West of England Premier League Somerset Division

Wellington 264-9 beat Temple Cloud 257-8 by seven runs

WELLINGTON made it back-to-back wins in the WEPL Somerset Division with a seven-run victory over Temple Cloud in a high scoring encounter.

With 12 needed from the last over Luke Desave held his nerve and ensured Wellington got over the line in another close game.

Wellington were asked to bat first on a slightly damp wicket, and facing a disciplined Temple Cloud attack, batting was not the easiest at the start of the game.

Yet Kayden Hine and Arron Campbell built a first-wicket partnership of 60, with 22 and 40 respectively.

A double breakthrough for Temple Cloud left Wellington at 69-2, but skipper Alex Sparks and Ben Evett put the pressure on the Temple Cloud bowlers and fielders with some positive strokeplay and aggressive running.

A run-a-ball partnership of 109 put Wellington in a strong position heading into the last 10 overs.

Evett fell just short of a half-century, caught for 46, and Sparks was adjudged lbw for 56.

In search of quick runs, wickets started to fall, but Aks Latifi’s sensational 44 from 16 balls ensured Wellington batted their 50 overs and finished on 264-9.

Wellington went into the field hoping to make early inroads, but they were met with resistance from the Temple Cloud openers, who put on 46 runs before Ian Hewson made the breakthrough.

Neil Hendy then dismissed Curtis, but Forrest – on the back of a century last week – was steering Temple to a good position.

Hendy removed Forrest for 60 and Desave dismissed the dangerous Mortimer for 40, to put the game on edge.

The fifth-wicket partnership rode their luck, with both batsmen being dropped, but then started to take the game away from Wellington, until Hewson removed both.

With a run a ball required and four wickets left in the last five overs, it was a 50/50 game.

Hewson continued to bowl his cutters to good effect and with Dom Drew giving nothing to hit, Wellington squeezed the Temple lower order.

Hewson finished with an excellent 4-46 and left Temple needing 16 from two overs.

Drew then delivered a match-winning penultimate over, costing just four runs, and Desave’s final over restricted Temple Cloud to just five runs, giving Wellington the win.

Wellington entertain Chard this weekend (1pm), hoping for a third win on the spin.

West of England Premier League Somerset Division

Bridgwater 2nds 291-5 beat Staplegrove 126 all out by 165 runs

STAPLEGROVE are right in the middle of the strugglers’ scrap in the WEPL Somerset Division after a heavy defeat at third-placed Bridgwater 2nds.

The visitors won the toss and asked Bridgwater to bat, and although the openers did not trouble the scorers much, those that followed certainly did.

Jonathan Vickery (48), Ben Coombes (71), Alastair Witts (45) and John Hill (75no) made for a very potent middle order, combining to post 291-5 from their 50 overs.

Ryan Cleverly (2-42), Ian Masters (2-63) and Thomas Pantling (1-76) took the wickets on a punishing afternoon for Grove’s bowlers, though Ian Bishop delivered 10 fairly tight overs at the cost of only 26 runs.

The total was far too much for the visitors, who suffered at the hands of the Habberfields.

Matt Habberfield took 4-41 and Ed Habberfield 3-34 as the visitors buckled under the pressure.

They were only seven runs into their reply when the first wicket fell, although Richard Rowe (44) and Joseph Pantling (30) provided some resistance.

Pantling departed with the score on 103-6, and Bridgwater ensured the tail caused little concern, dismissing the away side for 126 in 28.4 overs.

Grove now find themselves third from bottom, as early strugglers Chard and Wellington have started to pick up wins.

Six points ahead of bottom team Minehead, Grove host fifth-placed North Petherton this Saturday (1pm), in need of a pick-me-up.