Wellington Under 13s completed their Somerset Cricket Board mandated series of games at Taunton Deane CC last Thursday evening and came within an ace of winning for the first time in this series of games as good batting led the side to a testing total for the home side to have a go at chasing, but the issue of too many extras being given away reared its head once more and cost the side a good position.

Wellington, captained by Ashton Howe, were asked to bat first and after losing a wicket second ball saw Archie Lyon-Taylor and Will Crossley add a good second wicket stand that got the side into the thirties.

Crossley himself made it to the personal retiring mark of 30 and played a wonderful knock.

Will Fewings, who has had a good season, made 16 and Jude Wickramasinghe and Daniel Huntley with 15no and 19no respectively got Wellington to 127-4 in 20 overs which was their best team score of the season.

Daniel Huntley then got to work with the ball as he took a wicket in the second over of the Deane reply as he and Tom Hopkins bowled well for Wellington and had five wickets on the board for the Red and Blacks before the Deane score had reached fifty.

Pressure was maintained through Will Fewings and Matthias Richardson in the middle overs as Wellington looked for their first win of this series, but the direction of some deliveries was just a bit off beam and this let the Deane’s lower order just get over the line in the last over; the boys have batted well all summer and with some work on their line and length will do well going forward.

Thanks go to Mark Salter for managing and arranging the season’s programme of training and match play with assistance from Tom Knell and Jake Nichol, to Richard Howe for umpiring and to Gail Hopkins for scoring and to all parents who have supported and encouraged the boys at both training and matches too.