Wellington Cricket Club

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

DD’s annual tome of stats has been prepared.

Download this years Record Book.

• April 11 – Bishops Lydeard (a)
• April 17 – Trull (a)
• April 18 – Burnham-on-Sea (a)
• April 24 – Brixham (a)
• April 25 – Castle Cary (a)
• May 2 – Street (a)
• May 9 – Sidmouth (a)
• May 16 – North Petherton (h) (League)
• May 23 – North Curry (h) (League)
• May 30 – Axminster (a)
• June 6 – Stoke Fleming (a)
• June 13 – Seaton (a)
• June 20 – Chard (h)
• June 27 – Taunton St Andrews (h) (League)
• July 4 – North Newton (h) (League)
• July 11 – Street (h)
• July 18 – CLUB DAY
• July 25 – North Petherton (a) (League)
• August 1 – Trull (h)
• August 8 – Ashbrittle (h)
• August 15 – Minehead (a)
• August 22 – Taunton St Andrews (a) (League)
• August 29 – North Curry (a) (League)
• September 5 – Chard (a)
• September 12 – North Newton (a) (League)
• September 19 – Langport (a)

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.

All Sunday League fixtures are now on file and will be added to the friendly matches that are currently being arranged.

This aspect of the Club’s fixture schedule for 2010 will be issued soon.

Wellington Sunday XI brought the curtain down on the Club’s 2009 season at Langport last weekend and scored a fine five wicket win to maintain their perfect record at Field Road.

Langport did everything they could to record their first win over Wellington on home turf by opting to bat first on a good track in warm, autumnal conditions and Strang with 22 and Chalmers with 63 got their side off to a 65 run opening stand as both batted well – George Hooper and Sam Murdock bowled well for Wellington first up, but the Langport openers resisted.

Alex Troake and Rob Moysey bowled leg-spin from both ends for Wellington and bowled well in batter-friendly conditions with Moysey getting the breakthrough when he bowled Strang.

Watts with a fine 52 saw that Langport carried on their good start, but they were pulled back by Paul Short who bowled an excellent spell of off-spin to take 3-21 at a time when the long handle was been shown.

Rowan Varkevisser – in his last match for the Club before touring Europe and returning home to South Africa – bowled with good pace and took 1-13 in 4 overs.

George Hooper and Sam Murdock bowled at the death and saw that Langport got to 218-7 at tea – short of the 250 they had been on course for.

Hooper took two wickets in his last over and also held a fine boundary catch at a crucial time too with Murdock only letting 21 go in seven good overs.

Wellington were in trouble first ball of their innings before Aks Latifi played a silky smooth innings of 25 with six fours before he speared one high and was caught.

Rowan Varkevisser held firm and made a capital 36, but when he was out at 69-5 Wellington were in serious trouble with 150 needed with half of the innings gone.

Step up Rob Moysey (62no) and Paul Short (78no) to add a new non-league record sixth wicket stand beating a 21 year old record held by the Rudd brothers on the Club’s tour of Cornwall back in 1988 – quality batting was on show from both players as they hit the bad ball when it came along and then having got into a winning position regular singles got the upper hand and the match was won with five balls to spare.

Short hit ten excellent fours and Moysey played the anchor role for a time before hitting three large sixes and the winning four.

Earlier Edwards with 4-33 in 8 overs had been good value for the home side.

A fine way to end another enjoyable Sunday season for Wellington – thanks to Amanda Moysey for scoring the match and to Richard Henwood for umpiring it.

David Derrick, Paul Short, Rob Moysey, Josh Moysey, Rowan Varkevisser, Aks Latifi, Sam Murdock, Alex Troake, Alex Sparks, Scott Davey and George Hooper.

Depart from Courtland Road Car Park at 11.45am for a 1.00pm start.

This was a great end of season match at Chard last Sunday when Wellington prevailed to complete the friendly double over the new WEPL (Somerset Division) and Somerset League Reserves Champion Club – the first time the Red and Blacks had done this since 2006.

Opting to bat first on a track that had some give in it Rob Moysey and Marc Holloway got off to a solid, but cautious start as Chard’s opening attack of Wells-Burr and S.Dening was controlled and measured.

But as the partnership developed so the bad ball came along and with both Wellington openers being dropped they cashed in in terms of adding 131 excellent runs – Holloway was very strong on the pull and this was a hard shot to play on a pitch showing signs that autumn is on the way.

Holloway was first to go when he was caught on the deep mid-wicket boundary and was gone for 76.

There was a fifty for Moysey as he got to 56 before a great diving catch from S.Dening saw the end of another great knock.

Wellington then found Chard started to hold their catches and the home side got back into things through with a triple wicket maiden over from Clancy (4-27) and Cleal with 3-21 got the Red and Blacks middle order in a bit of a tangle, but through Aks Latifi, David Derrick, Rowan Varkevisser, Adrian Lee and Josh Moysey the innings got past the 200 mark with some gritty play that sorted out the slight wobble and Wellington ended on 204-8 at tea – less than it should have been given a 131 run start, but still a decent score on a slow pitch.

Adrian Lee and Rowan Varkevisser were in fine form with the new ball for Wellington as they reduced Chard to 20-4 and the home side were in trouble, but a fine fifth wicket stand between their skipper C.Scott who made a fine 71 and Cleal who played a great hand too in making 44 gave Wellington a few anxious moments and with Richard Henwood suffering a knee injury when he tangled with the boundary hoardings Wellington were down to ten men with two batsmen at the crease who were set.

The introduction of Rob Moysey into the attack spun things Wellington’s way as Max Capaldi took a fine boundary catch from the first ball of his spell to see the back of Cleal.

Rowan Varkevisser rejoined the attack and his second spell was vital for Wellington as he took three wickets for very little cost in taking 5-18 in 8 overs overall and he was on a hat-trick.

Moysey got rid of C.Scott through Adrian Lee’s well judged catch at long-off and the danger men were back in the pavilion and Wellington were closing in on a good victory and at 151-9 with over fifty needed by Chard the game seemed up, but Seward with 37 had other ideas as he played a classy innings with some of the best cover drives you could wish to see and with S.Dening chipping in with 7 from number eleven a last wicket stand of 38 was developing complications for Wellington, but a brute of a leg-spinner from Rob Moysey got through Seward’s defence and a fine fifteen run win was Wellington’s in what had been a good game all round.

The Club plays it’s last match of the 2009 season at Langport on Sunday 13th September and the team will leave from Courtland Road Car Park at 11.45am for a 1.00pm start – players are asked to note this information.

Dinner and Dance ticket requests and menu choices need to be sent through to Club Chairman Duncan Short via e-mail ASAP – details at www.sportinwellington.co.uk/cricket.

This match will begin at 1.00pm, so we will leave at 11.45am – a prompt departure will assist all.

Team to be notified on Wednesday evening.

David Derrick, Max Capaldi, Adrian Lee, Rob Moysey, Josh Moysey, Richard Henwood, Marc Holloway, Alex Troake, Rowan Varkevisser, Steve Symons and Aks Latifi.

Depart from Courtland Road Car Park at 12.15pm for a 1.30pm start.