Horspath are sent spinning to defeat in Home Counties

HORSPATH came off second best in their opening Home Counties Premier League Division 2 encounter with a 117-run defeat at home to Oxford Downs.

The visitors recovered from a rocky start to rattle up 261-8 off their 50 overs after being put in to bat, before Horspath were bowled out for 144.

Will Eason took 4-62 for Horspath

Winning the toss, new skipper Patrick Foster inserted the visitors, and his decision was rewarded as Downs - who just missed out on promotion last season - were reduced to 19-3.

Will Eason struck twice by removing opener Will Watts and the dangerous George Sandbach, before new signing Justin Clarke claimed his first victim by bowling Freddie Smith. 

Horspath were on top, and their hopes were lifted further when Jehan Mohammed removed former Horspath all-rounder Tom Cosford for 22 to make it 66-4. 

 

But the hosts were then frustrated by a match-winning fifth-wicket stand of 140 between Luke Maslen and James Ellwood. Maslen hit a league-best 93 off 145 balls with ten fours and two sixes, while Ellwood struck 60 from 75 deliveries with three boundaries and one maximum.

Eason returned to the attack to break the partnership by ending Ellwood's innings, but captain Tom Costley and Prav Chahal added salt to the home side's wounds by smashing a quick-fire 23 apiece to take Downs to their final total. Eason finished with 4-62, while Clarke picked up 2-46 and Mohammed took 1-32 from his tidy nine-over spell.

Pete Ades and Jimmy Phillips got Horspath's reply off to a solid start, taking the score to 46 before the former was lbw to Lawrence Brock for 29.

Wickets then fell at regular intervals as the hosts' depleted batting line-up was exposed. Off-spinner Cosford returned to haunt his old club by claiming the last five dismissals and finish with his best Home Counties figures of 5-26, while Costley took 2-15 from his ten overs.

Posted by: Russ