WELLINGTON suffered their third successive loss in the Bristol/Somerset Division of the West of England Cricket League when they went down by 117 runs away to leaders Downend.

Victory enabled Downend to stay nine points clear of second-placed Midsomer Norton while Wellington slipped back to eighth in the ten-team division.

Although it is still early days of the season, Wellington will now be looking for a victory to boost confidence and avoid being sucked into relegation territory.

Downend, who won the toss and chose to bat, put on 32 runs before Wellington made the breakthrough. Opener Callum Loud scored 87 but the real run-maker was Omar Randhawa who scored 133 at more than a run a ball. He hit seven sixes and 12 fours in his 121-ball innings before being caught by Luke Desave off the bowling of Sachindu Colombage with the score on 271- 5. Ben Ford (37), Connor Blakely (21 not out) and Matthew Jackson (27) added useful runs as Downend made 342-7 in their 50 overs.

Toby Stiraker took 2-67 in his ten overs, Jack Beal 2-64 in seven, and Colombage 3-63 in ten.

Desave was unusually expensive, his wicket-less nine overs costing 70 runs while skipper Alex Campbell did not take a wicket, but he had only 36 runs taken off his ten overs.

Facing a daunting target of 343 to win at more than a run a ball, Wellington found themselves in another tough run-chase in successive weeks.

And they could not have made a worst start, losing George Ruell for a duck with the score on six. Jacob Hurry quickly followed for five with the score on 13 and opener Nathan Roberts found himself back in the pavilion with only 24 scored in seven overs.

This brought together Alex Sparks and Campbell who needed to be at their best simply to halt a complete collapse.

Understandably, they began cautiously but gradually built a partnership - but it was well below the run rate to pose problems for Downend.

The pair put on exactly 100 before Campbell was caught and bowled by Blakely for 40, scored off 49 balls.

Colombage was out without adding to the score before Sparks, too, was out for 62, scoring off only 54 ball - taking his tally in the last three games to 211 in eight days.

Jack Beal was joined by Desave at 146-6 with well over half of the overs used and with little hope of success. The pair put on 16 before Beal (31) was out.

Desave made 26 and No 11 Stiraker 21 as the visitors were bowled out for 225 in 37 overs.

Jackson was Downend's most successful bowler with 5-59, while Saleem took 2-17 and Blakely 2-50.