CRICKET: Willoughby

South Northants Cricket League

Division 1

Croughton v Willoughby

Croughton 77 all out

Willoughby 78 for 2

Willoughby won by 8 wickets

A five wicket haul for Nick Crane went some way to ensuring got their South Northants Cricket League season off and running at the second attempt with a comfortable win.

Having joined the club over the winter, Crane, making his SNCL debut, took an impressive 5 for 21 as hosts Croughton batted first and were bowled out for only 77.

Tom Stevenson also got in on the act by taking 4 for 24.

In reply, Willoughby lost only two wickets in their pursuit of the target. Martin Nichols and James Barnwell progressed well until the former was dismissed just before tea. At the resumption, skipper Ian Hughes made an interesting 22 before he too departed but Barnwell and Stevenson went on to complete the job without any further alarms. Barnwell finishing on 23 not out as the visitors comfortably won by eight wickets to set themselves up nicely for this Saturday’s local derby meeting with Dunchurch & Bilton at The Green.

Division 3

Willoughby A v Preston Bissett

Willoughby A 92 all out

Preston Bissett 93 for 2

Preston Bissett won by 8 wickets

The joy of the 1st XI was not mirrored by Willoughby’s 2nd XI as their depleted ranks fell to a eight wicket defeat at home to visitors Preston Bissett.

Ironically the two sides met in the last league encounter of last season when the hosts secured promotion, but this time the visitors made amends in convincing fashion.

The home side were inserted on a damp soft pitch still suffering the after-effects of recent rains, and only Ian Andrews for the hosts managed to master the conditions, top scoring with 43 out of the home side’s eventual 92 all out.

In reply, Preston Bissett progressed slowly but steadily to their target despite skipper Ben Hollis returning a useful spell of bowling. Both he and Derek Middlemiss took fine catches after the drinks break but that proved to be the only successes as the visitors then cantered to victory with over ten overs to spare.

Club Friendly

Leek Wootton v Willoughby [Sunday Development] XI

Leek Wootton 160 all out

Willoughby 123 all out

Leek Wootton won by 37 runs

A middle order collapse proved decisive in Willoughby’s friendly defeat at Leek Wootton on Sunday.

Having won the toss, the hosts wisely opted to bat on a dry pitch in baking conditions, and recovered from being 70 for 6 to eventually set the visitors a target of 160.

Nick Crane took his weekend’s tally of wickets to eight with figures of 3 for 12; Ashley Raynor returned similar useful figures of 2 for 11, with most of the other seven bowlers used also grabbing a wicket including 14 year olds Adam Whitfield and debutant Patrick McDonnell.

In reply, Raynor and Whitfield enjoyed some early steady momentum putting on 34 for the opening wicket before the latter was first to go. That signalled a collapse as having progressed to 61, the introduction of slow bowling accounted for the middle order as Willoughby were reduced to 78 for 6.

Usama Khawaja hit a boundary-ridden 26 lower down the order before the final wicket fell on 123 with 11 overs still remaining.

Warwickshire Cricket Board Youth Cricket League

Under 12

Leamington Khalsa v Willoughby

Leamington Khalsa CC 72 for 9 (Net Score 227)

Willoughby CC 112 for 5 (Net Score 287)

Willoughby won by 60 runs

Willoughby’s junior cricket section’s first official appearance at Under 12 level was a successful one with a fine victory at Leamington Khalsa on Monday night.

In what was also their first entrance into the Warwickshire Cricket Board Youth Cricket League, the visitors won by 60 runs

The home side made 72 for 9 (net 227) off their 16 overs. Matty Cartridge having the distinction of taking the first hat-trick of the season for Willoughby and in the league with figures of 3 for 2, with fellow debutant Luca Giles also taking two wickets.

In reply, all of Willoughby’s batsman were in the runs as they made 112 for 5 (net 287). Nate Button & Rory McDonnell both made 13, Cartridge 12, and Dom Whitfield adding 11 all featuring prominently as the visitors enjoyed a useful opening victory.