Wellington Cricket Club

Wellington Midweek XI romped to a 193 run win over Sussex tourists Holmbush Park on Friday afternoon when they posted the highest total recorded by the club so far this season.
David Derrick opted to bat first and although he was out to the second ball of the innings this did not deter Julian Smit and Alex Sparks from adding a cool 147 for the second Wellington wicket.
Smit played some powerful shots on his way to 89 as he picked the gaps well and played to these strengths.
He was bearing down on a first ton for Wellington when he was caught at cover.
Sparks again showed that he has all the time in the world to play his shots as he made a fine 60 using his feet well to the spinners.
He was caught square leg in the end.
Paul Short ensured that Wellington would make a good total with a top knock of 57no as he worked well with the lower order to get Wellington to 274-7 at tea.
Kevin Symons with 19 aided him well.
It was hard going for Holmbush Park, but they stuck to their task well and Marney with 3-71 in 10 overs was their best bowler.

Holmbush Park were in trouble early on a George Coate and Kevin Symons removed their openers with the score on just 5 and at 38-5 they were sinking fast.
Grant Davey with 3-15 was wrecker-in-chief as he bowled a great five over burst with the best ball been the classic yorker that removed Oake for nine.
Guy Murray bowled a pleasing spell – his best of the season so far – as he took 2-14 in 7.3 overs. His line was good and tight and he did not overstep and he needs to go on from this.
David Derrick got a wicket too and Simon Rudd joined the attack at the end and saw that Holmbush Park would be all out for 81 in 27.3 overs.
A good win for Wellington Midweek XI and they now go back to 20/20 action with a game against Mallards at Taunton Civil Service ground on Thursday 6th July starting at 6.15pm.
Contact Rupert Green for information.

The Sunday XI supplied the hat-trick of wins for the weekend when they won their second Three Counties League Division One fixture of the season by six wickets at home to WECCC (Somerset Division) league leaders Chard.
Despite the excellent scoreline in favour of Wellington overall, the start of their time in the field was ragged and wayward as Chard merrily went along at a fast run rate as Wells-Burr and Crew latched on to some fast, but misdirected deliveries.
Kevin Symons was relatively untouched during these times as his seven overs cost just 30 runs.
Julian Smit was the valve that stopped this spree as he delivered 8 overs for just eight runs and took 3 fine wickets in this time.
He held on to a top caught-and-bowled effort to remove Wells-Burr for 39 and then Crew played on for 40 and Wellington could see some light at the end of the tunnel.
Bob Trott joined the attack and his eight over spell of off-spin realised figures of 3-33 in 8 overs as he too reigned in the Chard batting assault.
At 155-6 Wellington had done some fine work to pull the visitors back to this sort of position, but Cleal with 20no and Fussell with 40no got away from Wellington again as they got Chard to over 200 by tea.
A long tea break was taken so as to fit in the England v Ecuador World Cup match and when Wellington started their innings the cloud had descended and obliterated any brightness, but Wellington started their innings brightly as Kevin Crout hit two early fours to show that the pitch was still a good one to bat one, but he was bowled through the gate by Chard skipper J.Scott and Wellington had lost a wicket at 16.
This was the cue for Thom Trott and Julian Smit to add 142 fabulous runs for the second Wellington wicket and give the Red and Blacks a real chance of victory.
Trott played the steady hand as he drove for singles and twos often and this is what kept Wellington in with a shout of chasing down the 213 needed.
Boundaries were not that much to the fore, not that there were not any to speak of, but this pair played so well ‘along the carpet’ that having to hit lustily was not called for.
Trott was well caught on the boundary for 56 and the Wellington skipper had done his work for the day.
Smit carried through to 79, a great knock that showcased his full range of strokes in that he could play the deft shot and then follow it up with a powerful one.
He too was well caught as Chard took their chances when they came although they were few and far between.
Alex Sparks played a bright innings that totalled 32no and gave Wellington the chance to push for victory as he followed Trott and Smit by applying pressure to Chard by looking to pinch singles and twos whenever possible.
James Dyke got in on the act as well and he took the score to 175-4 which brought Kevin Symons to the crease and he did well by adapting to the match situation immediately as he rotated the strike with Sparks.
The telling moment was when Symons was caught at deep mid-wicket, but the ball was carried over the line and cost Chard six runs.
The winning runs were scored from the first ball of the last over of the match and Wellington had a fine six wicket win to be proud of and sixteen points to Chard’s twelve.

The 2nd XI recorded what was, statistically, one of Wellington’s most comprehensive league wins ever as they demolished bottom side Ilton 2nd XI in this Somerset League Reserves Competition Division Two fixture by ten wickets last Saturday.
Indeed this was the second time in a row that this had been the outcome of a match between these two sides as Wellington 2nd XI had meted out an identical result back in July 1999.
James Dyke opted to ask the visitors to bat first on winning the toss and when Ilton had been reduced to 38-5 the writing was on the wall.
Adrian Lee took 2-12 on 5 overs and Martin Short 2-29 in 8 as Wellington’s bowlers simply had too much skill and guile for the basement side.
Only Fooks with 20 and Ilton skipper Matravers with 16 made any real impression with the bat as the last four Ilton played each recorded ducks..
Newcomer Richard Henwood took 1-18 as Kevin Crout accepted a chance behind the stumps.
Phil Nicholls was rewarded with a three wicket bag as he cleaned up the Ilton tail with Chris Rudd (2-5) for a final score of 94 in only 24.4 overs – over 20 overs shy of the full allocation.

Kevin Crout and Julian Jones wasted no time in getting into their stride as they mercilessly laid into the Ilton attack in such a way that the required runs and victory was achieved in 14.5 overs.
Crout hit only boundaries before the tea break and ended on 53no and Jones was equally severe in making 36no and, all told, the match was over by 5.30pm with Wellington 2nd XI taking 35 points and rising to fifth in the table.
Ilton 2nd XI took only four points and look doomed even before the half-way point in the season.

The match ball for this fixture was kindly supplied by Ablelec Ltd (01823 443875).

Wellington won for the first time at Ilton since 2000 when they won in the last over for the second time in three weeks as the Red and Blacks held their nerve and achieved their first maximum of the season.
Ilton opted to bat first on winning the toss and started in a manner that gave Wellington cause for concern as Williams and Hunt lashed 41 in 11 overs. Williams hit the ball hard and it stayed hit and he looked set when he looped one up to Julian Smit at mid-off and Thom Trott had made the breakthrough.
Ilton skipper Lee arrived at the crease and faced five balls from Paul Short – back from University – before charging him on the sixth and he was found wanting as he essayed a grotesque heave and was out of his ground and was palpably stumped for a duck.
Julian Smit (3-40) joined the attack and removed Hunt for 18, he made the Ilton score 67-4 when he bowled Spurway all ends up and Ilton were sinking fast.
Oliver with 41 played a fine innings and he was Ilton’s best way out of a tight corner, but he departed to a fine rising catch by Rob Moysey off of the bowling of Gary Tillett who bowled delightfully to take 4-30 in one ball short of seven overs.
He used good flight and variation to trap his victims, the best one been when he got one to dip under Mason’s bat and bowl him.
A top edge to short fine-leg was accepted by Thom Trott and last man Hutchins was plumb in front as Wellington disposed of the Ilton innings in only 37.5 overs – not batting for 7.1 overs of their innings was going to cost the home side very dear in the final analysis of the match.

As Ilton’s innings had been completed early tea was not ready and Wellington prepared themselves to face some half a dozen overs before the natural break was forthcoming, but the umpires had set themselves a cut off time of 4.45pm and with spin been bowled at both ends early twelve overs were actually delivered and as Wellington were looking at wicket preservation more than attacking the 161 they needed for a third win in a row they took tea with the score on 7-1, with Alec Short been the man out.
After the break the tempo changed as Alex Sparks took up the mantle and attacked left-arm spinner Shaffique as he advanced down the track to him and drove well over the top.
He and Rob Moysey advanced Wellington’s score to 42 before Wellington’s skipper was caught for a painstaking 12.
Julian Smit and Sparks played in the same vein and the Wellington innings was moving more along the lines that were required.
Sparks played an excellent innings of exactly fifty and this was an innings that would surely have gone on to greater things had he not been run out going for a tight single.
The hundred was passed with five wickets down and less than ten overs left – was the cautious approach adopted earlier going to catch Wellington out?
Mark Salter was not going to let this be the case as Wellington’s vice-captain, nursing a badly bruised eye as a result of having a ball deflected into it whilst fielding and batting in a helmet, took the attack to Mason, probably the fastest bowler in the league, with a flurry of boundaries on his way to 24. He was out trying deflect Hutchins to the vacant third man area, but his was a telling contribution on the way to Wellington securing a win.
Mark Saunders was quietly, but patiently, building a match winning innings for his team as he made 18no in total, he milked singles at will and then launched a telling six high into the netting on the leg-side – a shot that took the pressure off Wellington.
Thom Trott produced a tennis style smash to hit a four to long-off and Ilton were now under the pressure of stopping Wellington’s momentum.
Six were needed from the last over and courtesy of Sam Cook and Mark Saunders this was achieved in three balls.
Cook had hit a four in the penultimate over and his three that was hit over the bowler’s head saw that one was needed and when Saunders pushed one into the cover region the batsmen crossed and a wild attempt at a run out saw the pair turn for another run and this secured a fine 3 wicket win for Wellington and with it 35 excellent points to Ilton’s 15.
This win takes Wellington to fifth in Division One of the Somerset League.

This was an excellent game of 20/20 cricket played in gloomy conditions at Courtland Road last Tuesday evening when Wellington Midweek XI just edged out Nynehead to give the Red and Blacks a double over their neighbours, having won at Ham back in April.

With regular Wellington Midweek XI captain Rupert Green nursing a bad back his son Ben took charge and opted to ask Nynehead to bat first and Julian Smit made a breakthrough in his first over as he removed Simon Gamlin, but this was the cue for Alex Sparks, a player who has split allegiances as he plays his league cricket for Wellington 1st XI, to play a blinding innings of 96, his sixth consecutive half-century for Nynehead, that guided his side to 157-4 in their 20 overs.
Chris Izzet and Rivers Barry gave him excellent support at the other end as the village side posted a most creditable total.

Simon Spalding was Wellington’s most accurate bowler and he escaped the run flow that was taking place. Kevin Crout removed Sparks stumped by Sam Cook just four short of his century.

Wellington had to use all their batting resources if they were to take on and chase down the 158 required to win, but they got away to a bad start as a wicket was lost with the score on 4, but Rob Moysey and Julian Smit got the runs flowing, much as Nynehead had earlier in the game, and this pair looked very well set before Moysey was bowled for 30.

Smit made a fine 58 with some well-timed boundaries, but when he was bowled by Ben Gamlin Wellington’s cause looked rocky, but a fine partnership between Ben Green and Charlie Last did wonders for their team’s cause as they added 47 runs and along the way recorded their highest Wellington scores of 22 and 18no respectively.

When Green was out fifteen were still needed from the last over and a bit, but Sam Cook (12no) stepped up to the plate and a searing six over deep square-leg brought Wellington towards the Nynehead total and they passed it with two balls to spare.

This was a fine match and was a third win out of three for Wellington Midweek XI in 20/20 matches this season so far.

The Sunday XI made it a full house for the Red and Blacks when they beat Somerset League Division Four side Bagborough at home and again there were some fine performances to reflect on.
Bagborough opted to bat first and Wellington were a little wayward early on, but George Coate and Guy Murray got their line and length sorted and bowled better spells as time wore on.
Both claimed a wicket as Wellington made some good initial breakthroughs.
Charlie Last took up the attack and bowled a tidy six over spell that only lacked a wicket to round it off.

Grant Davey bowled with good pace and variety and 2-25 in 7 overs was a good return for him.
Richard Short with 4-22 and Thom Trott with 1-7 rounded things off for Wellington as Bagborough were despatched for 129 in 35.3 overs.
Bagborough had occupied the crease, but had not scored at any great rate, Hooper with 23 was their top scorer.

Wellington were soon into their strides as they chased down 130 to win as Kevin Crout carried on as he had left off for the 2nd XI the day before, he made a quickfire 18 this time.
At 25-2 Wellington needed to get back on track and this was done successfully by Julian Smit with 72no and Chris Kitto with 30no as they added an unbroken 106 for the third wicket that carried Wellington to an emphatic eight wicket win.

The 1st XI travelled to bottom club Peasedown St John needing to win so as not to lose the value of the previous week’s win over Wembdon. On winning the toss Rob Moysey asked the home side to bat first on a ground where Wellington had never won.

PSJ’s start was electric as Wilkinson and Denning racked up 65 for the opening wicket in quick time.
Wellington’s bowlers were despatched as the short boundaries and fast outfield made sure that runs would flow all afternoon.
Wellington’s pace attack proved ineffective on a clear, hot, sunny day and gave way to a double spin option in the form of Gary Tillett and Rob Moysey and they pulled Wellington back into the game well as their combined 24 overs went for just 98 runs.
Tillett got the crucial wicket of PSJ skipper Denning, but not before he had made an imperial knock of 136.
Thom Trott claimed 2-64 in 8 overs, but at tea Wellington were staring down the barrel of a massive total of 262 to win.

But this acted as a spur rather than a hindrance as Wellington chased down the runs required, winning with two overs and a ton of wickets to spare, as they broke the hearts of the home side.
Rob Moysey and Mark Salter added 49 in good time and style before Moysey was dismissed by the ever-dependable Gullock whose 2-40 in 12 overs was, in the context of the game, a superb effort.

Alex Sparks with 25 and Julian Smit with 21 got the Wellington score to 128-3 in good time, but more was still needed by Wellington if they were going to chase down this imposing total.
Mark Salter and Matt Colman did what was required and more as they added an unbroken 138 for the fourth wicket as PSJ’s attack was flayed to all parts.

Salter carried through to 113no and Colman a fine 54no as they carried Wellington through to one of their best ever victories and indeed to their fourth highest ever league total.
The bowler to suffer most was Burgess whose 10 overs cost 83 runs.
PSJ were left shell-shocked after they had lost their sixth game of the season and, with only two games to go until the half-way point of the season, look doomed already.
As for Wellington this performance will linger long in the memory and lifts them to seventh in Division One of the Somerset League after they collected 30 points to PSJ’s 13.

The only down side to what was a highly successful weekend for Wellington was the news that 1st XI batsman Marc Holloway had suffered a triple finger break whilst in the field. He awaits further news on the injury and this will determine the length of time that he will be out of action. Everyone at the club sends him their best wishes for a full and speedy recovery.

The grand batting performance show was also on display at Wellington as the 2nd XI crushed Taunton 3rd XI in Division Two of the Somerset League’s Reserves competition by nine wickets to pull themselves out of the four pronged relegation zone that this division boasts.
James Dyke chose to insert the visitors on winning the toss and in hot, sunny conditions Wellington knew they would have to work hard, but their line and length in the early exchanges were not quite right and so Taunton pulled away through former Somerset player Nigel Popplewell and Dave Pattemore.
However Martin Short and Andy Mitchell provided a double breakthrough to gladden Wellington’s hearts.
Short bowled up the hill and delivered his 12 overs on the reel and figures of 1-37 are exemplary in the heat of the day.
Mitchell took 1-25 in 7 good overs, but despite the dismissal of the openers Shaikh and Hooper both hit half-centuries to bring Taunton back into the driving seat. Had they gone on then Wellington could easily have been chasing the kind of total that the 1st XI had been set, but Kevin Crout smartly stumped Shaikh for 59 off of Bob Trott and Chris Rudd bowled Hooper for 50.
Wellington then ran through the Taunton tail as six wickets fell for 31 runs with only Crossing with 35no making much impression.
Trott took 3-69 in 10 overs and Rudd 4-44 in the same number of overs as they saw that Wellington claimed some bowling points that had looked unlikely at times.

Wellington needed one or two of their top order to come off as they chased 222 to win against a relegated team who were keen to regain their top flight status sooner rather than later.
As it was the three Wellington batsmen who took to the crease all did the job as Wellington won in style with 7.3 overs to spare.
Kevin Crout carried his bat to the tune of 125no as he made a maiden Wellington century.
He played solidly and calmly and worked the ball around the ground in a composed manner throughout his innings.
Taunton came at Wellington hard early on – only to be expected – but as they were unable to gain a breakthrough their heads went down in the high heat.
Crout put on 78 with Julian Jones (22) for Wellington’s opening wicket and when he was the one Wellington casualty Richard Short added an unbroken 144 to take Wellington to an historic win. Short made a maiden league fifty in making 58no.
Wellington won with time and overs to spare and took 34 points to Taunton’s 11 and rise one place to sixth.

**The match ball for this match was kindly donated by Ablelec Ltd (01823 443875).**

The Sunday XI provided a fillip after the previous day’s double dose of defeat when they beat Somerset League Division Three side Langport by seven wickets in a game when Wellington did the overall facets of the game well.
Langport – whose league teams are riding high in their respective divisions – opted to bat first and Paul and Strang got away at a cracking pace and added 38 before Wellington got a stranglehold back in the match as George Coate bowled a fine spell of quick bowling as he removed three Langport wickets in his mammoth spell of ten overs in hot conditions, taking 3-33 overall.
He got the ball moving around nicely and deserved his success, two bowled and one nicely caught behind by Sam Cook.
Guy Murray bowled at good pace up the hill and deserved more than he got.
Marc Holloway’s medium-pacers realised two wickets in the five over burst that he got in as he combined well with Thom Trott who accepted two catches at short mid-wicket.
Julian Smit joined the attack later than normal, but he bowled well and at good pace taking 3-18 in 7.2 overs.
Aided by good fielding and an accurate line Wellington’s overseas player prospered.
In reaction to the fact that the pitch was beginning to crumble Chris Kitto joined the attack and his off-spinners did a good containing job for Wellington. Crumb had taken a couple of boundaries from his penultimate over, but he bowled a quicker, flatter one and this got through his defences for 23.
Wellington had pulled things back well from the way that Langport had started and needed 132 to win.

Langport opted to open their bowling with their 1st and 2nd XI opening bowlers and Davis and Edwards were causing troubles for Wellington from the off. Davis claimed the wickets of Kevin Crout and Thom Trott and made the Wellington score 25-2 and there were alarm bells ringing, but Marc Holloway showed a classy touch in making 48 that was not only full of some excellent shots, but was also a knock that had a solid quality about it and it steadied things down for Wellington.
James Dyke added 58 for the third wicket with Holloway and he played and innings that was pleasing to watch.
As he grew in confidence the runs started to flow nicely and he had the pleasure of hitting the winning runs to bring up his fifty.
Sam Cook was present at the crease with Dyke as Wellington closed in on victory and he made a very useful 23no to complete a good day for Wellington Sunday XI.

From having been top of the pile in Division Two of the Somerset League’s Reserves competition only a month ago they now find themselves seventh and with this division having the unique feature that four teams are relegated the Red and Blacks second string will want to get back to how they were playing in May sooner rather than later.
James Dyke again won the toss and elected to bat, but the collective effort served up was on a parallel with that which unfolded at Chew Magna the week before in that a good looking batting line-up did not deliver and Wellington 2nd XI were soon reeling at 73-7.
Julian Jones had made the highest score amongst those who had batted by this point with 20.
This week, however, there was a kick in the Wellington tail as Phil Nicholls and Martin Short added 70 runs for the eighth wicket that gave Wellington 2nd XI some real hope for the chance of a decent total to bowl at.
Nicholls lashed 55no with two sixes and Short 34 – both easily their highest Wellington scores. The fun was ended when Short was run out. Nicholls and Ben Green added 12 more runs before the end of the Wellington innings and 155-8 represented a fine recovery by Wellington 2nd XI.
For Wembdon 2nd XI R.Pigden with 5-10 in 12 overs had done much of the early damage.

Martin Short got in on the act early by removing Powell and at 16-1 Wellington had made the initial breakthrough, but Wembdon skipper S.Pigden and Hughes consolidated and a series of solid contributions down the spine of the batting order did the job for Wembdon 2nd XI.
Simon Spalding was again in fine fettle with the ball sending down 12 overs for only 25 runs and claiming 3 wickets in the process.
S.Pigden played the innings that glued his side’s innings together and he was the last Wembdon wicket to fall with five needed by the home side and these runs came with 9.4 overs to spare.

Wembdon 2nd XI took 33 points to Wellington 2nd XI’s 13.

The team now have two very important matches at home against teams lying very close to them as Taunton 3rd XI and Ilton 2nd XI come calling, recording a couple of wins is imperative.