Wellington Cricket Club

Wellington are faced with a one match season scenario following this 39 run defeat at champions elect Ilton last weekend in Division One of the Somerset League when they collected eighteen points, but with Temple Cloud and Staplegrove both recording big wins Wellington find themselves in ninth spot with one round of matches left. Wellington entertain North Petherton, Temple Cloud visit Ilton and Staplegrove visit North Newton, so meaning the Red and Blacks need 35 points and for them to have the other two sides to have inferior results of their own with Cloud having an eleven point advantage and Staplegrove a two point cushion.

Ilton opted to bat first on a hard, true track and Wellington struck three early blows as Rowan Varkevisser, Paul Short and a run out reduced the home side to 38-3 in ten overs, but Oliver with 103no and Williams with 45 added impetus to Ilton’s innings despite some good spin bowling in tandem from skipper Short (1-44 in 12 overs) and Rob Moysey (4-67). Varkevisser with 1-39 in 12 overs also impressed and at the thirty over stage Ilton were on 133-4 and Wellington were in command of the situation, but Oliver launched a flurry of boundaries and 117 runs came in the last fifteen overs to dent Wellington’s hopes as Venn with 28 got in on the act too.

Wellington were faced with needing 251 to win.

Alex Sparks (24), Aks Latifi (28) and Rob Moysey with a top score on the day of 50 did great work in the middle order and the run rate was good, but wickets were lost at crucial times and this held back the innings.

Mark Salter with 37 and Alec Short with 15no added 40 for the seventh wicket and on a good pitch there was still scope for a Wellington win, but Ilton skipper Selway with 4-51 in 12 overs did a good job for his side with the ball and saw that Wellington were all out for a very creditable 211 in 41.1 overs.