WELLINGTON 190-4

BRIDGWATER 167

WELLINGTON are joint top of WEPL’s Covid Playing Bubble C with Minehead after a fine win over Premier One side Bridgwater 1st XI at home on a glorious Saturday afternoon as Arron Campbell’s side won by 33 runs, writes David Derrick.

Bridgwater called incorrectly and were asked to field and this saw them strike first with a wicket in the second over. However, Sam Whitefield and Alex Sparks reacted with a second wicket stand of 94 that saw them wrest the initiative from Bridgwater who soon turned to spin, having seen their pace attack struggle to be effective.

Sparks made 52 in 64 balls with seven fours and a six and was playing the ball well along the ground when he chipped one back to A.Skidmore who took a regulation caught and bowled chance.

Sixty-four good third wicket runs were added by Whitefield, who made 56 in 109 balls with two fours and two sixes, and Wellington skipper Arron Campbell who made 31 well timed runs in 45 balls with three fours.

After both players had departed within one run of each other Luke Desave and Callum Hendy saw Wellington to a final total of 190-4 in 40 overs as Bellinger with 2-40 in seven overs was Bridgwater’s best analysis bowling wise.

It was Hallaran and Bellinger who opened up for Bridgwater, who had recorded a massive win over Taunton St Andrews seven days previously, and they played well with a stand of 66 being posted, but Wellington had chances to have removed Bellinger as he was dropped twice.

The breakthrough and the moment when Bridgwater would start to lose all of their batting resources for just 101 runs was when Arron Campbell got the better of Hallaran as he came down the track and the ball went straight through to Callum Hendy and he stumped the former visitors 1st XI Captain.

Spin was, by this time, playing a central role in Wellington’s push forward as Rob Moysey started to get the ball to rip and turn and he accounted for Bellinger for a well made 41.

The score at this point was 73-2 and this brought Bridgwater keeper Eckland and Leonard together and they added 57 runs to get Bridgwater to 130-2 as both worked the ball around well and went big when they could. However, both were dismissed within four runs of each other and with another wicket going at 134-5 with the ball spinning round corners Wellington were in the box seat.

After Eckland’s 36 and Leonard’s 23 only one Bridgwater batter made double figures as the Red and Blacks caught well, fielded keenly and backed each other up.

Luke Desave returned to the attack and cleaned matters up as he took 2-44 in 7.4 overs and the accuracy of both Will Derrick and Ian Hewson cannot go unmentioned at a time when Bridgwater were looking to build their reply.

Two balls were left unused when A.Skidmore was bowled by Desave to give Wellington a 33 run win and two points for their efforts and going into their next game, an away fixture with fellow WEPL Somerset Division side Taunton on Saturday, August 15, they are joint top of their playing bubble with Minehead on five points with four to play.