Wellington’s opening game of the 2015 season was all over in 44 overs and the match aggregate of 161-17 tells a story of the ball being in charge at Heathfield Park as sides drawn from Wellington 2nd and 3rd XI squads and the home club’s reserve side met last Saturday afternoon.

Richard Henwood opted to bat first and saw Robin Davies and Kevin Crout get away to a solid start that saw a twenty run opening stand was posted by Wellington – this was ended when Davies was yorked by Irish for 20.

Ollie Wilkins played himself in well from number three in the order, but fell to a great catch by former Wellington player Ali Bunce as he hit a short ball well behind square.

The middle order fell away from 40-2 to 51-6 and much work was needed by Wellington to post a testing total of any sort.

Crout with 18 top scored, but was strangled by a leg side delivery from Frost having put him away for four through mid wicket the previous delivery.

Ben Evett and Lee Nichol hit some valiant late runs, but from 80-7 to 80 all out Wellington were dismissed with 10.3 overs left.

There would be ten overs until tea and they were as exciting as they could be as Richard Henwood took three wickets in the first over of the North Petherton innings to reduce them to 2-3 and although Petherton keeper Winter with 16 made a decent knock when he was well caught by Will Derrick off of Lee Nichol at 23-4 Petherton were rocking once more and with Ben Evett’s wicket in the last over before tea as Kevin Crout made a third keeping dismissal the break could not come quickly enough for them.

Bowditch and Irish perished after tea to Ben Evett (3-25), but Lambert’s big knock of 34no was the difference as he took the attack to Wellington and saw his side over the line with three wickets in tact.