Honiton Cricket Club had a day to forget as they fell to a disappointing defeat to Cullompton 2s.

The day started positively with brilliant weather and good pitch conditions at Mountbatten.

Honiton, having won the toss, elected to bat first and set about a strong start.

Openers, Dave Haysom and Kieran Conway initiated the innings on a promising note but the optimism was short-lived.

Haysom was dismissed lbw for 11, introducing an unsettling pattern for the team that would prove to be a constant throughout the day.

Shortly after, Jon Hext walked in and tried creating a stable partnership with Conway.

Although he initially found success, Conway got a respite when a potential catch was dropped by the bowler.

It wasn’t long before he was sent back to the pavilion, having top-edged a ball he would have benefitted more from sweeping.

Nathan Groves attempted a comeback but failed to score, suffering his first duck of the season.

Adam Holmes also gave into the pressure, making just 10 runs before being dismissed.

Brad Groves and Hext, despite looking steady at one point, failed to rebuild the innings.

Hext was bowled out, following a tricky ball that deviated off the seam.

George Marcou came on to play and looked promising with a beautiful cover drive that should have fetched four runs.

However, his stay at the crease ended with just 2 runs.

Brad Groves, and Will Smith followed suit, their wickets falling almost immediately.

Alan Ostler didn’t fare any better, leaving Harry Haysom and Brandon Knight to salvage the innings.

Knight displayed an impressive batting performance, top scoring with 23 off 12 balls before being the last wicket to fall.

Haysom remained, stranded on 3 runs.

Having to defend a minimal tally, Honiton crumbled under the pressure.

Their poor performance with the willow was mirrored with the ball.

Two early drops compounded the suffering, and substandard bowling allowed Cullompton 2s to reach the required total with ease.

Honiton managed to claim just two wickets, taken by Holmes and Ostler and both caught by each other.

Honiton's performance truly underlined a forgettable day for the team.

Andrew Lapping was the silver lining of the day, receiving appreciation for the preparation of the wicket along with Alan Ostler, and his umpiring duties.