Devastating Wasps reset the marker

Wimbourne Wasps - 620* vs Wigtown Wanderers - 60

	Wanderers	Wasps
Keeper	Warburton	Wigworthy
Chasers	Drummond	Pippins
	Beardsley	Dodderidge
	Anstice	Toots
Beaters	A.Parkin (C)	Fincher (C)
	Thruston	Braithwaite
Seeker	B.Parkin	Vogler

For the Wimbourne Wasps, every ounce of focus by now must surely be on next Saturday Night’s monumental blockbuster against the Montrose Magpies. All in all such context was great news for the Wigtown Wanderers who must have wondered whether Wimbourne would adequately turn up for this curtain-raiser.

Furthermore, it was a foregone conclusion that some central Wasps would be rested, but the level to which manager Amos Golpalott wrapped cotton wool around his stars en masse was astonishing.

All six primary starters were given the week off. The only player retained from last week’s win over the Tornados was Seeker Venus Vogler (who it must be said, herself is not necessarily 100% confirmed as Golpalott’s first choice Seeker).

English Beater Althea Fincher finally got a chance to start for the first time this year, and was duly handed the captaincy with it to boot.

Ralph Bobbin made a couple of changes too, dropping Barclay Shimping and Saundra Melvina from the Wanderer Chaser unit, preferring Domhnall Drumming and Justin Beardsley instead.

Led by Aileen Anstice, the Wanderers were well and truly competitive early on, taking advantage of their rusty second-seven opponents. But even the relief players for Wimbourne are of exceptional quality. The Magpies are arguably the best team in the League this year, sitting unbeaten on top of the table, but no-one can dispute that the Wasps have the greatest depth.

As the Falmouth Falcons showed earlier this weekend, even losing a single star player can change the entire complexion of an otherwise quality team. But there were never going to be any such problems for the Wasps, whose replacements lacked none of their primary counterparts’ devastating efficiency.

Within a couple of hours, it was impossible to discern that this was a second team, as Wimbourne were dominating to such an extent that the Wanderers were unable to buy a goal from anywhere, despite themselves not playing disgracefully.

Althea Fincher was a menacing presence, reminding everyone why she remains in the minds of the national Selectors, and just how impressive Gaius Nutt and Erasmus Oddpick are to relegate her from the starting side. Bruno Pippins led the way with the Quaffle, responding brilliantly to the blow of being dropped earlier in the season.

The final piece of good news for the Wasps was that once again Venus Vogler perfectly combined her undoubted talent with a newfound maturity, sighting the snitch in the third hour of the match then quickly snapping it up to dot the I of a big win.

Now we wait with bated breath for the top of the table epic next week, a match you have to think the Wasps are unlucky to be underdogs for.

Wimbourne Wasps - 620: Pippins 29, Dodderidge 13, Toots 5, Vogler Capture

Wigtown Wanderers - 6: Anstice 4, Drummond 1, Beardsley 1

PLAYER OF THE MATCH: ALTHEA FINCHER (WASPS)