Wellington Cricket Club

The Midweek XI will play Kent tourists Sturry CC on Bank Holiday Monday, 31st May, in a match that will begin at 2.30pm, this is likely to be the last senior fixture accepted for this season.

• Thursday 27th May – Mallards (h) (6.15pm)
• Thursday 17th June – Mallards (a) (6.15pm)

• Saturday 10th April – Sunday XI v Cranmore (a)
• Friday 23rd July – Midweek XI v St Andrews CC (Surrey) (h)

The Midweek XI has two more matches for next season as follows,

• Tuesday 22nd June – Nynehead (a) (20/20)
• Tuesday 27th July – Nynehead (h) (20/20)

DD’s annual tome of stats has been prepared.

Download this years Record Book.

• May 28 – Newington (h) (20/20)
• July 1 – Ashbrittle (a) (20/20)
• July 26 – The Journeymen (h)

Somerset League fixtures for the 1st and 2nd XIs are awaited with the 1st XI contesting the 2010 Somerset League title with Ashbrittle, Barrington, Belvedere, North Petherton, Purnells, Staplegrove, Taunton Outcasts, Watchet and Westlands. 

The 2nd XI will contest the Somerset League Reserves Competition Division Two title with Belvedere 2nd XI, Butleigh 2nd XI, Frome 2nd XI, Langport 2nd XI, Purnells 2nd XI, Temple Cloud 2nd XI,  Wedmore 2nd XI, Wells 2nd XI and Winscombe 2nd XI.

The Sunday XI will contest Division B of the Taunton and District Sunday League with North Curry, North Newton, North Petherton and Taunton St Andrews – these fixtures are all in place and friendly matches on 30th May and 8th August will complete matters.

I have brokered a deal with a fixtures agency that will mean we will get first choice on sides touring the area in terms of fixtures for the Midweek XI – the chosen strategy here is 20/20 matches at any time of the season and all-afternoon matches from mid-July until the end of August. The team has one match so far for the 2010 season.

Wellington Midweek XI closed their 2009 season with a 56 run win over Hertfordshire touring side Berkhamsted last Monday evening in a match that saw the Club’s first hat-trick of the campaign.

Steve Symons opted to bat first and saw Marc Holloway and James Dyke get 14 on the board first up before Aks Latifi launched some big shots on his way to 23 before he was run out with the score on 47, another wicket was lost on the same score, but Paul Short and Holloway more than doubled Wellington’s score with some fine play – both players pushed the ball around excellently as a  flurry of twos and threes pushed Wellington’s score higher. Holloway made 49 and Short 36 as Wellington closed on 123-7 in their 20 overs.

For Berkhamsted of the Hertfordshire County League I.Dent with 2-16 and Campbell with 2-30 did the damage.

Wellington never let the visitors get away as Jake Nicol with 1-4 and Alex Troake with 2-18 each bowled four good overs.

The innings was blown apart by George Hooper who took a hat-trick – all bowled – with the first three balls of his second over, he took 4-0 all told with the well-known ITV football commentator Peter Drury being part of his haul, he had commentated on the Community Shield match between Manchester United and Chelsea before joining his club mates on their Somerset tour!

Wellington then took other good wickets as Alex Sparks made an impact and the Berkhamsted innings closed on 67-9 with their skipper I.Dent making 17no late on.

A season of six 20/20 matches with an even split of three wins and three losses and one all-afternoon match washed out is the team’s return for 2009 and with the losses being by four runs, two runs and three wickets these could have been turned into successes, but all in all a good, enjoyable season for both home and visiting players alike.

The Midweek XI will play Berkhamsted CC in an evening match on Monday 10th August.

Steve Symons will be selecting and organising a team this week and if you are able to play in this match then please contact Steve.

Wellington Midweek XI’s match with The Journeymen was called off on Monday through a combination of the steady rain of the previous day and torrential showers on the morning of the match that rendered the Courtland Road playing surface unusable.

This was the second time in three seasons the weather had got the better of this match.