WELLINGTON carried the momentum gained from their T20 success at Trowbridge by beating previously unbeaten West of England Premier League Somerset Division leaders Ilminster by seven wickets at the Lloyd and Whyte Cricket Ground, writes David Derrick.

They won in spectacular style by seven wickets with just under thirteen overs to spare as a full twenty points came the way of the Red and Blacks as Jacob Hurry's charges dominated throughout.

Under a cloudy sky and with cool conditions, it was, perhaps, curious that Ilminster skipper Rice chose to bat first.

Toby Stirzaker, who had been in the wickets in WEPL's Tier Three T20 competition, had another decent day with the ball in the longer game as he removed Ilminster opener Brock with the score on zero when he bowled him.

Ilminster reacted to this with 37 second wicket runs added by Panchal and Rice; in Panchal Ilminster possess a batter of immense quality who has made a top score of 196 this season, but he was unsure at times and when, having made 22 {29 balls, four fours) he tried to work the ball to leg and only succeeded in hitting the ball back to Stirzaker who took a good caught and bowled to remove the prize wicket.

From then Ilminster lost eight wickets for 113 to be all out for 150 in 49.1 overs as slow bowling was once more in the ascendancy for Wellington as Arron Campbell, in the absence of George Davis, took the new ball and he dispensed his off spin to the tune of 1-20 in ten miserly overs.

Lakshan Edirisinghe delivered more off spin and matched Campbell almost all the way figures wise as he returned the same data with three maidens. Spin continued in the form of leg spin from Sam Whitefield with 1-15 in four overs and 2-27 in six from Stian Smith.

Luke Desave bowled a full ten over spell all bar five balls as he bowled naggingly accurate seam at a slower pace than when he was an opening bowler and this saw him achieve figures of 2-20 in 9.1 overs with four maidens to see that Ilminster had underperformed with the bat as only Rice with 32 and wicket keeper Lee with 27 really impacted the Wellington attack that was supported in the field of play by catches taken by Sam Whitefield, Robbie Watts, Lakshan Edirisinghe and Brendan Poole.

Ilminster had set 151 to win at three runs per over. George Ruell punched three fours as Wellington's opening wicket put on twenty. Stian Smith and Lakshan Edirisinghe took the score to 39 when a third wicket fell in favour of Ilminster, but from here it was total Red and Blacks domination as Lakshan Edirisinghe and Sam Whitefield added 112 unbroken runs for the fourth wicket and this took their side to a seven wicket win with time and overs to spare as Edirisinghe made a classic 61 not out in 106 balls with nine fours as a knock of deliberation and craft was on show.

Whitefield constructed 54 not out in 78 balls with eight fours and a six as only Brock with 2-31 in seven overs made any real impact with the ball for Ilminster as he took 2-31 in seven overs with their only other success coming the way of Vickery.