1sts unbeaten run and season ends with surprise defeat to Geddington 3rds.

Willoughby’s unbeaten run came crashing down in disappointing fashion and at an inopportune time as they exited the NCL’s divisional knockout cup at the first hurdle with defeat at home to Geddington 3rds.

Having topped the Division 6 group format with seven straight victories, including one over the visitors last month, the 20 run defeat against their opponents who finished eighth in the standings meant a surprise early exit from division’s knockout stages at the quarter-final round.

Things had started promising for the hosts as having won the toss and asked Geddington to bat, Willoughby took two early wickets to have the visitors at 5 for 2. However after an uncertain start, Geddington’s Stanley Kirk together with remaining opener Mark Pearson put on 56 for the third wicket. The latter went for 18 but Kirk continued and grew in confidence, going onto make an ultimately decisive 68. Although his side’s lower order were countered by three wickets for Willoughby skipper Ben Hollis (3 for 25), Dave Alcock and Mark Fell (2 for 43) in the latter stages, Geddington's total of 150 for 9 was competitive but looked achievable on paper especially given the home side's recent form.

However that task became a little more difficult as Willoughby got off to a similar disastrous start in their reply, also falling to 5 for 2 after losing Ian Andrews and then Hassan Nawaz to the bowling of Archie Colwill. With opener Kamesh Ganti also departing after a quick-fire 22, Ashley Rayner and Chaitana Kursala looked to have restored parity and put Willoughby back in the driving seat. But their departures for 38 and 40 either side of the home side reaching three figures would not be built on by the middle to lower order. The last five wickets fell for only 24 runs as the visitors deservedly earned a 20 run success.