The former captain dug in once again after Horspath's top-order tribulations continued with the side collapsing to 109-8 following the visitors' decision to field.
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| Lloyd Belcher shone with an unbeaten 48 and 4-41 |
Acting skipper Will Eason this time provided the ideal foil as the pair put on a Home Counties club record of 75 for the ninth wicket to steer Horspath from the depths of despair to a competitive 207-9.
Their superb effort comfortably exceeded the previous best of 56, which they had posted at home to Wokingham in the final game of last season with Eason making an unbeaten 34 and Belcher 27.
Eason was the more fluent of the duo, hitting seven fours in his 43 before he was caught in the deep by Faaez Shamsi off Rhys Lewis to make it 184-9.
Belcher again showed his batting skills are often underestimated by remaining undefeated while adding handy runs for the last wicket with Justin Clarke to take Horspath past the 200-mark. His runs came off 101 balls and included five fours.
Earlier, several of the top order had got in without going on to make a score of any substance with only Imraan Manack (25) holding up Wargrave before a leading edge proved his downfall when he was caught and bowled by Toby Greatwood (2-39).
The Oxford MCCU seamer was well supported by off-spinner Euan Woods with 2-35 from 18 overs and Oliver Winterbottom (2-36), who triggered Horspath's collapse.
Buoyed by their fightback, Horspath were lifted further with Clarke and Eason removing openers Jack Winterbottom and Shamsi respectively courtesy of a brace of catches by wicketkeeper Hawtin as Wargrave slumped to 23-2.
Left-arm spinner Belcher then got to work with the ball, trapping the dangerous Woods lbw for 25 to make it 52-3.
But Horspath were frustrated by Lewis and Greatwood, who shared a stand of 60 for the fourth wicket before the former was caught by Rob Wight at point off Jehan Mohammed for 44.
Off-spinner Saqlain Choudhary then combined with Belcher to chip away at the rest of the order with the pair taking a wicket apiece to make it 146-6.
Greatwood was scoring freely, though, and reached his half-century, before Belcher struck twice more to leave Wargrave 158-8 and boost the home side's hopes of victory.
However, Greatwood found a willing partner in Oliver Winterbottom, who made 16 before being caught by Clarke off Choudhary to make it 191-9.
Horspath had 2.1 overs at Wargrave's last pair, but they stood firm as the fielders crowded around the bat to share the spoils. Greatwood finished unbeaten on 73 from 99 balls with five fours and three sixes with the visitors closing on 195-9.
Belcher's four-wicket haul came off 14 overs, while Choudhary picked up 2-66 from 16 overs and there was a wicket apiece for Eason, Clarke and Mohammed.
Despite emerging with 15 points from the draw, Horspath drop two places to seventh in a congested mid-table ahead of next Saturday's trip to Thame Town.
Posted by: Russ