The battle for the Somerset League title will go all the way to the wire after another enthralling weekend of action with bottom side Barrington so nearly creating the shock of the season by winning at leaders Westlands in a game that saw only 226 runs scored in total and North Petherton won by two wickets at Staplegrove in a game that realised only 181 runs for eighteen wickets taken; while all this was taking place Wellington were grafting and gritting it out at the Civil Service on a pitch of very poor quality (no blame for this is attached to the home side it must be pointed out) and this application saw them home by two wickets with an over to spare in what is probably the highest scoring game that second placed Outcasts have seen on their own patch this season. All this means that Wellington stay third and are 47 points behind Westlands with three to play.

Paul Short asked Outcasts to bat first on winning the toss and with a sharp shower having fallen this made the decision the right one to have taken, but the home side dealt with the new ball very well and blunted Wellington’s attack as through Porter and Hosken saw that 33 runs were added first up before Porter chipped one to Thom Trott at short mid wicket off of Neil Hendy.

This did not bring about the balance of the game going in Wellington’s favour as Warren with a good knock of 30 and Hosken with 32 plundered 55 second wicket runs and with twenty overs left the tales of the woe that this pitch can cause batsmen were not coming home to roost and another 100 runs were possible, but for the second successive week a drinks break worked in Wellington’s favour as Rob Moysey got Hosken to hit high to mid on where Tom Baycock took a good catch and then the next ball Warren edged to Marc Holloway at slip and the set batsmen were on their way – Moysey continued for a full twelve over burst and took another SCL five wicket bag – his fifth this season as he got great work from the pitch and was at his unplayable best – 2010 is proving to be a great season with the ball for the leg spinner and at the end of this match he had taken seventy wickets all told with a month of the season to go and the overall wickets in a season record of 84 is in serious danger of being smashed.

Outcasts slid to 136-8 as Neil Hendy rejoined the attack and Paul Short and Max Capaldi got a wicket each to see that at tea the home side had 165-9 on the board and Wellington would need to use every over at their disposal if they were to win this match for the first time since 2004.

Paul Short and Michael Gill added a solid, steady and cautious opening stand of 44 for Wellington and this was not without it’s shocks as Gill was hit in the face by a ball that found it’s way through his helmet grille and Short was hit on the body and sported a nasty bruise for his troubles; but a run out did for the stand as Short (29) was called through for a quick single and was done for by a direct hit, the pitch then started to play tricks and some alarming bounce and movement was observed and each time Wellington got going again Outcasts made an inroad once more; Gill made 29 before been caught behind and at 86-5 in 30 overs the game was going back towards the home side with Wellington needing 80 in 15 overs; Aks Latifi played a vital innings as he took on the Outcasts attack and the pitch and won the duel as he made 44 most crucial runs for Wellington, he was last out with five needed, but the job was done by then, Mark Salter and Marc Holloway with 17 each also dealt a timely hand for Wellington as they supported Latifi with stands of 36 and 34 respectively; with two overs to go Wellington needed 10 to win with three wickets in hand and although Latifi was run out as just described Thom Trott and Tom Baycock held firm with Trott lashing Mason for a leg side four and after Baycock had scrambled a single a leg stump half volley was clipped away by Trott for three runs that became four in the end and with that shot the win was secured for Wellington with an over to spare and the sigh of relief that the good number of Wellington supporters let out en masse was clear for all to see. 

Wellington just have to keep on winning and have three games left; relegation candidates Watchet at home are next up as well as a degree of revenge for June’s loss in West Somerset, players should note a 1.15pm start for the rest of the SCL season starting with this match.