Willoughby win 300 run thriller

Another Saturday, another lost toss for skipper Ben Hollis, nothing changes, and that's 9 straight lost, so the visiting skipper put Willoughby into bat on a dull damp day. Wickets fell early and continued to fall for the home side leaving them on 72 - 5 with only Scott Cluley's 38 troubling the scorers, but this was the time when Ben Hollis took it on his shoulders to attack back. Maximums started to flow from the skipper to all parts of the pitch. At 102 - 9 it looked like there was going to be a low score to chase but Ben and Dan Farrow put on 54 for the last wicket giving the home team a surprising total to defend. Ben ended on 67 off just 53 balls hitting 6 sixes, with Dan 10 not out.

In reply youngsters Dan Farrow and Callum Hanks each took an early wicket to leave the visitors on 23 - 2. A partnership was then beginning to grow until the experienced bowlers Nik 'upside-down head' Mistry & Mark Fell took 3 wickets between them. A slightly fortunate run out by Mark Fell, after having the ball hit back at him, touching his hand and then onto the wickets and home umpire Neal Hallum, meant that Willoughby had the visitors at 108 - 6 so still needing 50 runs with only 4 wickets remaining. A number of play and misses, edges and balls falling just short of fielders, you may have thought that Willoughby were going to miss out on a second straight win, but another change in the bowling, putting Dan and Callum back on, seemed to do the trick. Both of the youngsters then took wickets and with Thrapston on 146 - 8, it was going to be a very tight finish. Dan then took another wicket leaving the score at 150 - 9, and unknown to home team, the visitors unfortunately had a player that had to leave ill, meaning Willoughby had won by 6 runs in a thriller. Dan finished with 3 - 30, Nik 2 - 20 and Callum 2 - 47.

Willoughby have now moved up to sixth in the league with everything to play for.