Wellington 197-2 Staplegrove 165-6 Wellington notched up their 10th victory of the season to move to within three points of second place in WEPL Somerset Division, winning their local derby with Staplegrove last weekend in a game that was reduced to 53 overs affair due to weather.
Rain delayed the start until 2.45pm and Wellington were asked to bat first and had 35 overs max to face and this was reduced twice more and then ended up being 28 overs.
Charlie Davies and Leo Goodman-Jones added 167 glorious runs first up for Wellington as they ran well between the wickets and played a fine range of shots too; Davies was within touching distance of a second ton at this level this season, but was run out for 95.
Goodman-Jones made a classy 66 not out as he and skipper Paul Short got Wellington towards 200 and it was Sam Murdock who was at the crease when an early tea was taken – 197-2 was Wellington’s score in 28 overs and with the way WEPL cricket works 25 overs need to be faced by both sides to give a recognised result.
Play had to start by 6.00pm and see all 25 overs delivered to get a result and Wellington got early wickets as Luke Desave and George Hooper reduced the home side to 35-3, but some fine play from home skipper Sizer and Reed saw 109 runs added for the fourth wicket and this took Staplegrove close to their revised total of 177.
Reed hit 75 and played very well and Sizer’s 46 was a top knock too. Their removal by Neil Hendy was important for Wellington and saw that the Red and Blacks had won by 11 runs in real terms.
South Petherton 122-7 v Wellington 2nd XI
Rain tainted Wellington 2nd XI’s Somerset League Division Three game for the third time in four weeks as their home game with bottom side South Petherton was abandoned after the side who have not won all summer long had faced 38 overs.
Wellington skipper Richard Henwood asked Petherton to bat first and they were in trouble as early as the second over as Jake Nichol effected a run out to see Guest depart for zero.
Nichol and Adrian Lee were controlled with the new ball for Wellington.
Arron Campbell got through a heavy workload once more as he took 2-41 in 12 overs to see that Petherton lost wickets often and he was joined by his skipper in being a successful bowler as Henwood took 3-31 in eight good overs, but the rain was always going to win the battle and an early tea was taken after 38 overs and the players never returned to the pitch.
Wellington 3rd XI 283-5 Weston Super Mare 4th XI 110-9
Wellington 3rd XI are nearly ready to celebrate success in their first season as they took over the leadership of Division 9NW of the Somerset League following this 173 run away win over Weston Super Mare 4th XI last Sunday.
Wellington – who have one game left need five points to be sure of promotion and need 14 to be sure of the divisional title – were put into bat and saw Robin Davies and Tom Hawkings add a solid 36 opening wicket runs with Davies making 21 before he clipped one into the mid wicket region and was caught.
Hawkings made 12 and was out caught on the boundary. Ollie Wilkins with 79 played a classy knock as he drove and pulled the ball with power. Des Campbell and Tom Baycock got Wellington to 200 and then put their foot down and with knocks of 77no and 51no ensured Wellington had a fine total to bowl at. For WSM their skipper Crocker with 2-71 in 12 overs bowled better than his figures suggest.
The home side were never in the hunt to win the game, but they made Wellington have to deliver each and every of the 45 overs available and it was hard to get through at time as Press with 36 that spanned 40 overs showed as the Weston batsmen dropped anchor in a collective sense.
Jack Beal got the first wicket for Wellington when Weston keeper Nicholls was caught by Alex Troake in the gully and there were five wickets for Ben Evett too; other wickets fell, but the Weston innings was a turgid affair and one that did not make for compelling cricket.
Wellington took 34 points and could have taken a maximum haul had a catch not being spilled on the last ball of the game, but the season is about more than just one game and the team can look forward to securing their success at Huntspill and District 2nd XI on Saturday 31st August and then to playing at a higher level in 2014.
Match reports: David Derrick