Wellington 2nd XI’s hard season in Division Four of the Somerset League ended with another performance of grit and determination, as has the been the case often in 2018, but, again as the case has been this campaign, they could not close out a game that was there to be won at times during the piece.

Taking into account the sheer mileage involved with the visit of Bath based side Peasedown St John to Wellington and that it was their Awards Event that evening the game commenced at 11.30am and saw Wellington’s second string asked to bat first and this saw the PSJ attack hold sway as Wellington were reduced to 40-6 as Swift with 3-10 in 6.2 overs all told and Fourell with 3-20 in seven overs caused havoc with the top order as only Oli Beale, who has had a fine season with the bat at all levels in 2018, with a solid and determined 40 held firm. Mitchell with 2-24 also got in on the act and at 95-7 when Beale was out matters had improved somewhat, but the visitors were in command.

Rob Moysey and Ryan Adams gladdened Wellington with their defiance in making 29 and 43 respectively as both took the attack to the PSJ attack, but the fun was ended just one run short of the seventh batting point when Swift, having rejoined the attack, got rid of Adams.

PSJ, in third place and not without a chance of going up, would need 139 to win after the ‘tea’ (or was it lunch?) break.

Nathan Roberts grabbed an early breakthrough for Wellington as he removed PSJ skipper J.Tucker for a duck, but G.Tucker and Lock added 34 second wicket runs to steady their ship before Ian Hewson removed the latter Tucker for 28 – Lock made 17.

Swift added a good knock to his earlier good bowling as he was what won the game for PSJ in the end, but not before Rob Moysey had taken 4-12 in five overs to make PSJ 80-6, but 68 from Swift (Oli Beale got him with 10 needed to win) was the difference as Ruddock and Fourrell scrambled home for a three wicket win to retain some level of interest for PSJ in playing in Division Three of the SCL next season.

Wellington won only one game in 2018 and will be in SCL Division Five next season; some games saw the team have chances to have done better, but it is a case of looking forward and not back at what could, should or might have been; it is a case of taking what comes for 2019 and seeing that chances are taken when they come along in the next campaign.