Horspath 2nd open Cherwell season at Great Brickhill 2nd

HORSPATH 2nd will open their season at Great Brickhill 2nd on Saturday as a new-look Cherwell League gets under way after being suspended by the ECB due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Robbie Eason captains Horspath 2nd
Picture: www.sportsshots.org.uk

The league will operate on a six-tier basis with each of the top five tiers made up of 16 teams split geographically into two divisions of eight. Each team will play seven games followed by play-off matches against the side finishing in the same spot in the other division of their tier.

Horspath 2nd, who are to be skippered by Robbie Eason, have been placed in Tier 2B with their other games: July 25 v Horley (H), Aug 1 v Leighton Buzzard Town (A), Aug 8 v Bletchley Town (H), Aug 15 v Brackley (A), Aug 22 v Banbury 3rd (H), Aug 29 v Long Marston (H), Sept 5 play-off.

Andy Cummings is to skipper Horspath 3rd in Tier 3A, with their opening game at Eynsham on Saturday. The other fixtures are: July 25 v Didcot 2nd (H), Aug 1 v Charlbury (A), Aug 8 v Challow & Childrey 2nd (A), Aug 15 v Kingston Bagpuize (H), Aug 22 v Shipton-under-Wychwood 2nd (A), Aug 29 v Great & Little Tew (H), Sept 5 play-off.

Horspath 4th, captained by Jamie Stead, are in Tier 5A with a home game against Stokenchurch 2nd on Saturday. The other matches are: July 25 v Aston Rowant 4th (H), Aug 1 v Oxford & Bletchingdon Nondecripts 2nd (A), Aug 8 v Kingston Bagpuize 2nd (H), Aug 15 v Bledlow Ridge 2nd (A), Aug 22 v Shipton-under-Wychwood 3rd (A), Aug 29 v Abingdon Vale 3rd (A), Sept 5 play-off.

All matches will be 40-overs per side with win/lose results, and a 1pm start coming forward to 12.30pm from August 22. Existing league rules for win/lose cricket will stand, with pro-rata reductions for the likes of bowlers' maximum allocation of overs, which will be eight.

Posted by: Russ