was trapped LBW for 40.
With overs running out Wellington’s middle order made it past 150 with Thom Trott unbeaten on 21no and Stuart Currall making 16.
For Minehead their best bowler was Sully with 3-36.

A great run out on the turn by Mark Saunders accounted for Stevens and this set Wellington buzzing in the field, but this early momentum was sapped away as Cameron and Tudball added 123 in quick time for the home side.
Tudball made 44 before he became Rob Moysey’s first of two victims.
This was a good breakthrough by Wellington’s skipper, but Minehead were ahead of the game and with the weather closing in again they had made sure that their run rate was fast enough to obviate anything that the elements might have done.
Minehead won in 25.3 overs and took 30 points to Wellington’s 11.
Ilton’s win over Butleigh means that Minehead lost top spot in the division despite this six wicket win.
Wellington stay in a comfortable mid-table position and now host Ilton this Saturday in what will be another top fixture at Wellington Playing Field.

Wellington 2nd XI were involved in a rain affected Somerset League Reserves Competition Division Two match with their Watchet counterparts at home on Saturday that was rendered drawn after a late heavy shower cut the playing time left and having started late in the first place the draw came into been.
When the teams arrived at the ground they found it awash as heavy rain showers battered the ground, but a start was made just after 2.30pm and 40 overs per side was the format.
Watchet opted to ask Wellington to bat on winning the toss and a wicket was taken by the visitors early on before Julian Jones and Kevin Crout added 47 for the second wicket.
Jones punched the ball nicely through the covers as he timed the ball well and was just getting going when he found the deeply placed slip fielder as he looked to send one to third man.
Crout was busily building a top knock as he made a maiden league half-century for Wellington as he crashed some very hard well hit shots.
He was strong on the drive and on the cut too and was in sight of the three figure mark when he looped one up to cover. He made an excellent 93
Great support came from Kevin Symons – on his return to action after over two months out with an ankle injury – as he smote 23 good runs.
Bob Trott with 14 made sure the momentum that Wellington had built up was not lost and David Derrick, Charlie Last and Simon Spalding added useful runs and used up all the overs available bar four balls as Wellington closed on 184 in 39.2 overs.
Watchet’s best bowler was Milton who took 5-22 in 7.2 overs

Watchet laboured over their reply with the run rate not matching the required rate, but the only breakthrough gained early on was when Watchet skipper Manley was run out with his opposite number James Dyke playing a major role.
Watchet’s young opener W.Knight played a solid knock that saw him play the varied Wellington attack well. He withstood all that Wellington could throw at him until Kevin Symons got him with one that never got up.
Milton was playing an aggressive innings and could have been more trouble that he actually was when he edged one to Bob Trott at slip, having been dropped the ball before.
Simon Spalding bowled a controlled spell of off-spin and was rewarded when Jones looped one to Bob Trott who took a second catch of the day.
At 52-4 Watchet were well behind the clock, but doubled their score with Wookey making 31no and C.Knight contributing a useful 20. They took their team’s score from 52-4 to 106-5, but the stand was punctuated by the break for rain that saw the draw scenario come alive. Three overs were lost from Watchet’s allocation and the game petered out with only one more wicket been forthcoming off of the penultimate ball. Wellington took 26 points and Watchet claimed 27.
Watchet 2nd XI closed on 106-5 in 37 overs and interestingly have not had a game cancelled through rain this season, but this was their third drawn match of the season – a result that can now only occur through rain interruptions.
Wellington 2nd XI stay fourth in the table and will look to their next two matches at relegation threatened Temple Cloud 2nd XI and Peasedown St John 2nd XI as ideal opportunities to claim further useful points as the season draws to a close.

The club are grateful to Paul Hawkins Oil and Gas Ltd for their generous match ball sponsorship of this match.

Wellington Sunday XI lost their first friendly match of the season when they were beaten at Dorset Premier League side Weymouth last weekend by just 30 runs, but the team put up a great show nonetheless.

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With Kevin Crout having suffered a foot injury playing for the 2nd XI the previous day the team travelled with only ten players and on a huge playing surface this was bound to count against Wellington.

David Derrick called correctly and asked Weymouth to bat first on another firm, true pitch and they were greeted by a fine spell of pace bowling from John Paine who delivered a spell of left-arm to die for as he passed the outside edge on numerous occasions. He induced Wilsden to play on and had a couple of excellent LBW shouts turned down and with the way that the ball was flying around later Paine’s figures of 1-18 in 8 overs represent an excellent return.
Weymouth meant business by playing their overseas player the Kenyan all-rounder Collins Obuya and he proceeded to make the highest individual score that Wellington have conceded in friendly fixtures as he smashed 157 with ten mighty sixes. But it could have been so different had Wellington taken one of the two chances that he gave and that were spilled.
Richard Das Neves wheeled away taking 1-40 in 8 overs as he used the full variety of his bowling style.
Thom Trott produced a peach of a ball to remove Bowden and his return of 1-51 in 8 overs does not do him justice.
George Coate kept going admirably in the face of Obuya’s onslaught and he returned the best figures of the day with 3-73.
Rob Moysey obtained good turn late on and mention must be made of Marc Holloway’s great boundary catch to finally see Obuya dismissed.
Wellington had kept going well in the hot conditions and been a man light could be proud of their efforts.

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A wicket was lost with the score on 6, but Rob Moysey and Richard Das Neves added 86 for the second wicket with a fine array of shots. Moysey anchored the innings with a solid, patient 29 that allowed Das Neves to prosper at the other end. The South African made a stylish and excellent 83 and was bearing down on a second century of the season against Weymouth when he trapped LBW by Obuya whose big turning leg-spinners were something else at times.
Thom Trott made a useful 18 and was looking set when he hit a long-hop down the throat of Dang at deep-midwicket.
Andy Perry came to the crease and played with purpose and had made 12 when that man Obuya ran him out.
Marc Holloway, on return from a broken thumb, made a fine 25 as he drove well through the covers.
The required rate was too much for Wellington and the overs available were running out as well and this left David Derrick and Adrian Lee to have some batting practice and they added 22 useful runs for the ninth wicket that saw the overs were all used up.

This was Wellington’s first defeat to Weymouth since June 2002, but the Red and Blacks gave a great account of themselves in trying circumstances.

The team travelled to and from the game in a minibus and are grateful to Andy Perry for providing the transport.

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Due to cancellations and the general lie of the fixture list this was Wellington 2nd XI’s first home game in Division Two of the Somerset League’s Reserves competition since June 18th.
Taunton Deane 3rd XI opted to bat first and although they only lost four wickets they never really got going as Wellington’s varied attack shone.
Adrian Lee (1-25 from 10 overs) and Martin Short bowled a tight opening spell which was kept going by Simon Rudd with 0-39 in 12 overs.
Bob Trott and Chris Rudd were the spin options for Wellington and they too applied good bowling control to the situation.
Hannaford with 69 was Taunton Deane 3rd XI’s top scorer.

Wellington’s innings was one built on solidity as all who batted made double figures.
Matt Colman and Rupert Green with 36 and 28 respectively made sure that a good base was laid for others to go on from.
Kevin Crout made a stylish 42, but was injured when a toe crunching yorker slammed into his foot and this ruled him out of the next day’s game at Weymouth.
Julian Jones with 36no and Chris Rudd with 11no won the game for Wellington in style as Rudd hit a four and a six to give his team a seven wicket win and 29 points.