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| Tom Cosford took 5-40. Picture: sportsshots.org.uk |
Off-spinner Tom Cosford took 5-40 to peg Slough back to 242-9 off 50 overs after the hosts had elected to bat. Horspath were well placed to claim maximum points, but fell agonisingly short at 236 all out in the final over after losing their last four wickets for just five runs.
Tom Coleman and Robbie Eason had put on 32 for Horspath's first wicket when the latter was caught behind by Fasil Noor off Ikhlaq Nawaz for ten. Coleman and Jimmy Phillips took the score on to 67 when the Horspath opener fell lbw to Northants all-rounder Saif Zaib.
Phillips had batted fluently to make 33 before he was run out by Mohammed Avas to make it 89-3. Jay Parmar then became a second lbw victim for Zaib to leave Horspath 103-4. But Darryl Brown and Cosford took the game to the hosts, putting on 86 for the fifth wicket.
Brown reached his first half-century of the season in the 35th over, before Cosford was caught in the deep by Sulaiman Akhtar for 36 off 24 balls. Mark Skelton was next to go, caught by Rishi Sharath off Daniyal Akhtar, to leave Horspath 198-6.
Skipper Will Eason then joined Brown to take Horspath to 231, before he was caught by Daniyal Akhtar off Harish Kakani for a swift 20. Horspath still looked favourites, but two runs later Asad Rafiq was caught by Avas off Kakani.
Suddenly, Horspath found themselves needing eight to win off the last over with two wickets remaining. The first ball saw Brown's terrific effort come to an end when he fell to a catch behind off Daniyal Akhtar. The South African had made 76 from 75 balls with seven fours and two sixes. Two balls later it was all over for Horspath when Jamil Faruq was caught and bowled by Akhtar to leave the visitors 236 all out.
Earlier, Faruq had made an immediate impact on his return to the side by having Nabil Shah caught behind by Robbie Eason in the first over of Slough's innings with one run on the board. Zaib and Avas then added 83 for the second wicket, before the former was run out by Lloyd Belcher for 39.
Avas played the anchor role for Slough, taking the score on to 144 with Girinath Reddy, before he was caught by Cosford off Belcher for 42. Reddy increased the tempo and had made 64 from 70 balls, with seven fours and a six, when he was caught by Skelton off Brown to make it 186-4.
Cosford then returned to the Horspath attack and proceeded to claim his first Home Counties five-wicket haul. He opened his account when Kakani, who had made 35 off 31 balls, presented Skelton with a second catch to leave Slough 219-5. Cosford then bowled skipper Goutham Shrikrishna without addition to the score.
Four runs later, Sharath went the same way, and just one more run had been added when Daniyal Akhtar had his stumps shattered by the Oxfordshire all-rounder. Nawaz and Sulaiman Akhtar added a valuable 18 runs for Slough's ninth wicket, before Cosford claimed his fifth victim when the former gave Skelton a third catch.
Cosford was well supported by left-arm spinner Belcher, who picked up 1-31 from his ten overs. But ultimately Horspath were left to rue one that got away.
Posted by: Russ