Horspath post fourth straight win to boost play-off challenge

HORSPATH boosted their chances of reaching the Home Counties Premier League play-offs by recording a fourth straight win as they effectively ended Oxford's hopes with a nine-run victory on the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method at Jordan Hill.

Horspath's Harrison Ward hits out during his
knock of 39 as Oxford captain Jamie Perkin
 looks on. Picture: Clive Jones

With the match reduced to a 30-over contest following a delayed start after overnight rain, Horspath posted 128-8 after being put in to bat on a damp pitch which gave the bowlers plenty of assistance. Openers Robbie Eason, on his first appearance in the 1st XI this season, and Dominic O'Connor shared a stand of 29, but after they were parted only Harrison Ward was able to get on top of the Oxford attack as the ball regularly popped up off the tricky surface.

The Oxfordshire left-hander made 39 off 48 balls with a four and two sixes, before being caught on the boundary by Durness Mackay-Champion off Dylan Swanepoel at the start of the 25th over to leave Horspath 103-6. Swanepoel added to his haul to finish with 3-18, while George Tait picked up 2-27 with the visitors scrambling ten runs off the last over to post their final total.

Horspath struck off just the second ball of Oxford's reply when Graham Beer ran out James Ridson with a great throw from third man as the opener went for a second run. The hosts had moved on to 17-1 off 6.1 overs when a rain break saw their target revised to 100 from 21 overs on DLS.

Robbie Eason pushes this delivery into the legside.
Picture: Clive Jones

Will Eason dealt Oxford a crucial blow soon after the resumption when he bowled Jamie Perkin for 12 with the ball rebounding off the Oxford captain on to the stumps to make it 19-2. The home side's hopes now lay chiefly with the in-form George Tait, but he had only made 13 when he skied a delivery from Alfie Turner and Horspath captain Lloyd Belcher held the catch safely at mid-wicket to leave the hosts on 43-3.

With the young off-spinner bowling well in tandem with Belcher, the run rate gradually increased and Turner claimed two more victims by bowling Swanepoel and then Mackay-Champion to make it 65-5. Opener Elliot Matthews and Balaji Ramalingam kept Oxford's hopes alive, but Ward came into the attack to tighten Horspath's grip by conceding just 12 runs from his three overs.

Will Hawtin attempts to cut this delivery.
Picture: Clive Jones

It left Oxford requiring 15 runs to win off the last over, and Angus Livingstone - the three-wicket final-over hero from the incredible win over Chesham two weeks earlier - made sure there was no way back for the hosts.

He conceded just five runs from the first five balls before Ramalingam edged the last delivery to wicket-keeper Will Hawtin as the hosts fell short on 90-6. Matthews was unbeaten on 29, while Turner finished with 3-22. Eason (1-14) and Livingstone (1-14) were the other wicket-takers.

The win moves Horspath up a place to seventh in the pooled table, and a victory from their final game at home to Oxford Downs next Saturday will ensure the side finish in the top eight to qualify for the play-offs.

Posted by: Russ