WELLINGTON appeared to be heading for their third successive victory in their final game of the season in the Somerset Division of the West of England Premier Cricket League away to bottom side Shapwick & Polden when rain brought the match to a premature end.

The home side, who chose to bat first under grey skies after winning the toss, were in all sorts of trouble at 86-6 when rain came to their rescue with only 14 of the 50 overs being bowled.

Shapwick, who lost by six wickets to Wellington at the Playing Field in late June, got off to a dreadful start, losing openers Stephen Tinnion (5) and Sam Dukes (3) for only nine runs, both falling to the lively Luke Desave.

Jack Broughton (1) was out with only 18 runs on the scoreboard and Alex Scott (11) was next out with the score on 27.

Josh Luckins (13) and Sam Patey (30) halted a major collapse with a fifth wicket stand of 47 runs before Toby Stirzaker claimed his third wicket of the afternoon.

Don Rudge (0 not out) and Joe Mason (5 not out) were at the wicket when the rain came down and the match was abandoned with the home side collecting six points and Wellington only nine for their efforts.

Stirzaker took 3-53, Desave 2-17 and Stian Smith 1-11 on a disappointing afternoon for Wellington who will finish sixth in the table, with nine wins from their 18 matches and eight losses, four of these coming towards the end of the season. Desave snapped up 11 wickets in his last three matches.

Elsewhere in the division, it was a similar story with matches getting under way before eventually being abandoned because of the bad weather.