Wellington will have a tinge of disappointment that league leaders Street managed to get the ten runs from the last over that they needed to tie this match, writes David Derrick. But the Red and Blacks did claw back some of the gap between the two sides and with Street visiting Taunton Deane 2nd XI next week something has to give between the top two and Wellington must be ready to pounce by winning their home game with Temple Cloud that completes the first half of the season.
Arron Campbell chose to bat first on winning the toss and saw that his side made careful progress against King who conceded just four runs from his nine overs – a fine effort. Tom Chambers and Neil Hendy got through this spell to add 34 for the opening wicket and it was Lake with 2-17 that saw both Wellington openers off as Chambers made 19 and Hendy 17 to set their side up.
Robin Davies was in good touch with 22 and Sam Whitefield added good runs with 34, but at 126-5 the Wellington innings was at a crossroads, but it was taken ahead by Luke Desave, back as a batter from injury with bowling to follow soon, as he creamed 48 in 32 balls and Jack Beal who cracked 30 not out in 12 balls with 22 of his runs coming in one over as he hit the ball farther and farther each time as he laid into off spinner Bartlett who was hit out of the attack to the tune of 1-70 in nine overs.
Wellington just missed out on maximum batting points, but can be pleased with what was a much better show with the bat. Hill and Lake added 55 good runs for Street’s opening wicket, but Neil Hendy and Arron Campbell saw them depart as Wellington slowly, but surely chipped away at the unbeaten leaders 100% record.
Bisgrove with 40 played well in the middle order, but Wellington kept taking wickets too as Hendy and Campbell took two each and Thom Trott one.
At 127-7 Street were in trouble as Jack Beal continued his great game taking 2-34 in eight overs, but last wicket stands for the opposition have been a feature of play on Saturdays recently and from 183-9 Street were still fighting hard to get something from the game and did so as Ward hit the last ball of the game for four to make for a tie and see Wellington collect 26 points to Street’s 24 due to their taking more wickets…
Kilmington and Stourton 190 Wellington 2nd XI 149
Wellington 2nd XI’s batting got going at times in this home Somerset League Division Four game with Kilmington and Stourton last weekend, but not sufficiently all innings to give them a first win of the season and they remain rooted to the bottom.
With Ryan Adams taking charge K and S, who had made a fifty mile plus journey from the Wiltshire border, won the toss and elected to bat first and at 62-4 Wellington were pleased to be in the field as Macaulay Campbell led their effort by taking a five wicket bag as he saw off players from the top, middle and bottom orders to record an analysis of 5-22 in nine excellent overs.
Tom Perry backed matters up with 1-16 in six overs and wickets also came the way of George Coate, Ryan Adams, Lewis Sparks and Trevor Brooks who was pressed into service once more with the ball and took the most acceptable figures of 1-25 in nine overs with a couple of maidens thrown in for good measure.
Chinnock with 40 and Ross with 45 were K and S’s main contributors with the bat as 40 extras boosted their score to 190 all out.
After losing a wicket at ten Trevor Brooks and Mark Bray added 24 second wicket runs, but when Bray was run out for 13 he picked up a leg injury; a double blow…
Brooks made a capital 33, but when he was sixth out at 83 Wellington’s second string were short of the required total by over one hundred runs.
Tom Perry, Callum Hendy and Macaulay Campbell, with knocks of 22, 10 and 27 respectively, regained some ground, but with the score on 149 the game was all over when George Coate was out with Fry taking 3-26 in eight overs to be K and S’s best show with the ball as they collected 34 points to Wellington’s 17.
Crewkerne 2nd XI 193-6 Wellington 3rd XI 194-4
Wellington 3rd XI made it five wins in a row over Crewkerne 2nd XI as they bossed this Somerset League Division Seven South match in the end having spent a fairly fruitless first thirty overs in the field on winning the toss when just one wicket was forthcoming…
That came the way of Andy Hurry who yorked Callow for 20 with the score on 63, but R.James with a fine 82no as he carried his bat and 40 from Male added 100 more runs for Crewkerne so that the home side was only one wicket down with ten overs to go, but Wellington pulled things back excellently as Oli Beale and Alex Derbridge formed a spin duo for the final overs to restrict Crewkerne to add only 30 runs and lose five wickets in this time as Derbridge with 3-35 in six overs returned Wellington’s best analysis on the day.
Even though Wellington had rallied they would still need to score at around five an overs for victory and that would not be easy after tea…
When Dave Luxton hit the first ball of the innings for four the intent of the Red and Blacks third string was there for all to see and 35 runs were on the board in good time despite Luxton been restricted by a calf issue; he was bowled for 11.
Oli Beale with a fine 64 was the main reason for Wellington’s batting dominance and he played well all round the wicket on the day.
Andy Hurry with 33 added 85 for the second wicket with Beale and this took Wellington well on the way; despite losing three wickets between 120 and 129 it was Richard Henwood, who was skipper on the day, with a classy 45no and Jacob Hurry with a solid 13no that did the job and saw that Wellington’s third string collected 31 good points to take home with them.
Stogumber Sunday XI 187-9 Wellington Sunday XI 188-5
Wellington Sunday XI travelled to West Somerset League side Stogumber last weekend and completed the season’s double over the home side having won at Wellington back in May as the two teams played a thirty overs per side game after deciding to watch the England v Panama game before play…
On a hard and fast track Stogumber won the toss and batted first and it was Wellington skipper Macaulay Campbell who drew first blood when Bruford was out to the first ball he faced as he looped one up high in the air and Sam Whitefield accepted the chance at slip.
After this Buchanan and home skipper Godfrey played some powerful shots before the latter tried to scoop shot a delivery from Lewis Sparks and only succeeded in losing balance and falling back on to his stumps.
Buchanan tried an equally audacious shot from the bowling of Tyler Fyfe, but he was out bowled – they had made 25 and 26 between them.
B.Rexworthy with 33 played well for his runs and it was a good half century from C.Jenkins that took Stogumber towards a score of 200.
Macaulay Campbell with 3-46 and Alex Derbridge with 2-36 were Wellington’s best bowlers on the day as the runs flowed on good batting track.
Sam Whitefield and Luke Desave got going well with 22 on the board before Desave was well caught at slip one handed for ten and this saw Lewis Sparks join Whitefield and they added 119 for the second wicket as Whitefield played really well for his round hundred knock with three sixes included.
Sparks made a capital 45 with one six in what was a decent knock for him and his side. Macaulay Campbell ended a fine weekend of cricket for himself with 14no as his side won with around eight overs to spare…