HORSPATH slipped to a 17-run defeat on the Duckworth–Lewis–Stern method at Great Brickhill in a rain-affected Home Counties Premier League Division 2 clash.
A delayed start due to rain saw the match reduced to 41 overs-a-side, and after putting the hosts in to bat the visitors produced a disciplined bowling display.
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| Patrick Foster hit 44 |
The wickets were shared around as Brickhill made steady progress, with skipper Lloyd Belcher picking up 2-33 and Anupam Sanklecha taking his first wickets for the club to finish with 2-38.
Young off-spinner Luke Heritage continued his good start to the season by taking 2-41, while Will Eason (1-21) produced the best economy rate and Patrick Foster bowled without luck to return 0-36 from his eight overs.
Opener Hashan Ramanadanpulle top-scored for Brickhill with 43, before Oxfordshire captain Jonny Cater weighed in with a run-a-ball 39.
A rain break towards the end of the innings saw the match further reduced to 39 overs-a-side, and Brickhill eventually closed on 173-8, which - with DLS coming into play - saw Horspath left with a target of 177.
The visitors were soon in trouble at 16-3, before Sulaiman Hussain hit a breezy 24, but it was only when Foster came to the crease that their run chase really started to gain momentum. He hammered 44 off 27 balls, peppering the boundary with four sixes in a sixth-wicket stand of 57 with opener Jimmy Phillips before he was caught and bowled by Garth Davson.
A rain interruption saw Horspath's target amended to 158 from 27 overs on DLS, and they had reached 117-7 off 22.3 overs when a further deluge brought an early ending leaving Brickhill as winners, with Phillips unbeaten on 26.
Posted by: Russ