Wellington Cricket Club

This was a much improved performance in the field from Wellington Sunday XI as they beat WECCC (Somerset Division) side Street on their own patch last weekend to make it four wins and a tie in five matches with the team from the Somerset Levels.
David Derrick called correctly and opted to bat on a dry, dusty pitch that had some inconsistent bounce at all times and the score that his side put together was a challenging one in the end.
Marc Holloway and Kevin Crout got away in good style for Wellington as they added 27 for the first wicket – Holloway had played some excellent cover drives in his 14 before he feathered one to Street keeper Evely and Wellington had lost their first wicket.
Crout hit a fine 30 with the best aspect of his innings been the way that he dealt with the overpitched ball – he played across the line to be out bowled, but had performed well in his first knock of the season.
Thom Trott played a fairly sedate knock of 20, but the Wellington vice-captain looked solid and was out with the score at 86-3 when he was trapped LBW.
James Dyke hit a breezy 21 before been run out and he is in good form as the start of the league season approaches – he and David Marshall got the impetus back into the Wellington innings at a time when Street skipper Bartlett – who hit 140no in this match three seasons ago – was keeping things tight with his off-spinners that realised 1-24 in 8 good overs for the home side.
Simon Rudd – making a rare appearance for the Sunday XI – found good value for the three classical leg glances that he played to the fine leg boundary that had – inexplicably – been left vacant by Street, this gap was only plugged after Rudd had played the ball away with ease.
He and David Marshall – who again was undefeated at the end of his time at the crease – added a capital 66 for the fifth Wellington wicket. Wellington’s overseas player hit 46no with one big six and worked the ball around the field well to ensure that a stream of singles was forthcoming.
Richard Henwood and Andy Perry got Wellington up to 180-6 at tea and this was felt to be a good score on an – at times – difficult surface.
Street had bowled tidily, but no bowler took more than one wicket for the home side.

Wellington were soon into their stride as the mind-set from the previous week at Burnham-on-Sea was quickly forgotten and Street’s top order was quickly reduced to 36-5 as David Marshall and Adrian Lee got to work – Marshall bowled quick and straight and extracted much movement and was giving Kevin Crout behind the Wellington sticks much to do in terms of handling the ball. Marshall got two LBW decisions to go his way too and after all his appealing in vain at Burnham-on-Sea he deserved these. He took 3-20 in 8 overs delivered in two spells, his other wicket coming through a James Dyke catch.
Lee bowled with accuracy and guile to take 3-24 in 8 good overs as he pitched the ball up to the bat and moved it away well at times – he has started well this season and has done a great job for his side so far.
Simon Rudd bowled a great spell then got a little let down in the field so as to dent his figures, but he took the final wicket of the match as Richard Henwood held a lofted chance at long-on – Rudd took 1-25 in 5.2 overs.
George Coate bowled excellently in his first five over burst, taking 2-10 with two wicket maidens. He removed Street’s top scorer Evely for 28 as he clung on to a caught-and-bowled chance and Thom Trott took a low catch to remove Hill for 14.
Richard Henwood reduced Street to 81-8 and a heavy Wellington win was on the cards, but Malone (21), Farrow (17) and P.Linter (8no) raised the home side’s score to 141 all out in 35.2 overs to lessen the blow to only a 39 run away win.
Wellington were in good fettle here and beat a useful Street side – the league now begins and with a Sunday league match as well next weekend it will be a testing, but invigorating time for the Red and Blacks as they start their assault on honours for the 2007 season.