HORSPATH 3rd slipped to a one-wicket defeat at home to Kimble in Cherwell League Division 4 in a last-ball thriller.
Having posted 196-9 off their 50 overs after being put in to bat, Horspath looked to be heading for victory after reducing the visitors to 168-9. But then the last pair of Rhys Merriman (73no) and Mark Travers (4no) put on 32 to snatch victory at 200-9.
Needing seven off the final over, they picked up two singles before Merriman hit the fourth delivery to the extra-cover boundary to tie the scores and then smashed the last ball for four through mid-wicket.
Earlier, opener Jack Foster had made 41 for Kimble before becoming one of four victims for Swapnil Kulkarni, who finished with impressive figures of 4-16. There were also tidy spells from Andy Cummings (1-27) and Josh Richardson (1-34) as the home side's cause wasn't helped by conceding 30 wides.
Adrian Manger (40) had top-scored in Horspath's innings, while Kulkarni made 34 before Adrian Rose (4-29) pegged the hosts back.
Horspath 2nd crashed to their second consecutive ten-wicket defeat in Division 2 in a rain-affected game at Banbury 2nd.
Following the opening-day drubbing by Bicester & North Oxford, Horspath made 118-8 after electing to bat in a game reduced to 41 overs. Only Shahbaz Ali, back at his old club, provided any resistance with an unbeaten 42 as wickets fell around him with Brad Taylor (3-12) the chief destroyer.
Banbury's target was adjusted under the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method, and they raced to victory at 125-0 off 22 overs. Tom Bartlett hammered an unbeaten 89 from 76 balls, with ten fours and two sixes, while Ed Phillips was undefeated on 34.
Posted by: Russ