A run-laden pitch at Easterlands made for another high scoring draw between the two local rivals where the thick end of 500 runs were scored for the loss of only 14 wickets in just over 80 overs.
Sampford opted to put Wellington into bat on winning the toss and the run rate was immediately raised by some wayward offerings from the home side.
Thom Trott and Kevin Crout added 27 for the first wicket, but this came mostly in extras, but Jamie Cooksley produced the perfect yorker to dismiss Crout and when he had Trott adjudged LBW for 23, Wellington were scoring at a fast rate, but were losing wickets as well.
Richard das Neves made a cultured 60 as he lofted the ball cutely and arrogantly some times, much to the annoyance and exasperation of the home side. He was eventually caught on the boundary by Rob Chave off of Sean Buttle who was Sampford’s best bowler on the day with 3-37 in 11 overs.
Chris Kitto made a pleasant 24 before stopping his shot for Chave to take another catch.
Kevin Symons stole the show for Wellington with a career best 74 which wrested the initiative back. He hit four huge sixes into the trees behind the famous Sampford Arundel ‘dog-leg’ and was only removed when Vince Milton held onto a towering chance at deep mid-wicket as Symons tried for a fifth maximum.
Danny Addicott and David Derrick gave Symons some good support and made sure that Wellington used up the time available to them before tea.
Wellington’s last pair of Adrian Lee and George Coate enjoyed a riotous stand with Lee making 34 with four sixes of his own, thus matching Symons. The innings closed on 292 when Darren Winter accepted a low chance at mid-wicket from Lee, thus giving Alan Bentley 2-56.
There were two wickets for Seb Coe and one for Oliver Defew as Sampford Arundel, who play their league cricket four divisions below Wellington, knew they had to chase 293 in an hour and 20 overs after tea.

The way that Rob Chave and Seb Coe started it was more than a possibility that Sampford would be intent on making a real chase of the massive total they needed as this pair added 116 in under the first hour of their side’s innings. Chave played some excellent shots and rotated the strike well to ensure that his big-hitting partner could attempt the seemingly impossible and chase down the near 300 they needed to win.
But the fun couldn’t last and Chave was first to depart for 47 as he chopped one on to his stumps to give Wellington vice-captain Adrian Lee a wicket. Lee then removed Kevin Price LBW in the same over and the Sampford Arundel game plan had to change to take account of the state of the game.
Coe was eventually out for 59 as he skied one to point where Danny Addicott took a steady catch off of Kevin Symons (1-56 in 10 overs).

From this point on the home side opted for safety and ground out a draw. Only one more wicket was forthcoming for Wellington such was the benign nature of the track, Adrian Hearn bowled his steady medium pace and removed the leg bail of Vince Milton. Hearn took 1-9 in 5 overs. Mike Jarman and Steve Windsor saw out the last few overs and again the local derby was drawn.

Wellington held sway overall and Sampford have now won just one of the last eleven derby matches that have been played, going back to 1993 (cancellations not included).