Horspath's winning run ends with defeat at Wokingham

HORSPATH'S four-match winning streak in Home Counties Premier League Division 2 came to an abrupt halt with a six-wicket defeat at Wokingham. 

Put in to bat under grey skies following overnight rain, the visitors were shot out for 103 with Jacob Clark (5-32) the chief destroyer. 

Lloyd Belcher bowled long spell

Horspath were soon in dire straits at 46-6 as Clark took advantage of the bowler-friendly conditions with Stephen Green (19) the top scorer. 

It was only tail-end resistance from Will Eason (17) and skipper Lloyd Belcher (14) which helped Horspath past the 100-mark. Matthew McDonald (3-24) and Max Uttley (2-21) completed the job for Wokingham with the visitors all out in the 47th over. 

Horspath, though, made the hosts battle for the runs with Wokingham taking 50.5 overs to secure victory at 107-4. 

Anupam Sanklecha, the division's leading wicket-taker with 23 victims, was unable to add to his tally despite an accurate opening spell. It was Belcher who led the way in a marathon 19-over spell first up, but it wasn't until Will Eason was introduced into the attack that the breakthrough came. 

The Horspath seamer had Mac Keast caught by the captain for 18 to make it 34-1. Three runs later, Belcher trapped Michael Cowdell lbw with his left-arm spin and when Eason bowled Billy Rogers, Wokingham were wobbling at 44-3. 

Off-spinner Luke Heritage boosted Horspath's hopes by bowling Archie Carter to make it 53-4, but then skipper Danny Housego (31no) and Sukhmeet Kang (24no) ground out an unbroken stand of 54 to see Wokingham home. 

Eason finished with 2-8 off nine overs, while Belcher's 1-35 from 22 overs included eight maidens and Heritage picked up 1-13. 

The defeat sees Horspath drop from second to fourth place at the halfway point of the season, but the gap to leaders Amersham is down to 22 points after their heavy eight-wicket defeat at Slough.

Posted by: Russ