Monday 4 July 2022

Horspath share the spoils as rain comes to the rescue

HORSPATH were saved by the weather in a rain-affected draw at Great Brickhill in Home Counties Premier League Division 2.

Defending 173 after being put in to bat, Horspath were facing defeat as Brickhill chased down the target only for the innings to be interrupted by a series of downpours before they finally closed on 160-5. 

Patrick Foster hit 45 off 42 balls
Horspath had Jehan Mohammed back in the side just two weeks after suffering a nasty neck injury while taking a catch which led to the abandonment of the home game against Chesham.

But the side's struggles with the bat continued as they once more posted a below-par score after being bowled out 5.3 overs short of their allotted amount.

The visitors had reached 71-1 with Elliot Ruff hitting a run-a-ball 38 in a second-wicket stand of 57 with opener Max Smith only to lose four wickets for six runs as they collapsed to 77-5.

Skipper Patrick Foster and Will Hawtin took Horspath to lunch without further loss at 101-5, before going on to share a stand of 72 for the sixth wicket. Foster struck a fluent 45 off 42 balls with four fours and three sixes, while Hawtin chipped in with 25.

The Horspath captain had just hit Navin Kavikara for consecutive sixes when he was bowled by the Sri Lankan off-spinner, who finished with 5-65 off 18 overs as Brickhill mopped up the tail. Kavikara was well supported by Jude Ramanadanpulle (3-36) and Marcus Critchley (2-16).

Will Eason made an early breakthrough in Brickhill's reply by claiming the wicket of skipper Garth Davson, but the home side had moved on to 84-2 off 21.4 overs with Foster removing Aadi Sharma for 28 when a rain break of an hour and 20 mins saw the innings reduced to 36 overs.

South African off-spinner Imraan Manack struck twice after the resumption, with Mohammed taking a catch to dismiss Marcus Critchley for 24, before opener Rhys Nicholas was the victim of a rare hit wicket dismissal when he had made 32.

Rain again interrupted play, but Oxfordshire captain Jonny Cater scored freely when the action resumed, smashing an unbeaten 49 from 38 balls with three fours and two sixes as the hosts closed in on victory.

Brickhill required 14 to win, but a further downpour brought a premature end to the match, leaving both sides with 10 points apiece. Manack finished with 2-29, and there was a wicket apiece for Eason, Foster and Amin Rafiq.


Horspath remain in sixth place at the halfway point of the season with a trip to Oxford Downs next up on Saturday.


Posted by: Russ