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.

Paul Short, Rob Moysey, Alex Sparks, Richard Short, Steve Symons, Josh Moysey, Sam Murdock, Scott Davey, Alex Troake, Liam Kubicki and Jake Nicol.

Depart from Courtland Road Car Park at 1.00pm

Wellington narrowly lost out to WEPL Premier Two side Taunton Deane at home last Sunday in an entertaining match when the visitors just had enough to hang on by eight runs.

Taunton Deane opted to bat on winning the toss and Wellington found this to their liking as Adrian Lee and Jake Nicol got good purchase in their opening spell as the ball swung well in the cloudy conditions with Lee taking 2-17 in 7 good overs and Nicol 2-25 in five. Good catching by Alex Sparks got Nicol a wicket with his first ball and Lee used the slower ball well as Deane collapsed to 49-5 and then 82-6 as Max Capaldi with 1-45 in 10 overs was good value once more as his off-spin got rewards again.

But Deane skipper Shaikh with a fine 89 and their 1st XI captain Warren with 38 added 120 for the seventh wicket as they played very well together and Wellington took 18 overs to break this stand which came about through a Josh Moysey stumping from Paul Short. Rob Moysey claimed a wicket too as Taunton Deane posted 235-8 at tea with their last three wickets having added 153 runs.

Wellington lost a wicket early, but Max Capaldi and Alex Sparks got Wellington into the forties with some good shots with Capaldi being the one to go when the stand was broken – LBW for 15.

Paul Short joined Sparks and added a blistering 97 third wicket runs in 20 overs with both timing the ball well as the left handed/right handed combo put Taunton Deane off their stride somewhat.

The stand was breached when Sparks chipped one to mid-on and was gone for a fine 65.

Short was joined by Rob Moysey and they added 40 for the fourth wicket and this kept the victory charge going with Short making a top quality 66.

Adrian Lee with 15 played with good energy and 33 runs came through his stand with Moysey as Wellington still held hopes of a fine win, but Lee was run out and it was then down to Moysey to pull a rabbit from the hat as he and David Derrick started the last over needing 17 to win and Moysey was able to pull behind square and drive through the covers for successive fours, but on the third ball of the over he found mid-wicket and was caught for a brilliant 47.

Taunton Deane had prevailed by 8 runs in the end, but this had been a great game of cricket from start to end.

Due to operational and logistical concerns Wellington were forced to concede their Somerset League Reserves Competition Division One match at Frome last weekend.

With a combination of factors seeing that players had other commitments on the same day and the knock-on effect of this a decision was taken midweek to have to concede the match, despite all avenues to resolve having been explored.

The effect of this is that the team loses thirty points and with it is relegated to Division Two of the SCL’s Reserves structure for next season.

Thanks go to Frome CC for their understanding and sympathetic attitude in the circumstances.

Wellington won when it mattered most and this fine fifty run win over Temple Cloud in Division One of the Somerset League raised the Red and Blacks two places to seventh in the table and they now have their destiny in their own hands with two matches to go. The side hold a fifteen point advantage over Staplegrove and a three point one over Temple Cloud and a visit to champions-elect Ilton and a home match with North Petherton are the games left and there is still work to do, but the team will be in good spirit for the games ahead after this vital win.

Temple Cloud put Wellington into bat and Paul Short and Thom Trott put 34 on the board for the home side as they took advantage of some loose Cloud bowling, but the Bristol based side – who won Division Two last season – came back into the game with both openers been snared for 12 and 22 respectively.

Rob Moysey with 17 played a solid knock before S.Curtis with 2-36 in 12 overs and M.Hamblin with 5-26 in 12 set about Wellington’s middle order as only Aks Latifi with 14 made an impact and at 125-9 with seven overs to go the batting frailty that Wellington has displayed at times this season seemed to be back at the wrong time, but Mark Salter with a fine counterattacking 45no and Adrian Lee with 11no added 42 runs for the last wicket and this was more than vital! Salter hit four fours and a six in his fine innings and Lee played with freedom to take Wellington to 167-9 at tea.

Temple Cloud never truly got going as Wellington took wickets regularly as seam and spin did the job for the Red and Blacks. Rowan Varkevisser and James Brown  removed the top three Cloud batsmen in taking 2-21 and 1-26 and then spin did the trick for Wellington as Rob Moysey claimed 3-23 in 12 overs and Paul Short 4-40 in 10.2 as Temple Cloud were bundled out for 117 with over ten overs left.

Wellington caught well too and this aided matters greatly and with the 33 points gained going a long way to giving the team an excellent chance of surviving at this level which is a must.

Ilton’s 162 run win over Staplegrove will act as a warning to Wellington as they chase the safety limit of points – whatever that may be – but the team now have a great chance of safety and they must take it.

Temple Cloud face a home match with bottom side North Newton and end with a match at Ilton while Staplegrove host Purnells and visit North Newton.

David Derrick, Max Capaldi, Rob Moysey, Josh Moysey, George Hooper, Steve Symons, Paul Short, Alex Sparks, Rowan Varkevisser, Jake Nicol and Adrian Lee.

Meet at Pavilion at 1.00pm for a 2.00pm start.

PLEASE NOTE THE FOLLOWING IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT REGARDING THIS MATCH

It is with regret that – following discussions with the Chairman and others - it has been decided that we will not be able to fulfil this match in Division One of the Somerset League’s Reserves Competition for operational and logistical reasons.

Through a number of senior players all having other commitments on the day it has not been possible to find someone to run the side on the day and this situation also sees that transport to and from the game is an issue and is another precluding factor.

Therefore there will be no 2nd XI fixture on Saturday 15th August unfortunately.

Please contact the Secretary via e-mail on david230275@googlemail.com in the first instance if you have any queries on this matter.

Wellington Midweek XI closed their 2009 season with a 56 run win over Hertfordshire touring side Berkhamsted last Monday evening in a match that saw the Club’s first hat-trick of the campaign.

Steve Symons opted to bat first and saw Marc Holloway and James Dyke get 14 on the board first up before Aks Latifi launched some big shots on his way to 23 before he was run out with the score on 47, another wicket was lost on the same score, but Paul Short and Holloway more than doubled Wellington’s score with some fine play – both players pushed the ball around excellently as a  flurry of twos and threes pushed Wellington’s score higher. Holloway made 49 and Short 36 as Wellington closed on 123-7 in their 20 overs.

For Berkhamsted of the Hertfordshire County League I.Dent with 2-16 and Campbell with 2-30 did the damage.

Wellington never let the visitors get away as Jake Nicol with 1-4 and Alex Troake with 2-18 each bowled four good overs.

The innings was blown apart by George Hooper who took a hat-trick – all bowled – with the first three balls of his second over, he took 4-0 all told with the well-known ITV football commentator Peter Drury being part of his haul, he had commentated on the Community Shield match between Manchester United and Chelsea before joining his club mates on their Somerset tour!

Wellington then took other good wickets as Alex Sparks made an impact and the Berkhamsted innings closed on 67-9 with their skipper I.Dent making 17no late on.

A season of six 20/20 matches with an even split of three wins and three losses and one all-afternoon match washed out is the team’s return for 2009 and with the losses being by four runs, two runs and three wickets these could have been turned into successes, but all in all a good, enjoyable season for both home and visiting players alike.

Wellington Sunday XI threw away a great position to win their friendly match at WEPL (Somerset Division) side Butleigh last weekend when a position of some dominance was blown away by some incisive bowling in the last ten overs by the home side.

David Derrick won the toss and asked the home side to bat first and although Rowan Varkevisser and George Hooper bowled well Durston and Ballack got away to a good 56 run opening spell, but Varkevisser struck two blows when Durston fenced at one and Rob Moysey accepted a chance at gully and a great yorker got through Edmondson.

Max Capaldi was excellent value in his ten overs of off-spin as he maintained immaculate control and posed many issues for Butleigh to contend with – he took 1-32 and trapped Agutter LBW for 26.

Ballack made a fine 65, but was one of six victims for Rob Moysey as his leg-spin was delivered in fine style with all the variety that the art has to offer and his haul of 6-24 in 8 overs was an absolute delight to see.

He cleaned up the Butleigh line-up and the home side were all out with 3 overs left as five runs an over would secure a good win for Wellington.

Durston – the brother of Somerset all-rounder Wes – got a wicket early on before Rob Moysey and James Dyke added a monumental 133 for the second wicket and this took Wellington to within fifty of their target.

Dyke made a fine 85 with excellent timing of the ball and good placement giving him value for his shots as the fast outfield benefited him. Moysey made exactly 50 as he ran the ball around well and launched two sixes into the adjoining field too.

But when Moysey was caught off of R.Burrough’s canny off-spin the rot set in as Wellington lost nine wickets for 26 runs and the game by 25.

Burrough took 4-35 in 9 overs and Durston emulated the efforts in his side’s innings by taking 6-27 with a second spell of 5-9 being the undoing of Wellington with 5.2 overs left.

A supper was laid on for both sides after the match and thanks go to the host club and their public house sponsors for this kind gesture.

Wellington 2nd XI won for the first time in two months and thus completed the double over their Wembdon counterparts in the process in Division One of the Somerset League’s Reserves competition.

Wellington were put into bat for the fourth successive match and were given a three figure opening stand by Trevor Brooks with 38 and Rob Moysey with 49 as they added 102 in 24 overs as they mixed accrual of singles and twos with boundaries when possible, but when the stand was broken the side slid to 156 all out with only James Dyke with 11 getting into double figures as K.Rawles with 4-20 and Pope with 3-36 did damage for Wembdon.

George Coate ripped out both openers for just one single combined and steady Wellington pressure got wickets at regular intervals as Jake Nicol with 3-18 got in on the act too – he made it seven wickets in his last two games for only 30 runs conceded with this analysis.

Rob Moysey with 12 good overs of leg-spin and Graham Sparks with 12 overs of steady swing got rid of the Wembdon middle order with 3-27 and 2-40 respectively as only Phillips with an excellent 68 really held up the Red and Blacks second string in their charge for victory which came by 35 runs with 5.5 overs to spare.