Wellington Cricket Club

Paul Short and Rob Moysey created a new 1st XI opening stand partnership in this Terry Mockridge Memorial Shield quarter-final match against Somerset League Division Two side Fitzhead last Tuesday evening as they sculpted the holder’s passage into the semi-finals with this 65 run win.

Moysey and Short equalled the sixteen year old record set by Bryan Churchill and James Clist, but by remaining unbeaten it is technically deemed superior.

Fitzhead asked Wellington to bat first and found Moysey and Short batting in a controlled and dominant manner with the ball being glided around the field expertly and being placed along the ground for boundary fours before an explosive show of hitting took Wellington to 183-0 in 20 overs.

Short made 85no and Moysey 82no with two sixes and four sixes respectively as neither player gave a chance.

Fitzhead did not bowl badly and with Laurence Burns only letting 34 runs go in his five overs and Maurice Burns 38 in his five, this is a measure of how well Short and Moysey played.

Fitzhead needed over nine an over to win and were in danger of being routed as they fell away to 20-5 and 26-6 as Richard Henwood with 3-15 in 3 overs bowled straight and true and Rowan Varkevisser found himself on a hat-trick.

Laurence Burns with 17 and Maurice Burns with 35 got Fitzhead to over 100 with a couple of good late stands, but Wellington were never in danger of losing as Thom Trott and Marc Holloway saw that the Shield holders made it through to a semi-final on Monday 8th June with late wickets.

The down side of the game were the injuries suffered by both wicket keepers – Wellington’s Alec Short endured a dislocated little finger whilst keeping in Fitzhead’s innings and Fitzhead’s Bill Townsend edged the ball into his face and suffered a facial injury whilst playing a sweep shot – both players are wished speedy recoveries.