HORSPATH gained a much-needed three-wicket win at promotion-chasing Amersham in a dramatic finish to their rain-affected Home Counties Premier League Division 2 game.
Without a victory since their 75-run home triumph over Harefield on June 26, Lloyd Belcher's side had slipped to eighth place in the table following a barren July.
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| Patrick Foster took 4-42. Picture: Rob Judges |
That left Horspath a minimum of 63 overs at the start of their innings to knock off the runs. However, three rain breaks saw their overs reduced to 38, and they arrived at the start of the 38th over on 120-7.
Will Hawtin and Anupam Sanklecha picked up six runs off the first five balls, before the Indian all-rounder launched Maduka Liyanapathiranage's last delivery for six to bring the scores level.
It appeared that the game had been drawn, but the umpires deemed that there should be one more over and Hawtin took a single from Sam Helm's first ball to give Horspath a thrilling victory.
Their success had been built on an excellent bowling display. Will Eason provided few scoring opportunities during an accurate opening spell and made the breakthrough with the score on 37 when he had Chris Fleming caught by Sulaiman Hussain for 18.
Sanklecha followed up by removing Graham Rance with Foster taking the catch to make it 39-2, before Belcher and Foster combined to work their way through the rest of the order.
Belcher struck the key blow by having Michael Payne, the division's second-leading runscorer this season going into the game with 553 runs, caught behind by Hawtin when he had added only six to his tally.
With Foster accounting for Jimi Chialoufas and Liyanapathiranage in quick succession courtesy of Elliot Ruff's safe hands, Amersham had lost three wickets for as many runs to slump to 53-5.
Foster was having a big impact and he rocked Amersham again when Acheen Rajapaksa was caught by Belcher, who without addition to the score bowled opener Archie Palmer for a stubborn 26 to make it 77-7.
One more run was added before lunch, and after the resumption Belcher continued where he left off by removing his Amersham counterpart Helm to leave the hosts 95-8, with Foster this time taking the catch.
The same combination accounted for Sam Rance to make it 125-9, before Foster wrapped up the innings by dismissing Stuart Rogers with Dom O'Connor accepting the chance. Andrew Viney was left unbeaten on 34, while Eason took 1-18 and Sanklecha 1-34.
Horspath had reached 10-1 in their reply when a rain break saw their overs reduced to 51. Pete Ades and Robbie Eason took the score to 34 before both fell in quick succession, but Sulaiman Hussain gave the innings impetus to take the visitors to tea at 53-3.
A second rain break saw the overs reduced further to 44, and Horspath had reached 70 when Hussain fell to Liyanapathiranage for a brisk 27 from 25 balls.
Tyrone Eyles, on his Home Counties debut, had made nine when he fell lbw to become Liyanapathiranage's third victim with the Sri Lankan off-spinner closing the gap to one on Horspath's overseas star Sanklecha at the top of the division's leading wicket-taker standings.
Horspath's progress was interrupted by a third downpour which saw their overs further reduced to a minimum of 38. Ruff maintained their run chase before he was bowled by Helm for 27 to make it 115-7.
That brought Hawtin (19no) and Sanklecha together and they saw Horspath over the line in a frantic finish, with the win taking the side up to sixth place.
Helm, who is now just two behind Sanklecha in the division's leading wicket-taker standings, finished with 3-42, while Liyanapathiranage picked up 3-53.
Posted by: Russ