Westlands 193-9 – Wellington 178 all out
Wellington’s away day problems struck again as they lost, for the third time this season on the road, by less than twenty runs when seeing out the full amount of overs would surely have seen them over the line and in first place in Division One of the Somerset League.
As it happens with Butleigh having overwhelmed Ilton the gap is now 38 points and Paul Short’s side need to really got full tilt in their five remaining matches to take the title and that means taking Butleigh at home in a fortnight.
Westlands presented Wellington with a great track to play on – hard and fast – and the home side made first use of it and Tipler and Davis got going with contributions of 30 and 49 respectively, but Simon Rudd’s nagging line and length was not got away for the second week in a row as he reeled off 12 overs, taking 2-30 in the process.
Rob Moysey extracted bounce and turn from the shiny surface and his return of 2-50 represented a good afternoon’s work in, for once, hot conditions.
Paul Short with 3-51 in 12 overs got through a fair workload in the hot and steamy conditions and Wellington had Westlands in check as their innings reached it’s close, but Musson with a belting 32 got his side up towards 200 and this was more than Wellington should have been chasing – Westlands ended on 193-9 in 45 overs.
Wellington were reduced to 69-4 with Mark Salter been the mainstay of this early effort with 29 (five fours), but no-one other than Rob Moysey went on – he carried through to 69no with six fours and a six.
Paul Short with 23 was going well until he was run out – one of two such dismissals that Wellington suffered in their innings.
The Red and Blacks entered the 42nd over with their last pair at the crease and 17 were needed for victory at a run a ball, but Montacute with 4-48 in 11.4 overs ended matters and gave the home side 34 points to Wellington’s 17.
A win over old rivals Staplegrove at home next week is a must and in all reality five wins from the five matches remaining is Wellington’s best chance of taking the title – quite possible, but the away form could be the thing that denies them this season at least.
