Wellington Cricket Club

Richard Henwood, 2nd XI opening bowler, a week after taking a hat-trick against Taunton St. Andrews 3rd XI.

Copyright – Steve Monk/Wellington Weekly News June 2007

Rob Moysey and David Marhsall set a new club record for a 3rd wicket partnership, scoring 223 runs together against Langport.

Photo Copyright – Steve Monk/Wellington Weekly News June 2007

Copyright – Steve Monk/Wellington Weekly News June 2007

Wellington Sunday XI’s home friendly with Chard was washed away as Courtland Road took on the look a boating lake through the heavy and persistent rain that battered the ground after 24.1 overs had been bowled.
A dry morning had raised hopes that the better weather that the 2nd XI had finished in was going to linger long enough to get a game in and a prompt start was made at 2.30pm.
David Derrick won the toss – and had been the case the previous day – had no hesitation in asking the WECCC (Somerset Division) club to take first knock.
Phil Nicholls delivered another quality opening spell for the Red and Blacks Sunday side as he reeled off 10 overs for only 20 runs and he took all the wickets to fall.
He got good bounce and carry off the pitch and brought keeper Paul Short into the game often.
A peach of a yorker accounted for Fussell and Cleal looped one up to David Marshall at short cover and the South Somerset team were in a spot of bother at 28-2.
Nicholls provided some testing moments for Shire and Crew – the Chard pair who were unbeaten when the rain came down.
Kevin Symons bowled well without reward at the other end in his six over spell before he gave way to Gary Tillett, who, despite only been able to bowl two overs before picking up a minor back niggle, did enough to put doubt into the batsmen’s minds.
David Marshall and Josh Hancock were the Wellington attack when the rain came down and even with an early tea having been taken it was obvious that no resumption would be possible as the ground flooded and many puddles appeared all over the outfield with even the wicket been awash as sawdust that had been laid to assist the bowlers as they landed was been washed away on highly mobile water.
The match was formally abandoned at 5.00pm.

Wellington 1st XI rose to fourth in Division One of the Somerset League with this win over Staplegrove at Manor Road, but they had to manage the weather as much as the total that the home side had posted.
Wellington won the toss and Rob Moysey had no hesitation in asking Staplegrove to bat first, but after a delayed start only eight balls were bowled before the players trooped off for a two hour rain break.
Staplegrove had the option to bat for the full allocation of 45 overs as the match had started and this would leave Wellington with a lesser amount of overs to bat for without a reduction in the total they would need to win – the match in effect becoming a draw match.
On resumption around 4.00pm a great spell of seam bowling from Thom Trott and David Marshall kept the home side tied down.
Marshall reduced Staplegrove to 17-2 as he bowled Hodge and trapped Phillips right in front in what was to turn out to be a good time in the field for Wellington’s South African – he later took four catches in the outfield and wrapped up matters by taking the final Staplegrove wicket to end with 3-14 in 9.3 overs.
Trott nagged away on the off-stump and 1-23 in 12 overs was a good set of figures for him.
Kevin Symons took up the attack and took 4-53 in 10 overs, acting Staplegrove skipper Prescott won the duel with Symons for a while at least as he made 32 – his team’s highest score – before Symons bowled him.
Gary Tillett applied a good level of control to the Staplegrove innings in taking 2-21 in 8 good overs – how well Tillett bowled is exemplified by the fact of the runs he conceded twelve came in boundary maxima hit by former Wellington player Luke Fishlock, who tried to see that his side used up their 45 over allocation, but he ran out of partners and Staplegrove were dismissed for 118 in 39.3 overs.

Wellington had done well with the ball with great fielding backing up the efforts of the bowlers, but time was of the essence as the rain could intervene at any time and the Wellington innings was reduced anyway and a run chase was on.
Rob Moysey and Mark Salter took up the challenge and they added 29 before Wellington’s skipper was caught for 13, another wicket was lost at 40 and the jitters could have set in, but Mark Salter reacted to his team’s requirements by cracking a capital 72no that sealed Wellington 1st XI’s first away win of the 2007 season.
Marc Holloway gave great support to Salter and they got the score to 83 before Holloway was caught for 19 with some seven overs left and nearly forty runs required.
Mark Saunders was the ideal man for this situation and he and Salter got Wellington over the winning line in 24.5 overs and to a full 35 points to Staplegrove’s eight.

A win that takes Wellington to their highest position of the season and they complete the first half of the season with a match at bottom side Evercreech next weekend – a win here could open the door for an easier second half of the season than looked to be the case just a fortnight ago.

This was a crucial win for Wellington 2nd XI as they moved out of the relegation zone in Division One of the Somerset League Reserves Competition with this maximum points win over Staplegrove 2nd XI at Courtland Road as they played some of their best cricket of the season so far.
James Dyke won a crucial toss – and as was the case in the 1st XI match – had an easy decision to make in asking the visitors to take first knock.
Only four overs were possible before the rain came down, but in that time new signing Simon Russell took his debut WCC wicket as Martin Short held on to a swirling chance at point to see the back of Dunn.
The rain surprisingly relented and no overs were lost and Wellington picked up the attack again.
Richard Henwood bowled a fine spell as he took 2-18 in 10 overs of accurate medium pace – he removed Staplegrove skipper Wiltshire and then got rid of the in-form Trump with deliveries that did much off the pitch – a pitch that by now was covered in sawdust to stop the bowlers from slipping all over the place.
Simon Russell kept going in what was an impressive display as he hit the deck hard and got some good carry through to Kevin Crout behind the stumps for Wellington, he had 1-17 in 8 overs when he was withdrawn from the attack.
Martin Short and Simon Rudd gave no quarter when they replaced Henwood and Russell as figures of 2-28 in 10 overs and 3-28 in 10.2 overs respectively demonstrate.
Rudd bowled with good variation in his first match for the 2nd XI this season as his slower ball and induckers did for Staplegrove.
They were reduced to 50-6 and Wellington were hoping to be chasing a score of under 100, but Cunningham and former Wellington player Simon Salt performed a rescue act of sorts as they added 35 for the seventh wicket – this stand was developing dangerously, but Martin Short produced a wicked delivery to see the end of Cunningham for 21.
Salt was still there and he added a another good lower-order stand as he and Denovan got the Staplegrove score to 116 with Salt on 41 before Martin Short and Simon Russell combined again as they had at the top of the innings and a real dangerman had been dismissed.
Simon Rudd wrapped matters up with four balls left in the innings and Wellington had full bowling points to their credit, but knowing that Staplegrove had made more than the Red and Blacks second string would have liked, and on a wet pitch the 125 needed to win was not going to be easy to get.

Wellington slumped to 29-3 when Kevin Crout was bowled for 15 and Salt (2-27 in 12 overs) and Hardiman (1-31 in 11 overs) were doing good work for their side, but a capital performance from Chris Rudd and skipper James Dyke sealed the match for Wellington as they added 93 runs for the fourth wicket.
Rudd cracked 54 as he played with power and good timing to hit two large sixes and seven fours as well.
Dyke had a life when he was dropped at mid-off when he was in single figures, but he used this opportunity to build an innings of 40no that was a perfect foil for Rudd’s powerplay at the other end.
Accumulation was the name of Dyke’s game and he was resolute in his approach as he and Rudd batted in sunny conditions – a far cry from what had been the theme of the weather in the lead-up to the match.
Chris Rudd was caught on the boundary with three needed to ensure that Staplegrove left with a double figure points tally, but there were no further alarms for Wellington as the winning runs came up with over 10 overs to spare.
This was a pleasing result for Wellington 2nd XI, but they know that there is much to do in the next few weeks to ensure that such results and the benefits that they bring are not squandered.
Wellington 2nd XI took 35 points to Staplegrove 2nd XI’s ten.

Wellington completed a friendly double over Nynehead with this 20/20 win over their neighbours last Tuesday evening in a match that was in doubt right up until the start following heavy showers all afternoon, but with some perseverance and desire to play a 15 over per side match was played with Wellington winning with seven balls to spare.
Nynehead skipper Dave Raybould opted to bat first and Alex Sparks carried his bat through his side’s innings as he made a fine 70no with some powerful shots all round the wicket – he drove on the up particularly well.
Charlie Last bowled a good three over spell – the most any bowler could bowl once the overs allocation had been reduced – and let only 19 runs go.
Thom Trott and Grant Davey – both better known as pace bowlers – resorted to bowling spin as the wet conditions would have seen them struggle to maintain their usual control, but even with this change of strategy they both claimed a wicket each.
Josh Hancock again claimed a good wicket at a time when Nynehead were looking to increase the run rate as he trapped Julian Wills in front for four.
Rivers Barry joined Alex Sparks and added 45 runs for Nynehead’s fourth wicket before Wellington skipper Andy Perry claimed two wickets with the last two balls of the Nynehead innings to see that the visitors ended their fifteen overs on 106-5.
Kevin Crout kept very well for Wellington in the wet conditions.

Wellington lost only one wicket in the process of making the 107 required to win, but that they won with only seven balls to spare is that the testament the Nynehead attack bowled well.
Rob Moysey and Kevin Crout added 82 for Wellington’s first wicket with some good play all round the wicket – this stand was ended when Crout was caught by Craig Sharpe off of the bowling of Simon Duncan for 42.
David Marshall joined Moysey (46no) and with a solid 14no ended the game in good time for Wellington.

Wellington Sunday XI pulled off a sensational win at home to Mallards last weekend when a bowling performance of some quality and no little self-belief secured an unlikely five run win to keep up the team’s good record so far in 2007.
Mallards won the toss and elected to put Wellington into bat in the belief that the emerald green pitch would help the bowlers early on, but this did not work out to the case as Rob Moysey and David Marshall added 102 in 22 overs of powerful strokeplay.
Moysey hit some great shots all round the wicket as he drove the overpitched ball through the covers and pulled the short ball with awesome power at times.
Marshall was an ideal foil for Moysey as he worked the ball around well on what was a large outfield.
When they were going in full flow another huge total for Wellington on a Sunday looked likely, but a sharp catch at cover saw the end of Moysey for 53.
James Dyke joined Marshall and they took the score to 115 before Dyke was out LBW – a collapse of biblical proportions then ensued as Wellington lost nine wickets for twenty runs in what was a limp display to say the least.
Mallards had recovered excellently from the run around that they had taken before the drinks break.
Jones with 3-25 and Gardener with 4-21 did the bulk of the damage and Mallards skipper Gale with 2-0 in 1.1 overs wrapped things up as Wellington were all out for 135 in 35.1 overs, but the last wicket pair of Andy Perry and Phil Nicholls added five runs, which – in the end – made all the difference.

Wellington knew that they had to fight like cornered tigers if they were to make up for their poor batting display and they did give Mallards a few things to think about as Phil Nicholls hit his straps early on and induced Lee to edge behind where his brother Chris took an easy catch.
The first two balls of the next Nicholls over brought about two more wickets to give the fast bowler a hat-trick, the second such achievement for the club in two weeks, as he got Hutchings caught behind and then produced a peach of a yorker to get rid of Jones and there were jubilant scenes amongst the Wellington players.
Josh Hancock bowled another tidy spell of medium pace and got a wicket when Padfield looped one to Chris Nicholls who made good ground from behind the stumps and Mallards were 26-4 and in trouble.
Chris Kitto was holding his side together all the time and he was looking increasingly comfortable against Wellington’s pace attack and he and Vaughan with 18 added 49 fifth wicket runs for the visitors as Wellington’s cricket became a little tame.
Phil Nicholls managed to produce one more wicket before he ended his spell as a yorker homed in on Vaughan’s leg-stump and he was on his way back.
Nicholls took 4-43 in 8 good overs.
David Marshall had joined the attack and did not get any reward for a good spell of left-arm fast bowling as LBW shouts were not upheld.
The obdurate Whiskin kept the bowling out at one end as Kitto kept up his duel with the Wellington attack.
George Coate bowled a good spell, but a change from seam was needed and he gave way to Rob Moysey whose leg-spin hit the right line right away.
With a quicker ball getting through Kitto’s defence for a fine 65 Wellington were sensing that they could yet pull off a great victory, but Pike who managed to scythe two fours put paid to those thoughts, only for Kevin Symons to summon up three wickets in 2.1 overs after re-joining the attack having felt unwell earlier on.
Whiskin was trapped LBW, Bartlett was bowled nick and crop, Moysey slammed one into Pike’s castle as his odd stance ensured that he did not get enough in the way of the ball, so after 33 overs Mallards were 130-9 needing six to win and having one wicket and seven overs in which to achieve this, but Symons produced another perfectly straight delivery and Mallards skipper Gale was adjudged LBW to spark wild scenes of jubilation throughout the Wellington team.
Kevin Symons finished with 3-17 in 5.1 overs and Rob Moysey 2-7 in 6.

The Red and Blacks had produced a great fightback with the ball after their batting had let them down after the great start they had been given.

The two teams meet again on Thursday 5th July at Taunton Civil Service Club for a 20/20 match.

Unbeaten Somerset League Division One leaders Wembdon made it seven wins out of seven with this thumping eight wicket win over Wellington at Courtland Road last Saturday when the rain could not save the Red and Blacks from a heavy defeat.
Overnight rain had made the toss extremely important in terms of the outcome of the match and the visitors had no hesitation in asking Wellington to bat first, but Rob Moysey and Mark Salter came to terms with the testing conditions as they added 31 opening wicket runs in ten overs before they were split up by Brockwell.
Alex Sparks joined his skipper and he was well set on 16 before a fantastic caught and bowled effort by Pope put the skids under Wellington.
Pope – a left arm medium paced bowler – proceeded to take five wickets for only fifteen runs in 6.2 overs as his tidy and neat approach did for the Wellington line up as 54-1 became 72-5.
Marc Holloway with a fine 28 held things together for Wellington as he got his team past three figures, but another flurry of wickets saw the team reach 111-8, but a bright and breezy 11 from Adrian Lee gave Wellington some hope of making it to 150, but Wembdon wrapped things up with ease and 22 balls to spare.

Wellington knew that rain was never too far away and this may well influence the result, but Wembdon were patently aware of this as well as the rate that they raced away at showed.
Palmer with 74 lashed the Wellington attack to all parts as he and Stewart added 91 for Wembdon’s first wicket in under 15 overs.
He was eventually seen off by Alec Short effecting a stumping from Adrian Lee.
Stewart was yorked by Thom Trott, but Puddy and Lee wasted no time in polishing off the 24 needed and the match was won with a six that Puddy hoisted far out of the ground.

Wembdon were unrecognisable from the team that fought relegation last season and must be odds-on to secure the SCL title this season as they collected another 35 points.

Wellington took only eight points from the match, but know that they were up against a fine team and, realistically, need to concentrate on beating other sides more akin to their level in the division.

Wellington 2nd XI suffered a second away cancellation of the season when their Somerset League Reserves Competition Division One match at Winscombe was washed out.
The team arrived at Winscombe to find dry conditions, but the Mendip Hills were shrouded in black cloud and this gave way to a heavy downpour that would have affected the pitch even more had a tarpaulin cover not been wheeled out just before the rain came.
That rain moved away, but not fifteen minutes later over came another heavy dousing and with the covers now having allowed water to have seeped on to the pitch there was no chance of play and the game was duly called off.
Both teams received twelve points.