A mixed Wellington side took to the field for the first match of the new season when they travelled to Somerset League Division Two side Burnham-on-Sea last Sunday afternoon and despite losing by 17 runs in a 40 overs per side contest useful practice was achieved by all who participated.

Rob Moysey opted to ask Burnham-on-Sea to bat on a dry pitch in cloudy conditions and the fact that bat would rule ball was shown up early on as Puddy (83) and Bloodworth (22) added 87 in 14 overs. Puddy smote ten fours and four sixes and was looking set for a bigger score when he decided to retire out.
Kevin Symons (1-43) took the first wicket of the new season for Wellington when he removed Bloodworth who edged to Kevin Crout who did a good job as wicketkeeper.
Burnham-on-Sea’s Indian player Karmakar made Wellington toil further with a knock of 62 in 55 balls.

Ben Green bowled a very useful spell of 6 overs of leg-spin, taking 2-32 and doing plenty with the ball. He bowled Burnham keeper Walker for 22 and in the same over got rid of Martin stumped and if he can go on from this opening performance there could be many overs for him to bowl this summer.
Harris and Steer got Burnham-on-Sea to within 250 in their 40 overs. Rob Moysey took 2-22 late on.

Wellington needed over six an over to win and were hindered in their pursuit of the 245 needed by the tightness of Burnham-on-Sea’s opening bowlers – as exemplified by Birkett going for only nine runs in five overs. But the first innings for Wellington of it’s overseas player for 2006, Julian Smit, and another cultured knock from Thom Trott brought about 96 runs for the third wicket and this brought Wellington right back into the match.
Smit made 52 in 53 balls and hit five fours and two sixes. He was out trying to force the pace, but had shown enough to suggest that he will make runs this summer.

Trott accumulated runs at a good tempo as he made 42 with two fours and two sixes. He lightly edged one behind to Walker from left-arm spinner Ludlow. Stuart Currall and James Dyke added 45 for the fifth wicket with Dyke hitting over the boundary three times in a quickfire knock of 26.
Currall cracked 37 as all of Wellington’s batsmen got in the act. There were runs for Richard Short and Kevin Crout before Kevin Symons with 19no and Ben Green (5no) saw out time for Wellington with a 22 run stand for the ninth wicket. For Burnham-on-Sea Karmakar took 4-55 in 11 overs.

The practice continues this weekend with the 1st XI playing at Nynehead on Saturday 29th April (2.00pm start, depart from Courtland Road Car Park at 1.15pm ) and the Sunday XI play at Street on Sunday 30th April (2.00pm start, depart from Courtland Road Car Park at 12.15pm).