WESTON-SUPER-MARE 171

WELLINGTON 88

WELLINGTON ran out of steam as their short 2020 season in the West of England Premier League’s Playing Bubble C concluded with a visit to Premier Two (Bristol and Somerset) Division side Weston-super-Mare, writes David Derrick.

Despite this result they ended in joint third place with Minehead on six points from seven games, which saw a playing record of two wins, three losses and two cancellations.

Weston opted to bat first on winning the toss and were faced with Luke Desave in great form with the ball as he ended with 2-28 in eight overs and had three more chances spurned in the field. He removed WSM skipper, the former Somerset player Ryan Davies, with a snorter that Callum Hendy pouched and got rid of the nephew of another former Somerset player, Pete Trego, when D. Trego was caught in the slips by Arron Campbell.

Wellington kept chipping away and were taking WSM wickets at regular intervals with Ian Hewson returning 2-30 in eight overs, Neil Hendy 2-21 in eight and a good show from Macaulay Campbell realised 2-40 in eight overs as he closed out the WSM innings for 171 from the last ball available.

At 120-7 Wellington would have hoped to knock over the home side for less than what they got. But Belcher with 36 played well and a last wicket stand between Leeks and Crane added 20 runs, so the Red and Blacks needed 172 to win in 40 overs after ‘tea’.

Neil Hendy and Oli Beale got Wellington under way with an opening stand of 17 that ended with a run out and WSM had Wellington at 43-4 when Hendy was out for a decent 15.

This brought skipper Arron Campbell and his deputy Luke Desave together at the crease, and they added a pleasing 34 runs for the fifth. But when Desave was out for 17 to another fine catch for the second week running in the covers it started the end of innings as Campbell was caught for 16 to see Wellington bundled out for 88 in 26.1 overs.

For WSM Fear with 4-25 in eight overs and Crane with 3-12 in four did damage with the ball.

Wellington 2nd XI ended in third place in the SCL’s Playing Bubble 11 with three wins, a draw, two losses and a cancellation from their seven games with Taunton 3rd XI winning the bubble by one point from TICC Curry Rivel. Alex Troake’s team did not play last weekend – their final game was on August Bank Holiday Monday.