This was a narrow defeat for Wellington 2nd XI in Division Four of the Somerset League at home to Ilton last Saturday when a decision to chalk off a wicket for Wellington had a profound effect on the game…

Wellington were asked to bat first and saw Trevor Brooks and Rob Moysey dominate matters with a 54 run opening wicket stand and all was going well until Brooks was LBW for 31 and when skipper Moysey was caught in the gully and Thom Trott was caught and bowled Wellington were 54-3.

Mark Saunders kept the innings going with a fine long term knock of 46 as he added 47 for the fifth wicket with Tom Perry (19) and later 16 Tom Shannon who made a decent 13.

Wellington scrambled to eight batting points through David Derrick and Tyler Fyfe’s last wicket efforts.

Ilton shared the wickets around with no-one taking more than two with Matravers 2-22 in eight overs been of merit.

When Wellington took to the field they thought they had Gower, a batsman of WEPL pedigree, out caught and bowled, but a belated no ball call earned him a reprieve and he went on to hit 85 out of an opening stand of 97 with Davies who made 19.

There were other chances to break this pair, but in the end the impetus it gave took Ilton over the line despite their wobble.

A poor decision to run broke the stand three short of the hundred mark and when Thom Trott bowled Roberts a team hat-trick was on, but Price was equal to the challenge.

Wickets for Jake Nichol, Tom Shannon and Rob Moysey saw that Wellington were in line for a famous win, but Jones with 16no played the sweep well and set up things for Ilton to take 35 points to Wellington 2nd XI’s 15.