Wellington CC are up to third in the West of England Premier League’s Somerset Division after a comfortable home win on Saturday, writes David Derrick.
They picked up a maximum 20 points with a seven-wicket victory over North Perrott, achieved with 11 overs to spare.
Match day dawned clear and just got hotter as Perrott skipper Rowswell chose to bat on winning the toss.
But things didn’t go quite to plan as Perrott’s score fell away to 85-6 through a compelling opening spell of pace from Toby Stirazker and George Davis who rocked the visitors early on before returning for a second spell.
Lakshan Edirisinghe with 3-43 in ten overs wheeled away effectively to prise away more of Perrott’s batting stocks and the team from the Somerset-Dorset border were in trouble.
Their rearguard came from their Sri Lankan overseas player Lamahewage who crashed 78 in 36 balls with sixes as he added 77 for the Perrott seventh wicket and Brain (23) in, at times, brutal style.
Lamahewage was eventually out to Luke Desave’s catch off Toby Stirzaker who took a decent 2-44 in ten overs.
Davis again showed he is taking to 1st XI cricket well with an analysis of 1-26 in nine overs delivered at good pace.
Arron Campbell with 2-38 in ten overs displayed his enduring qualities as an off spinner and there was a wicket on debut for the medium paced Robbie Watts as Perrott were despatched for 216 in 47 overs.
Wellington faced a run chase of 4.36 per over to take a second win of the season in front of an ever-growing crowd and ever hotter conditions.
George Ruell and Desave – back in the pinch-hitting opener’s role – added 12 runs for the opening Red and Blacks opening wicket before their time at the crease was cut short.
Desave was joined by recent recruit from Taunton CC Oz O’Livey and they were able to add exactly 100 second-wicket runs for Wellington.
Desave helped himself to 66 in just 40 balls with nine fours and three sixes, ended with a shout for LBW going against him from left arm spinner Subramanian.
O’Livey enjoyed his time in the middle too as he struck 48 with seven fours in a measured knock which occupied 128 balls.
Edirisinghe, who has arrived for his second season with the Red and Blacks as their overseas player, continued his prime form as he rattled off 75 not out from 51 balls with 11 fours and two towering sixes as added 81 third-wicket runs with O’Livey’s support from the other end.
Campbell finished the job off with Edirisinghe with wickets and time to spare for Wellington who took full points to Perrott’s four.
Lamahewage with 2-23 was Perrott’s only really effective operator with the ball in seven pacy overs.
Thanks go to Kenn and Melv Flint for running the Long Hop Bar effectively throughout the day, to Steve Davy and Trevor Desave for cooking and serving lunchtime burgers and to Amanda Moysey, Ali Campbell and their clubhouse management team for providing a pleasant environment to watch both the cricket and the evening’s musical entertainment both within and without.
Wellington CC’s senior home games can be followed live online at https://www.youtube.com/@WellingtonCricketClub which is delivered by New Era Cricket, the club’s live streaming partner for 2026.
It’s a trip to Yeovil for Wellington on Saturday for Wellington as they tackle the division’s early-season leaders.
North Perrott will then revisit at the Lloyd and Whyte Cricket Ground next Monday, June 1st, for a Baker Cup third round fixture, starting at 6pm.
MAIN PHOTO: Celebration time as Lakshan Edirisinghe bags a wicket.
Photos by Gill Paltridge.
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