NEW captain Dom O'Connor's tremendous innings of 90 proved in vain as Horspath 2nd slipped to a 27-run defeat at home to Leighton Buzzard Town in Cherwell League Division 2.
Chasing Buzzard's 255-6 off 50 overs after the visitors chose to bat, the left-handed opener led from the front with his runs coming off 127 balls, which included 16 fours. But Horspath were always up against it and, despite handy contributions from Asad Rafiq (24) and debutant Tom Beresford (22), they were finally bowled out for 228 as Tom Pope took 4-49.
Earlier, Horspath had made a great start with the ball as Tyrone Eyles reduced Buzzard to 6-2. But then Phil Whatmore (64) and Greg Proudfoot (61) shared a third-wicket stand of 121, before Dan Scott weighed in with 30. Skipper Jack Kempster and Antony Francis both hit 32 not out in an unbroken seventh-wicket stand of 59 to take Buzzard to their final total as Jehan Mohammed finished with 3-36.
Stuart Berry's unbeaten half-century set Horspath 3rd on the way to a 15-run win at Kimble in Division 5. Berry hit 54 not out and shared in a dominant eighth-wicket stand with Hayden Moon, who bludgeoned five sixes in his 41 to take Horspath to 192-8 off 50 overs after they had elected to bat. Earlier, opener Adrian Manger had made 37, while John Perkins chipped in with 23 as Bradley Rose took 2-19 and John Dumbarton 2-34.
Berry (1-12) and Moon (2-25) then produced accurate opening spells, before the former picked up a shoulder injury. With youngsters Alfie Turner (1-38) and George Horsley (1-39) backing them up well, Kimble continued to be held in check as Jordan McRae (31), Jack Foster (29) and Rose (28) were made to battle for their runs. It was then left to the experience of skipper Robin Pykett (2-45) and Manger (2-17) to secure victory, despite late resistance from Adrian Rose (27no) and last man Dumbarton (20).
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Posted by: Russ