CRICKET: WILLOUGHBY made light work of their opposition at the weekend at the club’s South Northamptonshire Division One campaign continued.
Croughton arrived at The Green short-handed with only nine men.
Things got worse for the visiting team as they were bowled out for a miserable 81.
Luke Wetherill (21) and Richard Wetherill (28) posted the only scores of note as Nick Crane and Lee Johnson took 3 for 9 and 3 for 26 respectively.
In reply, Willoughby took full advantage of gaps in the field to make short work of chasing down the total.
Ian Hughes and Martin Nichols put on 79 for the opening wicket before Nichols fell having made 29.
Hughes finished unbeaten on 39 as Willoughby reached 85 for 1 in less than half the overs available.
2nd XI
Elsewhere Willoughby A will enter June bottom of the third division after slumping to a two wicket defeat against Maids Moreton.
Batting first, Willoughby A failed to impress – crawling to an eventual paltry 56 all out.
Sean Thornton’s 15 and debutant Arun Panneerselvam with 17 were the only batsmen to make it into double figures as David Wise took 5 for 10 for the hosts.
In reply, Maids Moreton did not have matters all their way on a pitch said to vary wildly in bounce as Thornton took 4 for 13 and John Gregson 3 for 15.
However an unspectacular 15* from opener John Perera and 12 from Arun Rajaraman tells its own story and proved crucial for the hosts who reached their target with two wickets in hand.
This weekend Willoughby travel to Silverstone for the club’s next Division One fixture while Willoughby A host Braunston Paddox.
