Legend Wendell ends on a high at Wellington

The club’s men’s first team won the Shropshire League for just the third time ever, as well as triumphing in the county and national cup competitions.

And it was the perfect way for South African born all-rounder Wagner to end his 14-year affiliation with the club.

“He’s bowed out at the top after such a good season,” said club secretary David Ross. “Wendell has played at Wellington for 14 seasons, during which he was captain for a long time, but he’s just turned 40 and he’s decided he’s finished.”

Wagner has taken over 460 wickets during his time at the club, a spell which started back in 2009 when his off spin claimed 34 victims at an average of 13.

His final year was his best though, picking up a remarkable 61 wickets at 10.33 with an all-time best figures of 6-29 against Ludlow.

“He’s put up some pretty ridiculous numbers really,” admitted Ross. “They’re definitely going to be some big shoes to fill – he’s been a brilliant servant to the club.”

Wagner was born in South Africa but does not qualify as an overseas player for Wellington having spent the best part of two decades in the country.

He initially moved to the country as a student and played for Bomere Heath Cricket Club before joining Wellington in 2009.

And his time at the club was concluded in the perfect way with his 61 wickets and 518 runs leading them to the Shropshire league and cup double, as well as the national cup win in Derby in September.

The remarkable season has gone down in history as the club’s most successful of all time, but club secretary David Ross admitted it took a lot of people, including himself, by surprise.

“It’s pretty unprecedented for a cricket team to win three trophies in one season, especially as there are only three competitions that we enter,” he said. “I would love to say we saw it coming but I don’t think anyone could’ve predicted that we’d win so much this year.”

Ross added: “It’s a good group of hard-working lads that have found a winning habit, they managed to find ways to win from really unlikely positions.”

It was not just the men’s side of the club that achieved success this season, the women’s first team also won their league, a real source of pride for the club according to David Ross.

“It’s nice to have success for the men and the women at the same time,” he admitted. “We have only recently started the ladies’ team, and as a result the team is very young with our captain Hannah Young being the inspirational leader behind it all.”

Around 300 people play cricket at Wellington, with the club offering children as young as five the opportunity to train in their ‘Allstars’ team.

And with several teams representing the club at all age groups, it looks as though the future is bright for Shropshire’s leading cricket club this season.