WILLOUGHBY were bailed out by the weather in an abandoned Northamptonshire League Division Six fixture at Desborough Town’s second XI last weekend.
After the hosts, led by influential figure Craig Burger (130) at number four, smashed 292-6 from their innings at the crease, it looked a sizeable task that might just have been too far for the visitors.
But with rainfall denying Willoughby from issuing a reply, the away side took a share of the spoils despite failing to reign in free-scoring Desborough.
Opener Malcolm Moody (31, lbw) was left feeling just as such after being the first wicket to fall, but not before laying on 45 runs with partner Alex Forward (15).
The latter was next to go at 57-2 after becoming the first victim claimed by Dan Farrow (3-65), before the duo of Lee Pollard (67) and Burger blitzed near enough every delivery that they were tasked with.
Combining for 128 runs for the third wicket, the pair smashed 27 balls into the boundary in all, with Burger providing all seven sixes that afternoon.
And though the loss of Pollard, in addition to the loss of replacement James Peel (0) to Callum Hanks (2-60), meant Burger was tasked with hauling his side back into contention, the arrival of middle-order man Joe Gordon (29) provided the perfect tonic.
Together, the fifth partnership for Desborough provided 93 runs until Burger’s eventual dismissal by Farrow in the 43rd over.
With Todd Mason (5, no) and Tony Hall (1, no) seeing out the innings, the hosts were confident of preserving their sizeable tally until rainfall denied them such an opportunity.
Taking eight points from the outing at West Lodge Park, Willoughby, sixth, now host fifth-placed Northampton Saints’ second string on Saturday.
FOR Rugby in the Warwickshire League Premier Division, a trip to Solihull Municipal saw no action – again thanks to tempered weather.
They will hope for no such fate on Saturday when hosting Sutton Coldfield at Webb Ellis Road, hoping to build on their standing of sixth against their eighth-placed rivals.
