Horspath hit the trophy trail in semi-final double-header

IT'S set to be an exciting weekend for Horspath with a semi-final double-header. The club are away to Thame Town in the Home Counties Premier League's John Goodman Plate on Saturday (11.30) before visiting holders Banbury in the Bernard Tollett Oxfordshire Cup on Sunday (12).

Lloyd Belcher leads Horspath in two semi-finals
this weekend. Picture: www.sportsshots.org.uk

Lloyd Belcher's side earned their place in the last four of the John Goodman Plate - named in memory of the league's long-serving committee member and fixtures secretary who sadly died last November - for clubs who finished fifth to eighth in the Home Counties' pooled table by taking the last qualifying spot. The other semi-final sees sixth-placed Henley entertain Aston Rowant, who came seventh.

Horspath's four league wins included an impressive victory five weeks ago at Thame, who ended up in fifth spot. Openers Tom Coleman and Jimmy Phillips shared a record-breaking double-century stand as Horspath posted a resounding 94-run victory. Coleman hit 109 and Phillips made 91 in a brilliant partnership of 204, which was the best for any Horspath wicket in the league and set the visitors on the way to 300-4, which also bettered the side's previous highest score. Thame were then bowled out for 206.

Phillips misses Horspath's return to Church Meadow with Dominic O'Connor coming into the side in one of two changes from the team which saw their four-match winning run come to an end with defeat by Oxford Downs last Saturday. Fast bowler Angus Livingstone, who was making his first-class debut for Oxford University in the Varsity Match at Fenner's last weekend where he returned figures of 2-60 and 0-21 as Cambridge triumphed by 249 runs, is also back.

Young off-spinner Alfie Turner is missing, but along with Phillips will face Banbury in the Bernard Tollett Oxfordshire Cup on Sunday. Sulaiman Hussain, who has impressed in the 2nd XI, makes his first-team debut, with Coleman, O'Connor and Max Smith dropping out from the Saturday side.

Horspath reached the last four after topping their group with wins over Thame and MP Sports Academy plus being handed a walkover by Tiddington. The encounter with Banbury will be the first time the two clubs have met in the county's T20 competition since the 2017 final at Wormsley when the north Oxfordshire club took the honours by 17 runs.

Horspath lifted the cup in 2018 with a thrilling four-wicket victory over Oxford Downs, while the trophy went back to Banbury last year with Downs again runners-up. An extra incentive for both teams is that the winners will host the final on Sunday, September 20 against either Oxford or Oxford Downs, who meet in the other semi-final.

Horspath (v Thame Tn, away, Sat): Coleman, O'Connor, Sehgal, Ward, Green, W Eason, Hawtin, Smith, Belcher (capt), Beer, Livingstone.
Horspath (v Banbury, away, Sun): Belcher (capt), Green, Phillips, Ward, W Eason, Hussain, Sehgal, Hawtin, Beer, Turner, Livingstone.

Posted by: Russ