Wellington very nearly pulled off a sumptuous run chase at West of England Premier League Somerset Division leaders Shapwick and Polden last weekend, but the Red and Blacks ended up an agonising nine runs short in what was a 28 overs per side game due to the weather as both sides scored at a fair old lick throughout the truncated match.

Arron Campbell won the toss and asked the home side to bat first and after 3 balls the sides were taken off the field of play due to the elements and when they were able to resume a 28 overs per side game was set up.

Shapwick were reduced to 40-2 with Luke Desave taking both wickets, but a 91 run third wicket stand between Josh Luckins and Rob Hill got the home side moving forward once more; this was ended at 131-3 through Will Derrick bowling Luckins for 54.

Hill struck 75no in powerful fashion as Shapwick totalled 190-5 in their 28 overs as both Arron Campbell and Macaulay Campbell took one wicket apiece.

Wellington chased the total required hard throughout with Arron Campbell and Sam Whitefield getting 18 on the board for starters with the game now being of the form of an elongated T20.

Ben Evett was at number three and added 52 for the second wicket with Whitefield (33) and then, making 28 good runs himself, he took Wellington to close to three figures with Alex Sparks.

It was the scintillating play of Sparks who lit up Wellington’s effort with the bat as he smashed 78 in just 42 balls with seven fours and five sixes of glorious stroke play.

In tandem with Luke Desave who made 22no in 21 balls Wellington got to within an ace of a famous win, but Sparks was bowled by James Hayman and despite some attempts to continue the pace of the innings it was just beyond the team and a nine run margin separated the teams in the end.

Wellington will look to take this form with the bat into their last three games of 2021 which are all local derby affairs with Taunton Deane 2nd XI and Taunton 1st XI to visit Courtland Road and a visit to Taunton St Andrews 2nd XI in the middle of that pair of matches.