Wellington Cricket Club

Aks Latifi invites all to attend a Bank Holiday Sunday Curry Night at his Wiveliscombe restaurant on Sunday 2nd May.

So as to get the numbers as accurate as possible please text David Derrick on 0751 648 2923 if you wish to attend  by Friday 30th April.

Trull asked Wellington to bat first and Kevin Crout and Michael Gill were equal to this task as they added 45 opening wicket runs for Simon Rudd’s side – the pitch was firm, but the outfield was long and laden with grass clippings and this made run scoring difficult, so going over the top was the way to go – and Crout did this to good effect as he made 42 good runs before being trapped LBW by leg spinner A.Lake (2-42).

Gill made a pleasing 27 and was working the ball well on both sides of the wicket when he was yorked by A.Lake as he drove over the top of one and had his castle rearranged.

Alex Sparks made a free flowing 57 as he had done at Bishops Lydeard the week before and accelerated Wellington towards 200 in fine style as did Trevor Brooks with a good quality innings of 28 and James Bath, Simon Rudd and Richard Short got good runs in the last few overs to get Wellington to 186-6 in 40 overs at tea – for Trull O’Connell with 0-14 in 8 overs and Parsons with 2-13 in 4 were their best bowlers on a day when they shelled many catches and had they held a fraction of these chances they may well have bowled Wellington out for under 150.

New signing Ross Brayley and Simon Rudd took the opening overs for Wellington and did not let Trull get away to the near five an over they needed to win the match – Brayley, a medium pacer, found a good line and figures of 1-26 in 8 overs delivered in two spells was a good return.

Rudd showed all his old guile and tricks as his medium pacers were a potent weapon for Wellington and with 2-5 in 4.5 overs the Wellington skipper did a good job for his side.

Leg spinner Alex Troake was perhaps the best Wellington bowler on the day – not just as he took 3-21 in 8 overs, but he bowled with good flight and variation – critical properties for a spinner, but he fielded very well off of his own bowling, one caught and bowled and two good victims that were bowled represents good work for the teenager.

Richard Short’s figures of 3-38 in 8 overs do not do him justice as the ball regularly flew in the direction of a fielder, but just seemed to evade all that Wellington threw at it, but Short kept going and got rewards in the end and the game was won with Simon Rudd taking two wickets in three balls to give Wellington a 93 run win with over eleven overs unbowled.

At this evening’s Baker Cup AGM we have been drawn away to Somerset League Division Four side Bagborough in the first round of this year’s competition on Monday 10th May.

The winners of this match will travel to either Fitzhead or Taunton Deane A in the quarter finals on Monday 24th May and the losers will host the losing side in the Ilminster v Taunton Outcasts tie on Monday 7th June.

Our pre-season matches continue this weekend with a visit to West Somerset League side Trull on Saturday 17th April with Simon Rudd skippering the side (team selected can be found on this site) and on Sunday 18th April we travel to Somerset League Division Two side Burnham-on-Sea with Steve Symons taking charge of the side.

The following weekend we travel to Devon League side Brixham on Saturday 24th April for a friendly match and the following day sees the first competitive match of the 2010 season with a Taunton and District Sunday League Division B match against North Curry and this will be played at Taunton School.

The Somerset League season starts on Sunday 1st May with a double header against Belvedere – the 1st XI are at home and the 2nd XI travel to Weston-Super-Mare.

All these games will commence at 2.00pm except the 1st XI’s which will start at 1.45pm.

Wellington XI to play Trull on Saturday 17 April.  Meet at Courtland Road Car Park at 1pm sharp.

Simon Rudd (capt), Richard Short, Liam Kubicki, James Bath, Trevor Brooks, Graham Sparks, Alex Sparks, Kevin Crout, Steve Symons, Michael Gill, Ross Brayley.

Following a seventh win in eight indoor matches in the morning Wellington CC took to the field for the first match of the 2010 season with the Sunday XI travelling to Bishops Lydeard for a pre-season friendly against a side composed mainly from the host club’s 2nd XI and it was a successful day for Wellington as they came away with a 71 run win and several encouraging performances with a crucial Somerset League season just around the corner.

Paul Short opted to bat first and it was he and Max Capaldi who added a fine 69 run opening stand for Wellington with Short pulling the ball to leg well despite the lack of real bounce on a pitch that was well prepared even though the recent weather had been wet.

Short hit a fine 63 with ten good fours and Capaldi played a very important anchor role for 12.

Alex Sparks was watchful early on before really picking up the pace as he got to 57 – also with ten fours – as he guided Wellington towards 200.

Michael Gill showed evidence of his obvious talent with successive off-drives for four before he top edged one and was caught behind by Lydeard skipper Clift for 11.

Aks Latifi, Rob Moysey and Richard Henwood added gloss to Wellington’s total as the Red and Blacks posted 210-5 in 40 overs. Salter with 3-50 in 8 overs was Lydeard’s best bowler on the day.

Lydeard were kept in check by Adrian Lee and Michael Gill as their response to the 211 needed was not accompanied by the required run rate, but although Gill got a wicket through a great yorker with the score on one England with 29 and Street with 21 stayed firm and added 53 for the home side’s second wicket in a solid effort by both these players.

It took the introduction of spin to make the breakthough as Rob Moysey and Alex Sparks combined to take two wickets in successive Moysey overs.

Chamberlain and Fletcher settled into a 44 run fourth wicket stand and this never threatened to deny Wellington a win, but it was using up overs and wickets were not forthcoming, but Gill came back for a second and third spell and did the job for his new Club with 4-24 in 7.2 overs and with Adrian Lee (1-36 in 8 overs) coming back for a second burst the end was nigh for the home side and when Gill bowled Aspey Wellington had a 71 run win to savour.

Richard Short had bowled well for Wellington as first change and deserved some return for his efforts on a day when the season started on time and thanks go to Bishops Lydeard CC for their efforts and hard work in getting the game played despite the wet weather that had preceded the match.

A big thank you to all who put in effort over the Easter weekend to get the ground ready for the new season – the very wet weather on Good Friday restricted what could be done, but eventually we were able to get the Pavilion and Score Box ready with the nets having been sorted the weekend before.

We have done the preparations for the 2010 season well and now let’s hope for lots of good summer weather and success both on and off the field of play.

The Management Committee will meet on Wednesday 21st April from 8.00pm at The Arts Centre, Eight Acre Lane, Wellington.

The later start time now that the season is with us should be noted.

The outdoor nets are now ready for use and subject to the weather the first senior section practice session of the new season will take place on Wednesday 7th April from 6.15pm.

Junior section practices will commence soon and details are available from the relevant managers.