WELLINGTON 273-4

WEST MONKTON 172

WELLINGTON took to the field on Saturday for the first time since last September and gained a comfortable away victory over West Somerset League champions West Monkton in a friendly, writes David Derrick.

It was a pleasing performance by Arron Campbell’s team who won by 101 runs as all of the protocols with respect to the game re-starting in regard to Covid-19 were observed.

Wellington won the toss and batted first and this saw Sam Whitefield and Neil Hendy open up in good style as they added 58 runs first up with Hendy making it to 21 before he was caught.

Whitefield cracked a fluent 70 with two sixes as he and Alex Sparks, with 58 that had three sixes in it, blunted the Monkton attack. Both played with an air of quality that pleased the good number of Wellington fans who had set up a socially distanced area at the pleasant Monkton ground.

Campbell with 18 made his score in good time and when the skipper was out at 197-4 it was Callum Hendy and Luke Desave with 33no and 47no that lifted Wellington to a fine total of 273-4 in 40 overs. For Monkton, Martin, with 2-37 in seven overs, was impressive with his medium pacers.

Monkton’s openers, A.Ostler and Turner, had 35 on the board in five overs before Luke Desave knocked over Turner’s castle for 15 and the home team never again threatened to score at the rate that they needed if they were to win.

A.Ostler made it to 47 and Anning with 26 were the main Monkton contributors but their innings lacked the big score it needed to get anywhere near the Red and Blacks’ total.

Lewis Sparks with 3-22 was the leading wicket taker and there was success for each of Gus Steele, Ian Hewson, Neil Hendy and Sam Whitefield, as Will Derrick and Callum Hendy took three fine outfield catches between them.