Ten years since they last were Somerset county champions, Wellington Cricket Cubs 1st XI have taken the title – despite a last-breath challenge from local rivals Ashbrittle.
Wellington 202-6 Middlezoy 55-6
Wellington secured the Somerset Cricket League title for 2012 when they obtained 28 points from this drawn game with Middlezoy last weekend; with the fact that their nearest challengers Ashbrittle saw their match at Kilmington and Stourton washed away as was the case with North Petherton at home to Cheddar Paul Short’s side are 43 points clear with one to play and cannot be caught.
It is a fair reward for the effort, commitment and good quality play that the side has shown all season and they can now look forward to playing at the West of England Premier League (Somerset) level in 2013.
As for this game it was a desire to play on the part of both sides that saw it played; one horrendous shower at 11.00am has made the ground be awash and the mopping up began – two more rain breaks saw 17 overs lost and Wellington were asked to bat.
Paul Short and Marc Holloway added a cautious 29 as Wellington knew that points gathering was vital as the games concerning those around them were off; for Middlezoy Barnard and Warren were bowling well with plenty of variety and the stand was broken at 29 when Holloway was caught at short cover for 15.
Alex Sparks attacked to the tune of 49 and his skipper made a good 35 as Wellington had gathered six batting points when Michael Gill was out.
Rob Moysey with 15 and then a fine 51 run stand between Aks Latifi with 31no and Neil Hendy with 20no saw Wellington to ten points and a tea that was taken after 6.00pm; it was then a case of Middlezoy seeing out 28 overs for a draw and by this point Wellington had enough in the bag to know they were champions.
No Middlezoy player made double figures and it was 30 extras that made them get as many as they did – Michael Gill, who has confirmed his intention to come back for a third season in four with the Red and Blacks in 2013, took 2-14 in 5 overs and there were wickets for Thom Trott, Indika Weerawarna, Rob Moysey and George Hooper as the game limped to a dark and soggy end, but the sun has shone on Wellington in 2012 and they are where they wish to be after a gap of over a decade.
Curry Rivel v Wellington 2nd XI
Wellington 2nd XI saw their chance to go back to the top of Division Four of the Somerset League washed away in the pond that greeted them when they arrived at Curry Rivel last Saturday, but with leaders North Perrott 2nd XI not playing either and Wembdon 2nd XI falling to a surprise loss to Weston Super Mare 3rd XI (who Wellington host this weekend) promotion and the championship are very much in the hands of the side and attention now turns to their push for honours following the 1st XI’s securing of the SCL title over the last weekend.
Bridgwater Sunday XI 283-9 Wellington Sunday XI 235
Wellington Sunday XI lost in Division A of the Taunton and District Sunday League for the first time this season and this makes Bridgwater favourites to carry off the title for 2012, but Rob Moysey’s side did all they could to engineer a fantastic win and with a bag of 14 points they go to Chard this coming weekend for their last game needing ten points to be sure of competing at this level in 2013 and a good result will see a third runners up spot in three seasons come into view.
Wellington put Bridgwater into bat and saw Michael Gill and George Hooper deliver a testing opening spell with Gill beating the outside edge often and Hooper probing a good channel outside of off stump; when Horler chipped one to Ollie Wilkins off of Gill at mid wicket Wellington had a breakthrough.
It became two when Barrett was caught by George Hooper in the covers and at 104-2 Wellington had removed the Bridgwater openers, but home skipper Butt and A.Skidmore with 82 each added a blistering 119 runs for the third wicket as they ran riot hitting 12 sixes between them. Both were dropped and made Wellington pay dearly.
Rob Moysey with 5-18 in seven excellent overs saw that Wellington pulled 223-2 back to 283-9 in the end; wickets were taken by Tom Hawkings, Sam Murdock and there was a second for Michael Gill before a cooked tea went down very well all round.
A good number of Bank Holiday Sunday spectators were present to witness the hitting exhibition and now it was Wellington’s turn to get involved as Charlie Davies and Aks Latifi smashed 71 opening wicket runs in just 11 overs – they hit two and three sixes respectively and gave Bridgwater some worrying moments, but Davies was out LBW for 32 and Latifi was caught going for another six, but Alex Sparks and Michael Gill reacted to this by adding 60 for the fourth wicket and this stand was taking on a dangerous status when Gill was stumped for 27.
Sparks made a third Sunday League fifty of the season by striking 71 with three sixes as the day’s total rose to twenty.
The dismissal of Sparks probably saw the end of Wellington’s crack at the win, but they got well past 200 and so secured full batting points; Rob Moysey with 24, Paul Short with 12no and Tom Hawkings with 11 played well latterly as Wellington totalled a fine 235 to lose by 48 runs.
It is off to Chard this Sunday and a match that will start at 1.00pm; there is an invite to join Michael Gill at The Taste of Spice Restaurant, Wiveliscombe after the game as the Club say goodbye to Michael for 2012 knowing that he will be back for the 2013 season.
See the Club’s Facebook page for details.
Previous matches
Wellington 151 Belvedere 84
Wellington hit back hard from their first defeat of the season at Ashbrittle last time out when they plunged Weston Super Mare side Belvedere into relegation danger in Division One of the Somerset League with this comfortable 67 run home win on Saturday that sees the Red and Blacks maintain top spot with three to play and they have a cushion of 22 points over North Petherton with 105 available – the side need to secure 84 points to be sure of the title assuming that Petherton take full points from matches with Belvedere, Cheddar and Ashbrittle.
On a slow and low wicket run scoring was hard work all game and Wellington had to work mighty hard for their 151 all out in 44 overs; that said Paul Short and Marc Holloway had 40 on the board in 9 overs before Holloway played the pull shot and was caught for 17.
Alex Sparks hit three fours in his 15, but he was caught and with Michael Gill registering a rare single figure score along with Max Capaldi being run out at 99-5 in 33 overs the home side were finding run scoring hard against Gadd (12-5-19-1) and Watts (7-1-18-2).
It was Rob Moysey with his gliding approach that garnered Wellington a total in excess of 150 as he made a fine 34 – Indika Weerawarna with an opening scoring shot of a six made a more than useful 14 and the Wellington lower order saw that Belvedere – whose batting had been faulty recently – would need 152 to win in 45 overs.
They recorded just two double figure scores as Cornish with 26 and skipper Chadwick with 30 played well and at 27-1 in seven overs Belvedere had seen off Luke Desave who had bowled Jones all over the shop, but the move to slower bowling was correct as Indika Weerawarna with 5-25 in 11 overs delivered in two spells and Rob Moysey with 4-23 in 12 overs sent down in succession dismantled the Belvedere line up.
Although 40-4 became 69-4 through Crockett joining his skipper and playing a decent enough hand when he was well caught by Thom Trott at long off the visitors lost their last six wickets for 15 runs all told.
Weerawarna had a second five wicket bag against Belvedere having taken six against them back in June.
Wellington heard that both Temple Cloud and Ashbrittle had won against Temple Cloud and Watchet respectively and it is off to Cheddar on Saturday for a 1.15pm start.
Cheddar 2nd XI 180-9 Wellington 2nd XI 98
Cheddar 2nd XI became the first away side to win a Somerset League game at Wellington this season when they inflicted an 82 run win over the 2nd XI and this saw them lose top spot in Division Four last weekend, but with games against the two bottom sides left to play the side will still be confident of gaining promotion.
Cheddar batted first and saw opener Caton removed by Tom Baycock without a run on the board and this was a good start for the home side, but Humberstone with a solid 29 and Callow with a fine 81 added 99 for Cheddar’s second wicket as they cashed in on some short and at times overpitched bowling from Wellington and at 158-3 with nine overs to go Cheddar were looking at 200 and beyond, but a great fightback came through Tom Baycock’s second spell as he took 5-41 in 11 overs all told to see that the visitors lost six wickets for just 22 runs.
Adrian Lee with 2-32 in 11 overs backed him up and with Darren Davis completing the innings 181 was the required score to win.
Wellington got off to an awful start and never really got it back as they were 20-4 and then 74-9 at various stages of the innings.
Only Tom Baycock with 28 and Des Campbell with 19 who added 41 for the fifth wicket prospered against Russett (3-14 in 12) and the towering Howard (1-16); they both played stoically and earnt many plaudits for the way they played.
The leg spin of Panes was responsible for ending this stand and sending Wellington from 61-4 to 74-9 and although Ollie Wilkins and Adrian Lee lifted the score towards three figures his 6-12 saw a comfortable away win and 34 points were taken back up the M5 leaving 13 for Wellington.
Taunton St Andrews Sunday XI 202 Wellington Sunday XI 197-7
Wellington Sunday XI just pulled up short in their pursuit of 203 to beat WEPL Premier One side Taunton St Andrews in the non league game at Courtland Road last weekend when two sides who showed a good mix of senior and junior player locked horns.
Alex Sparks asked TSA to bat on winning the toss and he saw George Hooper and Michael Gill not concede a run until the third over and when Gill bowled J.Poole for 7 Wellington had a good wicket.
Jenkins and Alley added 63 good second wicket runs for TSA, but were out within two runs of each other as Paul Short spun one through the defences of Jenkins for 26 and the impressive Ollie Wilkins saw Rob Moysey take a good gully catch to see Alley depart for 38.
Contreras and Maradia played well in the TSA middle order making 38 and 32 and T.Poole’s 24 was timely.
Arron Campbell with 2-31 in eight overs and Rob Moysey with 4-32 in six overs wrapped up the TSA innings on the last ball before tea and Wellington would need to make 203 to win as their fielding was sharp with Chris Shapland and Charlie Davies each taking two good outfield catches.
Davies and Shapland opened up for Wellington and put on 31 in eight overs before Davies was well caught as he latched on to a short ball only to be taken at mid wicket for 14.
Shapland made 36 – an innings of fine shots and temperament which was ended when he was stumped to be one of Baldock’s three victims.
Michael Gill with 29 was timing the ball sweetly when he was trapped LBW to Baldock with a peach of a delivery.
Alex Sparks with 37 and Rob Moysey with 23 added 59 for the fifth Wellington wicket and they looked capable of delivering a home win, but they were out within one run of each other and although Arron Campbell, Ollie Wilkins and George Hooper got Wellington to within an ace of a good win they just fell short by five runs.