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| Will Robertson took 2-30 |
The sides have now met seven times in the top flight with Horspath on the wrong end of the result six times, while the other encounter was drawn.
Having been put in to bat, Horspath were restricted to 188-7 off their 50 overs. With coloured kit being sported for the first time at the Recreation Ground in a league game, the hosts had 21 on the board when Dominic O'Connor slashed at a wide delivery from former Horspath seamer Graham Beer and was caught at first slip by Richard West.
Tom Coleman and Jimmy Phillips moved the score on to 42 when the latter edged a good delivery from off-spinner West to Shahid Yousaf at first slip. Coleman and Brown then put on 52 for the third wicket before the Horspath opener was trapped lbw by left-arm spinner Joe Thomas for a fluent 49.
Horspath were finding it hard to get on top of the Banbury bowling, and Brown became Thomas's second victim when he was caught at cover by Sabin for 27 to make it 117-4. Two runs later, Robbie Eason was yorked by Oli Clarke's arm ball.
Skipper Will Eason chipped in with 24 before he was caught at deep square leg by George Tait off West, and just one more run had been added when Jay Parmar was bowled by Ollie Wright's slower ball. Mark Skelton, at least, ensured the innings finished with a flourish with two sixes in his breezy unbeaten 18 as 19 came off the last over bowled by Clarke. West finished with 2-29 and Thomas 2-32.
It looked a below-par score although there was early success for Horspath in Banbury's innings when a delivery from Robertson found skipper Lloyd Sabin's glove and Robbie Eason took the catch behind. The visitors then lost fellow opener Joe White, who retired hurt in the tenth over after dislocating his right knee as he attempted to play a straight drive.
However, Shahid Yousaf and Oli Clarke got Banbury back on track, taking the score on to 83 before off-spinner Parmar induced the latter to chop on a delivery in his first over. Parmar struck again when he won an lbw appeal against Charlie Hill to make it 103-3, and Lloyd Belcher then earned a similar decision with his left-arm spin against West to leave the visitors 121-4.
Horspath's hopes were lifted further when Yousaf, who had made 55 from 79 balls with six fours and a six, presented Will Eason with a catch at mid-wicket off Robertson to make it 141-5. However, Shazad Rana (34no) and George Tait (21no) then put on an unbroken stand of 51 for the sixth wicket to see Banbury home at 192-5 with 2.5 overs to spare. Robertson finished with 2-30 and Parmar 2-49.
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Posted by: Russ