Wellington came within an ace of making the run chase of their lives as they narrowly lost – by 23 runs – at Staplegrove last weekend in the Somerset Division of the West of England Premier League and, although the Red and Blacks stay in the first relegation spot, they are a win away from getting out of trouble and with five to play the sides around them are part of this schedule.

Staplegrove opted to bat first and saw a 125 run opening stand between T.Pantling and Sizer cement their hopes of a large score and it took 30 overs for Wellington to make the first breakthrough when Paul Short trapped Pantling LBW for 69.

Sizer made a fine 78 and by the time he was out at 210-3 – caught by Paul Short off of Luke Desave – this was the time for Staplegrove skipper Bishop to attack and he made 67 as, from the last three overs of their innings, the home side hit 46 runs and this would be telling.

Wellington got away well as Robin Davies and Nick Crossing added 42 for the opening wicket and this laid down a marker for what was to come from them with the bat as they made 21 and 16 respectively.

At 73-3 in 17 overs – all three wickets to Dimond – just over 200 runs were needed and some excellent middle order efforts started the push that took Wellington – in the end – to within a score or so of the total needed as Luke Desave with 28, Zandre Swartz with 39, Paul Short with 23 and Aks Latifi with 20 put another hundred or so on to the total.

At 193-8 in 37 overs Wellington were still adrift of the 278 needed to win, but along came a spirited ninth wicket stand of 61 between Rob Moysey and Ian Hewson that brought Wellington closer and closer to their goal as knocks of 22no and 31 took the score to 254-8 with four overs to go, but that was were it ended for Wellington as Sizer with 3-56 in nine overs saw that the valiant effort was quashed with two wickets in what proved to be the last over of the game.