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| Tom Cosford took 4-30. Picture: Simon Hipwell |
Cosford (4-30) and Faruq (4-58) led the way as Thame were bowled out for 178 after being put in to bat, before Darryl Brown hit a brilliant half-century - his third this season - to help secure victory.
Openers Callum Russell and James Neilson had put on 33 for Thame's first wicket when Lloyd Belcher made the breakthrough, having the latter caught at slip by Will Eason for 20, with his third ball after coming on in the 13th over. In the next over, Liam Manley struck with Thame skipper Michael Beard edging behind to Robbie Eason without scoring to make it 34-2.
Russell and Gamindu Kanishka took the score to 92, before the former fell for 48 to a smart catch down the legside by Robbie Eason in Cosford's second over. Thame were 109-3 at lunch, and Faruq struck twice after the resumption, bowling Will Sutcliffe to make it 121-4, and eight runs later having James Adams caught behind.
Cosford then took the important wicket of Kanishka with the Sri Lankan edging to Will Eason at slip, meaning five of the first six wickets had come courtesy of catches by the Eason brothers, and leaving Thame in trouble at 133-6. Faruq struck twice in the space of four balls in the 46th over, shattering Jack Ashton's stumps to make it 159-7, and then trapping Chris Jeffcock lbw.
In the next over, Cosford bowled Andrew Russell for nought as Thame slumped to 160-9. Hassam Mushtaq (21no) and Kalim Khan added 18 for the last wicket, before the latter was bowled by Cosford to complete a fine effort in the field by Horspath.
After the interval between the innings was extended due to rain, Horspath's run chase got under way with openers Tom Coleman and Robbie Eason taking the score to 30, before the former fell lbw to Khan for 15. Horspath had doubled their total when Eason gloved a delivery from leg-spinner Mushtaq to Will Sutcliffe at slip for 20 and one run later James Fitzjohn fell to the same combination for 19.
Thame suddenly sensed they were in with a chance, but Brown proceeded to take the game away from the visitors with 53 from 48 balls. Dominating a fourth-wicket stand of 64 with Jimmy Phillips, he mixed orthodox and reverse sweeps to find the boundary ten times before being trapped lbw in the over before tea by Mushtaq, who finished with 3-47.
Any concerns Horspath may have had that Thame were poised to stage a fightback after the break were quickly dispelled by Cosford, who hammered a quickfire 36 off 19 balls. He got off the mark with a mighty six down to the nets and clinched victory with his third maximum in the same direction to take Horspath to 182-4, while Phillips also hit a big straight six as he finished unbeaten on 24.
The win sees Horspath move up a place to seventh.
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Posted by: Russ