Four Regions Cup: Wellington 122-9 beat Ilminster 95-7
Wellington CC opened their win account for the new season yesterday (Sunday), writes David Derrick.
Wellington visited Ilminster for the second time in 24 hours to play in the Four Regions T20 Cup.
After so much rain in the previous 12 hours, which saw the abandonment of the Saturday league game between the two sides, it was testament to Ilminster’s ground staff for getting the game on.
This time round skipper Jacob Hurry lost the toss and was asked to bat first.
Arron Campbell and Stian Smith opened for Wellington in good style as they added 25 opening runs which ended when Smith was bowled for 13 by Cox, having hit three fours.
Campbell continued to an eventual 43 when he was the fifth Wellington batter out at 77-5, having added 30 with Sam Whitefield who made 25 with a four and a six.
George Davis clubbed 12 in seven balls late on as Wellington closed on 122-9 in their 20 overs with Alex Derbidge and Tyler Fyfe the unbeaten pair at the crease.
James with 3-10 was Ilminster’s most effective bowler and the home side would need 123 to win and progress..
Wellington’s bowling and fielding effort was exemplary as three Ilminster batters in McNee, Lee and James all made it into the low to mid twenties, but there was nothing of substance to support these efforts.
Spin in the form of Arron Campbell and pace in the form of George Davis got Wellington off to a good start and each returned a wicket for their side.
The emphasis was on spin as Stian Smith, Lakshan Edirisinghe and Sam Whitefield turned the screw on Ilminster’s batting effort as it petered out with three wickets coming from their quality off and leg spin.
Luke Desave, now operating as a change bowler with a used ball, weighed in with figures of 2-9 to extinguish Ilminster’s challenge as Wellington eventually won by 27 runs.
They now go into the hat for the next stage along with fellow group winners Bishopston CC (Bristol), Temple Cloud CC (Somerset), Swindon CC (Wiltshire), Westbury and District CC (Wiltshire) and either Chippenham CC or Trowbridge CC (Wiltshire), whose result was not recorded at the time of writing.
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