SULAIMAN Hussain's superb knock of 75 couldn't save Horspath from a four-wicket defeat at home to Great Brickhill in Home Counties Premier League Division 2.
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| Anupam Sanklecha celebrates. Pictures: Rob Judges |
However, Horspath's 192-8 always looked below par after they had elected to make first use of a good pitch in perfect batting conditions, and Brickhill eased to victory at 195-6 despite a valiant effort from Anupam Sanklecha (4-79).
Opener Pete Ades was called up after his brilliant 162 for the 2nd XI last week, and he put on 41 for the first wicket with Dom O'Connor only for the pair to fall in quick succession after seeing off the new ball.
Horspath lost further wickets and were in trouble at 87-5 at lunch, with Hussain unbeaten on 25. Driving powerfully, he continued to play fluently after the break, reaching his half-century with a four off Jude Ramanadanpulle.
The left-hander looked well placed for his second century of the season, but was run out by Aadi Sharma going for two at the start of the 46th over to leave Horspath 144-7. Hussain had faced 85 balls and hit nine fours and two sixes.
An unbroken ninth-wicket stand of 35 between Will Eason (19no) and skipper Lloyd Belcher (18no) took Horspath to their final total, with captain Garth Davson (2-28), Kevin Wijesinghe (2-44) and Ramanadanpulle (2-55) among the wickets for Brickhill.
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| Horspath skipper Lloyd Belcher in full flight |
Daniel Wood (35) and Graeme Carter (32) then put on 67 for the second wicket, before Sanklecha returned to the attack to rock the visitors with three wickets in a brilliant spell before tea. He bowled Wood with his first ball, and then repeated the dose next up with a superb delivery to knock back the top of Sharma's off stump.
The Indian paceman struck again in his next over by bowling Carter to leave Brickhill 80-4, and Horspath in good spirits going into the tea break. But Oxfordshire captain Jonny Cater and Doug Aris got Brickhill back on track after the resumption by adding 50 for the fifth wicket.
Off-spinner Luke Heritage raised Horspath's hopes again by earning lbw decisions with consecutive deliveries against Aris and Marcus Critchley to make it 128-6.
The game was in the balance, but Cater batted with great authority and in left-hander Austin John found the ideal foil with the pair sharing an unbroken seventh-wicket stand of 67 to take Brickhill to victory with plenty of time to spare.
Cater finished unbeaten on 61 from 69 balls with nine fours, while John (46no) hit consecutive boundaries to seal Horspath's fate. Sanklecha's four-wicket haul came from 21 overs, while Heritage took 2-51.
Posted by: Russ