IT IS now unlikely that Wellington will win the Somerset Division of the West of England Premier League following their two-wicket defeat away to Bridgwater 2nd XI in their latest match, writes David Derrick.

Wellington are 36 points behind leaders Ilminster with three to play, but are only five behind second-placed Yeovil and with Ilminster meeting Yeovil at Canal Way on Saturday, 15th August, added to Wellington's last three games being at home to Frome, away to Wembdon and at home to Chard to complete the 2026 season, there is a good chance that Jacob Hurry's charges can still achieve second place.

With a baked, parched outfield on offer it was Bridgwater who won the toss and opted to bowl first. acob Hurry and Arron Campbell opened up for Wellington to the tune of 77 crisply scored runs that ended when Hurry was trapped LBW for a well made 33 (forty balls, seven fours).

Oz O'Livey joined Campbell and with 15 in 27 balls with a four took the score into three figures as Campbell continued to a second successive fifty in an away WEPL Somerset Division match as he crafted 55 in 106 balls with seven fours and a six.

He was eventually out with the score at 160-4 and with Ben Evett's jaunty knock of 13 in 11 balls adding more momentum to the Wellington total as 180 approached, a good total was on the cards for the Red and Blacks.

Sam Whitefield saw this would be the case with a stellar effort of 93 not out in 80 balls with ten fours and three sixes as he cashed in again with the bat; he was joined by the remaining Wellington batters bar one to see that 270-8 was the final offering with only T. Wickens with 3-39 in ten overs of leg spin not getting some element of 'tap' for Bridgwater.

Bridgwater's reply was a solid one to begin with as Ogborne and Coombes added 55 runs first up; this passage of play was ended when Toby Stirzaker removed Ogborne for 28.

Coombes made a stylish 39 to be dismissed at 116-2 - caught off Lakshan Edirisinghe by Sam Whitefield.

Devitt, who had to retire from the Bridgwater attack due to injury, wasn't inhibited when it came to his time to bat as he delivered a stinging knock of 87 in 57 balls with seven fours and six sixes as the Wellington attack struggled and was a man down too with George Davis having to leave the attack one ball short of having delivered four overs.

Devitt was out with the score at 195-3 and this soon became 205-6 as a flurry of wickets came in Wellington's favour, courtesy of the first of two bullet run outs from Lakshan Edirisinghe and Sam Whitefield's eventual 3-27 in eight overs.

The killer punch was the seventh wicket stand of 53 between Locke (36 not out in 46 balls with seven fours) and Pope's 23 in 25 balls with two fours and a six that gave Bridgwater's innings the last push that it needed - there was another Lakshan Edirisinghe run out for Wellington, but the last of Locke's boundary fours came off of the last ball of the 48th over to seal twenty points and mid table safety for Bridgwater, compared to Wellington's nine. Scores: Wellington 270-8, Bridgwater 2nd XI 274-8.