Wellington Cricket Club

Wellington made it two wins out of two in Division One of the Somerset League when they battled to a fine 22 run win at Purnells last weekend on a ground that has never been a happy hunting ground for the Red and Blacks.

Having lost the toss and been put in the going was tough as after a dozen overs the score was 35-3 and the home side were on top.

Alex Sparks with 27 was the steady hand at the top of the Wellington order, but at 92-7 with less than ten overs to go something was needed to inflate the score of the away side and Rob Moysey with a typically robust 58no with seven fours and a six and Sam Murdock with 18no added 69 for the eighth wicket to raise Wellington to 161-8 in 45 overs.

Jones with 2-16 in 10 overs was economical for Purnells.

Nolan with 41 and Crocker with 14 flayed their way to 55 for the opening Purnells wicket and Wellington were made to think and think hard, but the spin trick worked as Indika Weerawarna and Rob Moysey turned the ball and the game to Wellington as 78-1 became 79-5 as a dusty track paid dividends as they took 2-32 in 9 overs and 4-36 in 12 overs respectively.

Although the Purnells lower order had a go they had too much to do and this saw Wellington seal the game with Luke Desave taking two wickets on his way to returning figures of 2-32 in 11 overs and Simon Rudd sealed 33 points when he bowled Jones for 14.

It is home to Watchet this weekend and a third win in three is the aim.

Paul Short (Capt), Thom Trott, Neil Hendy, Luke Desave, Rob Moysey, Scott Davey, George Hooper, Charlie Davies, Sam Murdock, Aks Latifi (Wkt), Marc Holloway

Meet at Pavilion at 5.45pm for a 6.15pm start – please note this match is 18 overs per side and not 20.

Details from Paul Short.

Rain got the better of the Under 11s once more when it claimed their home game with Over Stowey with the WCC pitch been too wet for preparation and play.

Steve Symons (Capt), Rob Moysey, Aks Latifi (Wkt), Charlie Davies, James Bath, Robin Davies, Jake Nichol, Simon Rudd, Tom Hawkings, Ollie Wilkins, Arron Campbell

Meet at Pavilion at 1.15pm for a 2.00pm start.

Details from Steve Symons.

Toby Horne (Captain), Tom Perry (Vice-Captain), Brad Rowlandson (W/K), Callum Vernon, Jacob Reeves, Ollie Rowe, Josh Hawkings, Joe Horne

Reserves: Joe Fox, Alex Conway

We will meet at the Pavilion at 0915 as the game has been moved due to weather reasons.

If there are any problems please call Paul Rowlandson on 0798 084 4852.

Richard Henwood (Capt), Kevin Crout (Wkt), Neil Hendy, Mark Salter, Tom Baycock, Arron Campbell, Darren Davis, Scott Davey, Aaron Chugg, Adrian Lee, Will Hinchcliffe

Meet at Pavilion at 12.30pm for a 2.00pm start.

Thom Trott (Capt), Luke Desave, Simon Rudd, Marc Holloway, Charlie Davies, Aks Latifi (Wkt), Indika Weerawarna, Sam Murdock, James Bath, Alex Sparks, Rob Moysey.

Depart from Courtland Road Car Park at 11.00am SHARP for a 1.45pm start.

The recent poor weather has seen that Staplegrove CC’s ground has not hosted any matches so far this season and they are having to pull out all the stops to get ready for the second weekend of the new season – they have requested that the venue for this Sunday’s friendly match be switched to WCC to allow them more scope to prepare things their end as we have been luckier than a lot of Clubs so far in terms of playing matches.

So we will host on Sunday 13th May and will visit Staplegrove on Sunday 15th July – basically same dates with switched venues.

Wellington Sunday XI were in a good position to have a really good go at the 218 they needed to win at Devon Premier League side Sidmouth last weekend, but a collapse from 92-3 to 92-7 put paid to that and in the end the Red and Blacks fell to a 67 run defeat.

Sidmouth opted to bat first and saw Z.Bess with his capital 54 put them into a position of supremacy as he pulled the ball with awesome power and he looked like he was going to make a lot more, but the impressive Jake Nichol trapped him LBW with one that was homing in on middle and leg and 1-40 in seven overs was a good effort all told and George Hooper bowled better than his figures suggest.

Thom Trott used his height well to extract extra lift and he was rewarded with two wickets when he yorked Sobczak for 26 and Griffiths played on for 9.

Had the run out of Sidmouth keeper Chilcott stood then the home side would have been in a spot of bother, but the wicket was broken without the ball in hand and he went on to play a fine hand of 70no.

Paul Short with 2-20 in 8 good overs of off spin was complimented by Arron Campbell and Scott Davey as Sidmouth closed on 217-6 at tea.

Charlie Davies and Thom Trott got the Wellington reply off to a good start, but Mansfield with 2-20 in seven overs got them both by the time the score had reached 24; cue Aks Latifi and Robin Davies to add 55 for the third Wellington wicket with Latifi making 47 with three shots that went out of the ground and Davies a pleasant 19.

But Wellington were undone by Sidmouth’s good mix of pace and spin and any chance of victory evaporated when they lost four wickets for no runs, but the effort was not over as Arron Campbell with 16 and Paul Short with a belligerent 34 got Wellington to 150 before Short was last man out.

The team are away to Staplegrove this coming weekend.

Wellington 2nd XI will feel they let this Somerset League Division Four match slip away somewhat as they had Wembdon 2nd XI at 16-3 and a big chance to lock down the game having made a good total of their own batting first.

Skipper Richard Henwood carried his bat for a capital 79no with three sixes in it as he was well supported by others; he added 26 first up with Marc Holloway and 24 with Sam Cook to bring up the team’s half century with the telling stands been 54 for the fourth wicket with Tom Baycock (25) and the same for the fifth with George Hooper (29no) as Wellington closed on 174-4 in their 45 overs.

Adrian Lee and George Hooper raced Wellington into the ascendancy in the game as they reduced Wembdon to 16-3 with three of their top four making ducks, but the powerful batting of Trunks with 70no and the steady play of Bingham (43no) saved the day for the home side as they pulled the game back in their favour to win by three wickets and take 29 points to Wellington’s 15.

There are things to work on for Wellington and they will get them in order for the visit of Fitzhead next weekend which is a first for the side as it will be the first time in 40 years competing in the Somerset League that they will have played a Club first team in a league match.