Wellington Cricket Club

Barrington – bottom of Somerset League Division One and without a win all season – proved to be tough to dislodge, but in the end Wellington saw them off by 61 runs at home last weekend and collected full points for a second successive week and completed a league double for a second successive week to keep up their renewed pressure at the top end of the division.

With a hard dry track and a a brown, parched outfield on offer Paul Short opted to bat first and it was the Wellington skipper and Michael Gill who added a calm and collected 42 runs for Wellington’s opening wicket, but this calm was gone when Short was adjudged to have been caught behind for 21.

Gill was run out in most unfortunate circumstances when backing up for 24 and Wellington’s hopes of going to town on the Barrington attack were not coming to fruition and when Aks Latifi was bowled for 22 Wellington were 78-4 in 26 overs and with 19 to go needed something.

That something came from a quality show of counterattacking batting from Rob Moysey who cracked 89no with 2 sixes and ten fours as he, Marc Holloway, Thom Trott, Neil Hendy and Max Capaldi all did great work to add 133 in the last 19 overs and ensure full batting points for Wellington when they not assured.

Barrington’s openers Towill and Redwood guided their side to 50 without loss in 16 overs and this gave Wellington plenty to think on – the away side were behind the rate, but had all their batting resources in hand and this meant they could have a go if they needed to, but Neil Hendy prized out Redwood caught behind and trapped French LBW next ball to settle Wellington nerves.

Barrington’s batting this season has been characterised by a series of alarmingly low scores and Hendy and Michael Gill – in his second spell – saw this occur again as 93-4 became 112-9 with Hendy taking 4-27 and Gill 3-52, Max Capaldi had bowled with great control to go for only 11 runs in seven overs.

Last pair for Barrington – Lazenby and M.Brain – added a riotous 36 runs for the tenth wicket as they hit seven fours and a six, but the fun was ended with Jake Nichol’s boundary catch and victory was secured for Wellington with 5.1 overs left.

A tougher nut to crack will be North Petherton and this away match is next up.