Battling Horspath are denied in a low-scoring encounter

HORSPATH put up a spirited performance before going down to a two-wicket defeat at Wargrave in a low-scoring Home Counties Premier League Division 2 encounter.

Electing to bat, the visitors, led by Will Eason, found runs hard to come by on an unresponsive pitch as they were held to 153-8 off their 50 overs.

Stephen Green made a
determined 35 for Horspath 

But they stuck to their task in the field and pushed Wargrave close before the home side got over the line at 155-8 in the 44th over.

Horspath opener Pete Ades made 28 before becoming the first of three victims for leg-spinner Rhodri Lewis, who returned impressive figures of 3-15 from his 10 overs, as the visitors slipped to 81-5. 

 

Stephen Green led the fightback with a determined 35 on his seasonal appearance, but Horspath were held in check by an accurate Wargrave attack. John Child (2-33) and Joe Priestley (2-40) were also among the wickets, while former Henley off-spinner Euan Woods bowled his 10 overs at a cost of just 19 runs without reward.

Horspath's total looked below-par especially when Wargrave openers Sulaiman Javed and Lewis took the score to 33-0 from seven overs.

But then left-arm spinner Lloyd Belcher made the breakthrough with his first delivery by snapping up Javed caught and bowled.

It lifted Horspath, and Erasmus Du Toit, on his Home Counties debut, struck twice in consecutive overs. The seamer firstly dismissed Woods when a caught and bowled chance rebounded off him into the hands of Will Eason standing just off the pitch, before Lewis was caught behind by Will Hawtin.

Horspath were firmly in the game, and they had Wargrave in deeper trouble at 61-5 when Jehan Mohammed removed skipper Neal Robinson and Sraven Konidena in his first over.

However, Jack Winterbottom and Kieran Lall provided stubborn resistance, before Horspath, lacking a regular fifth bowler, turned to Tom Coleman. The move paid off as the occasional leg-spinner picked up his first Home Counties wicket when Winterbottom offered a catch to Mohammed to fall for 27 and leave the hosts 103-6.

Lall continued to frustrate Horspath, though, before Mohammed picked up his third victim with Sam Bowers caught by Du Toit.

Belcher then trapped Lall lbw for 39 to make it 134-8, and the game was in the balance, but there was to be no further joy for Horspath as Child steered Wargrave home with an unbeaten 20.

Mohammed (3-36) continued his good form to return figures of 3-36, while Belcher (2-22) was firmly back in the groove and Du Toit (2-42) also emerged with credit.

Posted by: Russ