Wellington missed a gilt edged opportunity to build on last week’s home success against Purnells and haul themselves clear of the squeeze at the bottom end of Division One of the Somerset League, but they fell six runs short with fourteen balls left in the match and they now must beat Temple Cloud at home next Saturday to clear the threat.

Wellington won a useful toss on a green track at the Civil Service Club and had Outcasts in all sorts of trouble at 20-4 as Rowan Varkevisser and James Brown got good use from the surface and the new ball. Varkevisser bowled as well as he has all season taking 5-12 in 12 overs delivered in two spells.

But through Tottle with 50 and Warren with 13 the home side added 49 for their fifth wicket and these were big runs in the end.

Wellington chipped away at the Outcasts lower order to make them 101-8 with Paul Short taking 2-30 as did James Brown, but the hosts added 49 runs between their last two wickets and this proved pivotal in the end.

Despite this Wellington were needing three an over or just over to secure a vital win and thus relieve the pressure – Paul Short and Thom Trott got Wellington away with a 27 run opening stand with Trott timing the ball well on his way to 26, but the score tailed off to 53-4 and 74-5 before Richard Henwood with 24 and Max Capaldi with 23no added 36 for the sixth wicket and then the solid play of Mark Salter with 11 added a further 25 runs and at 135-6 with six overs left Wellington were looking set for a fifth win of the season, but wickets were lost at critical times and at 137-9 the home side were in the ascendancy.

Adrian Lee with seven runs got Wellington to within one good hit of tying the scores, but when Warren (3-30) got the last wicket caught at mid-off Outcasts had the win that had looked out of their reach with half a dozen overs to go.

Wellington took sixteen points and now face a vital home game next time out.