Horspath come up short in Oxfordshire Cup mission

HORSPATH'S hopes of regaining the Bernard Tollett Oxfordshire Cup were dashed with a seven-wicket defeat by holders Banbury in the semi-finals at White Post Road.

Harrison Ward top-scored for Horspath with 32
before falling lbw. Picture: Clive Jones

Having chosen to bat, 2018 T20 champions Horspath were held to 116-7 by some disciplined Banbury bowling. The visitors were soon in trouble at 10-2, but Harrison Ward and Dwadesh Sehgal set about repairing the damage.

Ward had made a fluent 32 off 26 balls with four boundaries and a six over long on when he fell lbw attempting to reverse sweep a delivery from left-arm spinner Joe Thomas to make it 53-3. Sehgal had rotated the strike well to keep the scoreboard ticking over only to be bowled for 22 by Charlie Hill, who then took a fine catch at long on to end Asad Rafiq's run-a-ball knock of 15 to leave the visitors 104-5. 

Stephen Green chipped in with 26 off 23 balls, including a remarkable scooped six over fine leg, but with Horspath picking up only 17 runs off the last four overs their final total looked below-par. Thomas, with 3-15 from his four overs, shone for Banbury, backed up by Oli Wright (2-25), Dave Eaton (1-18) and Hill (1-27).

Will Eason lifted Horspath by having Joe White caught at mid on by Charlie Turner to leave Banbury 5-1, but opener Olly Clarke and skipper Lloyd Sabin then took charge. They had taken the score to 53 when 15-year-old seamer Charlie Turner struck with his second ball with the Banbury captain caught by his Horspath counterpart Lloyd Belcher at cover for 33 off 31 balls, which included three fours and a six. 

Clarke and Shazad Rana kept Banbury on track, though, taking the hosts to 92 in the 16th over when the latter became the second victim of Turner's impressive four-over spell when he was caught by Eason at mid off.

Turner finished with excellent figures of 2-20, and despite Belcher conceding just 15 from his four overs, there was no stopping Banbury with Clarke (37no), who had paced his innings well, and Hill seeing the hosts home at 119-3 with ten balls to spare. Eason (1-17) was Horspath's other wicket-taker.

Posted by: Russ