Wellington 2nd XI recorded their first win of 2018 in Division Four of the Somerset League at the fifteenth time of asking and although it may not save them from relegation it was a welcome tonic all round and was thanks in the main to Club Chairman Mark Salter who made 104 as the team chased down 206 to win in a rain affected game that was won with one over of the thirty that Wellington had on offer following their having asked Barrington to bat first and seeing them have a chance to bat for the whole 45 overs on offer to them should they so wish to… That the home side declared gave the Red and Blacks second string four more overs (the declaration having come after 41 overs) and was what probably tipped the game towards Wellington as they would have had 26 overs otherwise and at that point were short of the Barrington total… Such a decision may cost the hosts their place at this level as they occupy the second relegation slot.

Ian Hewson removed Barrington’s openers with the score on just 16, but A.Pitman with 36 and T.Pitman with 73no nicely increased the home team’s score although rain did drive the two sides off for 80 minutes and so 20 overs were lost and a draw situation was now in play.

As Barrington looked to up the run rate the capacity for Wellington to improve their bowling points gained on the day and to this end two wickets apiece came the way of both Thom Trott and Jack Beal as they took 2-21 and 2-9 respectively.

Wellington were a ittle surprised that Barrington had declared, but their thinking was that a chase at a rate of seven an over was going to be beyond the reach of Rob Moysey’s men, but it was not even though T.Pitman now turned his attentions to bowling and made Wellington be 19-2.

Mark Bray got things going in the right direction with a knock of 17 and by this stage Mark Salter was hitting his stride and was playing a powerful knock.

Fine support from Lewis Sparks with 29 and Rob Moysey with 32no added to the great dynamic that Salter’s sparkling knock made be the case with respect to the Wellington innings and with two shots to the boundary Jack Beal added to the good time feel.

Salter was eventually caught and bowled for 104, but the job was done and 32 good points were on their way back to Courtland Road even with the game ending well after 8.00pm in near darkness.