Wellington Sunday XI continued the Club’s pre-season with a match with Somerset League Division Two side Castle Cary last Saturday and came out as 32 run winners in a match that was played at Bishops Lydeard due to the unavailability of either side’s own ground due to football.

Cary won the toss and asked Wellington to bat first in  showery, windy conditions, but this did not faze Mark Salter and Rob Moysey who added 98 good runs for Wellington’s first wicket.

Moysey with 38 (four fours) was first to go when he offered a chance to Henley (3-51) who took the ball on the follow-through from delivery.

Salter (59 with twelve fours) was next to go with the score on 100, but he had played very well with his trademark square cut coming to the fore.

Another wicket was lost on 101 and Wellington needed to consolidate if their good start was not to be lost, but Marc Holloway and Paul Short came up with the required response as they very nearly doubled Wellington’s score by adding 97 fourth wicket runs for the Red and Blacks.

Holloway made it to 59 with 8 fours and two sixes and Short realised 57 with eight fours in what were two very good and well timed innings.

The rest of the Wellington order concentrated on getting as many runs from the last few overs as was possible and Alec Short with 29no was assisted by David Derrick and Jake Nicol as these three added 30 good late runs to see the final Wellington score come in at 272-8 in 45 overs.

Rowan Varkevisser bowled with great speed and aggression and deserved more than the 1-53 in 12 overs he actually took as he beat the bat often and saw edged shots fly over the slips and gully region.

Jake Nicol shared the opening bowling responsibilities with Varkevisser and did a good job – he got a wicket for his efforts in his second spell.

Thom Trott took 3-33 in two spells and experimented with a short and long run.

Wellington could have had matters wrapped up sooner than they did as catches were dropped and this did not help the bowlers concerned – Josh Moysey toiled hard, but had no luck.

Paul Short bowled better than 2-69 in 11 overs suggests, but the Lydeard pitch was run laden and both sides prospered on the day as Cary batsmen Rushden (60) and Bright (55) added 84 third wicket runs.

The game drifted to a close with Cary seeing out their 45 over allocation and the match concluded in semi-darkness at 8.20pm.