Monday 25 June 2018

Eason and Faruq's record stand secures a draw

Will Eason hit 62 not out. Picture: Simon Hipwell
SKIPPER Will Eason and Jamil Faruq shared a club record eighth-wicket partnership of 104 to steer Horspath to a hard-earned draw at second-placed High Wycombe in Home Counties Premier League Division 1.

Having bowled Wycombe out for 261 with left-arm spinner Lloyd Belcher taking 5-62 after the hosts had chosen to bat, Horspath plunged to 37-4. Cameron Parsons did the early damage, with debutant Will Hawtin caught at first slip by Nathan Hawkes with eight on the board, before trapping James Fitzjohn lbw ten runs later.

And when Tom Coleman chipped a delivery from the Bucks paceman to Dan Marles at mid-wicket, Horspath were in trouble at 23-3. Tom Cosford went soon after, with Marles taking the catch at mid-on off Jonathan Burden. But Darryl Brown and Stephen Green led the fightback adding 40, with the latter creaming a big six into the road before being adjudged lbw to left-arm spinner Conner Haddow for 24.

Brown was batting with his usual dexterity and reached his fourth half-century in his last five innings, before being caught at deep square leg by Tom Hampton off Haddow for 54 from 70 balls, which included 11 fours, making it 107-6. Will Robertson had made ten when he edged a delivery from off-spinner Adam Dobb to Hawkes at silly point, and Horspath were perilously placed at 127-7.

However, Eason and Faruq proceeded to frustrate Wycombe with their century partnership. Eason went past fifty and Faruq had his eyes on a half-century when he skied a delivery from Haddow with two balls left and was caught by Parsons at mid-on for 48 off 61 balls with nine fours. Eason was unbeaten on 62 from 96 deliveries, which included 13 boundaries, as Horspath closed on 231-8. Parsons finished with 3-44 and Haddow 3-60.

Eason and Faruq's stand more than doubled Horspath's previous best for the eighth wicket of an undefeated 51, posted by Adam Krol and Mark Skelton against Gerrards Cross in 2011, and the same total by Skelton and Asad Rafiq against Henley last year.

Earlier, Belcher had shone in Wycombe's innings, showing good control while varying his pace and extracting turn to claim a five-wicket haul. Seamers Liam Manley and Robertson produced lively opening spells, and the breakthrough came when Eliot Callis, who had made 18, edged a delivery from the former to Cosford at second slip with the score on 32.

Faruq's introduction into the attack brought Horspath's second wicket when fellow opener Ed Casterton was unable to control a bouncer on 38 and presented a catch to Fitzjohn at square leg, making it 85-2. Horspath concentrated on spin after lunch, with Belcher trapping Hawkes lbw for 33 to leave Wycombe 144-3, and three runs later Cosford had Will Hatton caught at first slip by Eason.

Marles had made 67 from 105 balls with a six and eight fours when he became Belcher's second victim, caught by Fitzjohn at mid-wicket with the score on 179. Six runs later, Adam Dobb, in attempting a quick single, was run out by wicket-keeper Hawtin, who raced to short cover to pick up the ball and hit the stumps at the non-striker's end.

George Russell was in sparkling form, though, and he took the score on to 213 with Haddow, before the latter was caught by Green running in from long on off Belcher. Horspath's left-arm spinner then ended Russell's impressive innings, bowling the Wycombe batsman for 68, which came from 58 balls and included four sixes and seven boundaries, making it 257-8.

Belcher completed his five-wicket haul three runs later by bowling Hampton, and just one more run had been added when Cosford wrapped up the innings by knocking back Burden's stumps. Cosford, who had kept things tight in the middle of his 21.3-over spell, returned figures of 2-110 after coming in for some late punishment, while Faruq finished with 1-14 and Manley 1-32.

The draw sees Horspath remain in seventh place.

Posted by: Russ