HALF-CENTURIES from Rob Wight and Graham Beer couldn't save Horspath 2nd from a 55-run defeat at Bicester & North Oxford in Cherwell League Division 2.
With Bicester having posted 266-8 after choosing to bat, Horspath's hopes were soon in tatters as Matt Woods (4-20) and Dan Savin (3-15) ripped through their top order.
 |
| Graham Beer hit 63 and took 4-48 |
Beer was completing a fine all-round effort after returning figures of 4-48 in Bicester's innings. Openers Markus Jeacock (75) and Oliver Ward (48) laid the foundations for the home side's total, before Beer led Horspath's fightback well supported by Alfie Turner (2-40). However, a swashbuckling unbeaten 46 off 32 balls from Ben Clark took the game away from the visitors.
Horspath 3rd marched on at the top of Division 4A with a four-wicket win at Bledlow Ridge.
Chasing Bledlow's 196 all out after the home side chose to bat, Horspath openers Chris Batten (28) and Dan Todd (26) took advantage of some wayward opening bowling to put on 80 for the first wicket.
Shaun Dryden (2-45) and Matthew Brightwell (3-35) pegged Horspath back to 145-6, before skipper Jamie Stead (35no) and Erasmus Du Toit (21no) shared an unbroken sixth-wicket partnership of 55 to see Horspath home at 200-6.
Earlier, Horspath's bowlers had shared the wickets around in Bledlow's innings. Andy Cummings (1-24) produced a tight opening spell, before Alex Perry (66) and George Grose (33) shared a stand of 77 for the third wicket. Ed Oakley (2-35), Du Toit (2-51) and Adrian Manger (1-50) all claimed victims, before Ross Handley (3-34) polished off the tail.
Posted by: Russ