Horspath bowlers take charge to spark second successive win

A FINE all-round bowling display set Horspath on the way to a second straight win in Home Counties Premier League Division 2 with a comfortable four-wicket victory at Tring Park.

The two sides went into the game occupying the bottom two places in the table, and basement boys Tring elected to bat.

Tom Coleman steered Horspath home with
an unbeaten 47. Picture: Rob Judges

However, Horspath were quick to assert their authority with excellent spells from stand-in skipper Will Eason and Max Smith, promoted from 2nd XI captaincy, setting the tone as the hosts were held to 156-9 off 50 overs.

They both struck to reduce Tring to 19-2 by removing openers Scott Rolfe and Mohamad Choudhry. Eason then bowled his Tring counterpart Andrew Dixon, and with Amin Rafiq's off-spin accounting for Ben Jacobs, who edged into Will Hawtin's gloves, the home side were deep in trouble at 35-4.

Eason bowled his 10 overs straight through to finish with admirable figures of 2-17, before left-arm spinner Lloyd Belcher came into the attack, and bowled Naveed Dawlatzai to make it 45-5.

Horspath's bowlers were maintaining their discipline well, and Jehan Mohammed was the next to hit the stumps when he dismissed Rory Criddle. Matt Smalley-Harris was the only Tring batsman to show any resistance to this point, but when he had reached 33, he had no answer to a delivery from the returning Smith and Tring were 96-7.

The lower order rallied, but Mohammed bowled Toby Wastling for 20 and Rafiq had Edward Pike stumped for 21 to make it 134-9, before Tom Weymes smashed an unbeaten 25 to take the hosts to their final total.

Eason was well supported by Smith (2-31), Rafiq (2-35), Mohammed (2-41) and Belcher (1-32). With seven of the wickets being bowled and the other two falling to the wicketkeeper, it was testimony to the accuracy of the Horspath attack.

The visitors were looking for a solid base in reply, and the in-form Pete Ades and Smith provided it, putting on 40 for the first wicket.

Tring suffered a blow when Tom Weymes was unable to complete his fourth over, and with the home side shuffling their bowlers it was Pike who made the breakthrough by bowling Smith for 16.

Ades had moved on to 32 when he was next to go, caught by Pike off Dawlatzai, but Horspath were still on top at 72-2. Shiryar Ahmed chipped in with 19 before falling lbw to Criddle, but Tom Coleman and Darryl Brown took the score to 117 when the latter was bowled by Pike.

Coleman, though, kept the scoreboard ticking over and despite Horspath losing two further wickets, compiled an unbeaten 47 off 55 balls to see the visitors home at 160-6, securing victory with his fourth boundary and 3.5 overs to spare. Pike (3-25) was the pick of the Tring attack.

The win sees Horspath climb to seventh spot ahead of next Saturday's home game against Amersham, who slipped down to ninth after losing a high-scoring encounter by five runs at home to Chesham.

Posted by: Russ