PETE Ades produced one of the best innings seen at the Recreation Ground for many a year with a brilliant 162 as Horspath 2nd got the better of a draw against Oxford Downs 2nd in Cherwell League Division 2.
The Zimbabwean opener's stunning knock took Horspath to 266-4 after they had elected to bat. Ades, playing just his fourth innings in the league, was quickly into his stride, smashing sixes with his first two scoring shots.
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| Pete Ades hammered 162 |
With Robbie Eason playing the supporting role in a double-century second-wicket stand, Ades went to his hundred by cutting a delivery from Ethan Davie through backward point for four.
Eason brought up his half-century in style with a six down by the nets before repeating the shot two overs later. Ades, meanwhile, marched on, reaching 150 with a single off Mehmood through mid-on.
Their stand of 209 was finally broken when Eason holed out to Frankie Crouch in front of the scout hut off Mehmood for 83.
His runs came off 132 balls and featured six fours and four sixes. Ades followed in the closing overs, stumped by Graeme Coates off Mehmood going for another big hit. He had faced 149 balls and hit 20 fours and five sixes.
Downs made a bright start to the run chase with George Sandbach and Matthew Young putting on 114 for the first wicket, before the latter was bowled by Erasmus du Toit (2-56) for 42.
Off-spinner Alfie Turner then got to work, taking 4-54 including the key wicket of Sandbach, who made 83 from 91 deliveries with nine fours and three sixes.
Horspath sensed victory as Downs lost five wickets for 15 runs to slump to 165-7, but Toby Collins (25no) and Darryl Woods saw the visitors to the close without further alarm at 210-7.
Max Smith hit a fine unbeaten 88 as Horspath 3rd gained the upper hand in a draw against Oxenford in Division 4A at Jesus College Sports Ground.
Smith's superb knock steered the visitors to 174-8 after they had been put in to bat. Tom Partridge took 3-60 for Oxenford.
The hosts were never in the hunt, closing on 113-7 with Charlie Turner taking 4-25. Habeel Khalid was undefeated on 36 at the close.
Shreyas Anand took two wickets in a superb last over to earn Horspath 4th a thrilling draw with the scores level at home to Oxenford 2nd in Division 6B.
Having been bowled out for 153 after electing to bat, Horspath were facing defeat as the visitors reached 149-6 with an over to go.
However, Anand kept his side's hopes alive by picking up a wicket with his second delivery while not conceding a run from the first three balls. Three runs and a bye saw Oxenford draw level with one ball left, but then Anand bowled the Oxenford batsman to the leave the visitors on 153-8 and the match drawn.
Anand finished with 4-28, while there was a wicket apiece for Joe Gibbs, Ryan Hicks, William Hale and Euan Barrett. Malitha Ratnaweera (34) top-scored for Oxenford.
Earlier, Horspath had been indebted to an excellent eighth-wicket partnership between Gibbs (44) and Barrett (22no) for their final total. The two youngsters batted well together after Nithin Peter (4-17) and Hamzah Awan (3-61) had ripped through the top order.
Posted by: Russ