Wellington Cricket Club

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.

Please note that the last three matches of the SCL season for each of the 1st and 2nd XIs will start thirty minutes earlier.

This means that the 1st XI’s home matches with Temple Cloud and North Petherton and the away match at Ilton will commence at 1.15pm and the 2nd XI’s away matches at Frome and Bridgwater and the home match with Cheddar will commence at 1.30pm.

Sunday XI matches will commence at 2.00pm where possible – details to follow.

David Derrick, Max Capaldi, James Dyke, Alex Sparks, Steve Symons, Rowan Varkevisser, Paul Short, Alex Troake, Rob Moysey, Josh Moysey and George Hooper.

Depart from Courtland Road Car Park at 12.45pm for a 2.30pm start.

Could players please let Paul Short and Adrian Lee know of their availibility for August 15th sooner rather than later.

This is the Twenty20 finals day, and after their bowl off win against Lancashire, Somerset will be there to face Kent in the Semi.

On the same day, the 1st team host Temple Cloud, an important game for both teams, and the 2nd team are travelling to Frome in another relegation battle.

With the added pressure of the Twenty20 finals we need to plan a bit further ahead in terms of selection to ensure we can fulfill both fixtures properly.

Wellington Sunday XI made it two home wins over the weekend for the Club as they recorded an 87 run win over Somerset League Division Five side Cranmore in a match that was a replacement for the match scheduled.

Cranmore opted to bowl first and found Paul Short in effervescent mood as he made a vibrant 31 at a run-a-ball before he hit one high in the air and was caught off of a steepler.

Rob Moysey with 36 bonded the Wellington innings together and was fifth out for at 120 for what was a solid effort.

Steve Symons, James Dyke – playing whilst on holiday from Thailand where he now works and resides – and David Derrick all added good middle order contributions with Moysey.

At 123-7 Wellington were in a spot of bother, but Dave Hewitt played with all the calmness and assurity that he always did in making 47 and this saw that Wellington got towards 200 in the end. Alex Sparks with a late 30no and Adrian Lee got Wellington to 188-9 at tea and the Red and Blacks had made up for their slight dip with seven or so overs to go.

For Cranmore their skipper Pang with 4-31 in 10 overs was superb and Lawrence with 3-40 in the same number of overs was good value too.

After a top tea served by Amanda Moysey and Dennis Fullstone Wellington hit their straps early as Adrian Lee got rid of Alway second ball and Jake Nicol found himself on a hat-trick for the second time this Sunday season and at 13-4 the team from near Shepton Mallett were in a spot of bother.

Alex Sparks bowled a tidy spell and Rowan Varkevisser varied his style by mixing spin and seam and got a couple of wickets for his efforts.

Cranmore through the solidity of Stone and the big shots of Pang stalled Wellington for a while until Pang was caught on the boundary by Dave Hewitt to give David Derrick a wicket in an over that contained two sixes and a wide too.

Jake Nicol came back into the attack and ended up with 4-12 in 6.4 good overs as he got good seam movement and swing and there were a couple of wickets for Rob Moysey as Wellington won with 9.2 overs left.

Thanks go to Cranmore CC for providing opposition at short notice.

Wellington 2nd XI’s Somerset League Reserves Competition Division One away match at Street was washed away and both sides take twelve points from this cancellation.