WELLINGTON won their first match of the season in the Somerset Division of the West of England Premier Cricket League when they beat Ilminster by six wickets in their latest match at the Playing Field.

Chasing a target of 196 to win in 50 overs, Wellington were steered to victory by Sri Lankan Lakshan Edirisinghe who was unbeaten on 89 at the close, having hit 11 fours and two sixes, during his 90-minute match-winning knock.

Wellington began well enough with openers George Ruell (24) and Stian Smith (37) putting on 40 for the first wicket before Ruell was run out for the second time this season.

Jacob Hurry (1) departed eight runs later, but Edirisinghe continued to bat with confidence under a grey sky. Smith went with the score on 89 and Tom Hazell-Evans (13) was out on 127, before skipper Arron Campbell (13 not out) came in to partner the Sri Lankan as the pair saw Wellington over the line.

Earlier the South Somerset side, put into bat, had scored 195 all out with another Sri Lankan Adeesha Nanayakkar scoring 101 off almost as many balls. He knocked 13 fours and three sixes while at the crease for 136 minutes.

Ilminster, who had won two of their opening three matches, lost opener Riley Millett (4) with only five scored before Nanayakkar, one of the best club cricketers in the country, shared a second wicket stand of 79 with Lachlan Rice (23).

However, Ilminster suffered a mid-order batting collapse, losing five wickets for the addition of only nine runs, slumping from 122-2 to 131-6,. However Toby Pattemore (11) and Samuel Grinter (12) helped them reach 195 all out.

Edirisinghe took 3-39 in his ten-over stint, while Nathan Yarde finished with figures of 3-19 in 7.1 overs. Luke Desave took 2-25 and Toby Stiraker 1-64 as Wellington collected 20 points.