Staplegrove 2nd XI secured their first win at Wellington since 2005 when they recorded an eight wicket win in Division One of the Somerset League’s Reserves competition.

The visitors opted to bowl first on winning the toss and got a wicket with the Wellington score on 12, but as was the case the week before Trevor Brooks and Richard Henwood bonded the Wellington innings expertly as they added 102 runs for the second wicket with Brooks making a capital 43 and his opening two knocks of the 2009 season have seen him bat for over 75 of the 90 overs that the team has faced.

Skipper Henwood made a great 82no and he has made 283 runs against the ‘Grove’s 2nd XI for once out in three innings against them – he played well through the leg-side and to the third man area – an area that was strangely left unattended for most of the Wellington innings – as he hit eleven fours.

George Coate and Graham Sparks assisted Henwood to get Wellington 2nd XI to 173-4 in 45 overs and this was a good effort on a pitch that offered bounce and movement.

Staplegrove bowled well with Matt Dunn’s 2-39 in 12 overs being of good value to them.

Wellington struggled to make a breakthrough and it took until the 36th over to break the Staplegrove opening stand of Dunn (88) and their skipper Gary Bishop (59) as they added 167 runs and nearly did all the work on their own.

Wellington tried all options open to them with the best offerings coming from Alex Troake whose leg spin was bowled well and Trevor Brooks who bowled some most tidy off-spin to take 2-35 in 9 overs as he took both wickets to fall through good catches by Richard Henwood and Steve Symons, but when Trump hit over the top for four Staplegrove had a 29 point win to their credit and Wellington a ten point loss.

Wellington 2nd XI travel to Bishops Lydeard 2nd XI next week.