A new look Wellington 2nd XI travelled to Brent Knoll last Saturday and despite losing by 75 runs put up a great show and gave a good account of themselves in Division Two of the Somerset League Reserves Competition when taking on last season’s Division Three (NE) winners.

Brent Knoll opted to bat first on a cold windy day and Lewis and Cook lashed a 162 run opening stand 35 overs. Lewis made the highest ever individual score against Wellington 2nd XI as he made 138 and his partner made 44.
Favouring the short leg-side boundary Lewis planted the ball over it five times.

However Wellington did have a chance to break this stand before it ever really got going through George Coate who bowled a manful 12 over spell straight through for only 38 runs – a fine return in the circumstances. He got the edge of Lewis’ bat only to see it fly through the slips and on other occasions he induced doubt in their minds. The breakthrough finally came when Chris Rudd yorked Cook. In all he took 3-44 in 11 overs as he reigned in the home side’s free scoring.

Lewis was one of Rudd’s victims as George Coate held onto a high towering chance on the long-on boundary.
Skipper Bob Trott claimed the other wicket to fall he returned figures of 1-62 in 12 overs, he certainly bowled better than this.

Wellington’s strategy was one of point accrual rather than looking at the near 250 runs needed. Chris Close and Chris Rudd got the innings off to a solid start as 27 was posted for the first wicket before Close was trapped LBW by Brent skipper K.Morgan who bowled wicket-to-wicket taking 2-27 in 12 overs.

Rudd made it to an excellent 50 that combined hard hitting with manoeuvring the ball into the many gaps that were left in the field. In the end he was caught at deep mid-wicket and left the field knowing that he had the capacity to have made a century for sure, but it had been a fine hand played by Rudd.

Bob Trott played a classic sheet anchor role as he grafted for 16 and gave Rudd great support as they added 60 for the second Wellington wicket.Two wickets were then lost for 14 runs, but two gritty and spirited stands showed that Wellington had the heart for the fight. These partnerships added 76 runs to Wellington’s total and gave them the lion’s share of the 12 points they got from this game.

James Dyke and David Derrick put on 37 for the fifth wicket. Dyke whipped the ball to leg as is his liking and he made a fine 31. He had taken Cook for two fours in one over when he tried to whip over mid-wicket again and with the ball not getting up lost his middle peg, but Wellington’s vice-captain had done a good job for his team. Derrick with 8, supported Dyke well and his best offering to the stand was a perfectly straight six that crashed into the sightscreen on the full, Derrick was out on the same score as Dyke when he tried to hit over the mid-off region only to get an inside edge and lose his off-bail.

Enter Rupert Green and Alex Sparks who added an unbeaten 39 for the seventh wicket with some fine strokes and positive running. Sparks made 23no and Green 12no as they just missed out on the ninth batting point.

Wellington closed on 172-6 and will look back on this game as being one of great collective effort in difficult circumstances.