Wednesday 6 July 2022

Ruff rocks the Rec as Horspath roar on in Hartwell Senior Cup

ELLIOT Ruff hammered an imperious half-century as Horspath took a giant step towards Oxfordshire T20 Finals Day with an emphatic 65-run victory at home to Oxford Downs in the Hartwell Senior Cup. 

Elliot Ruff cracks a cover drive during his
brilliant knock of 58. Pictures: Rob Judges
The side have now won all three of their matches to strengthen their grip at the top of Pool 2 with a trip to Challow & Childrey on July 19 to complete the group games.

Ruff wasted no time in getting the Recreation Ground rocking after Horspath elected to bat, with three fours in the second over, before he repeated the feat with three consecutive boundaries in the next.

He kept up the sublime strokeplay with two more fours in the fifth over, before a sweetly-struck straight six by the scout hut saw Horspath race past 50.

Ruff brought up his own half-century with a four over extra cover in the next over, before his brilliant knock came to an end when he was caught on the mid-wicket boundary by the hedge off Gus Watts for 58 to make it 70-1. His runs came off just 31 balls and included 12 fours and one maximum.

Jimmy Phillips hits out on
the way to making 42
Jimmy Phillips had been content to play a supporting role, but he stepped up a gear accompanied by skipper Patrick Foster, who made 19 before falling to a low catch at deep square leg off Henry Welch, leaving Horspath 110-2 in the 15th over.

Phillips hit a straight six over long on by the cycle speedway track before being caught off Welch's next ball at mid-on as he attempted to repeat the shot for 42 from 38 deliveries.#

Welch was enjoying success with his leg spin and claimed two more wickets to finish with 4-33 as Horspath closed on 168-6.

Bowling with good pace, Charlie Turner (2-16) then struck two early blows in Downs' reply with Alex Ling flicking a delivery off his legs into Phillips's hands on the deep square leg boundary by the hedge, before Luke Maslen was trapped lbw to leave the visitors 30-2.

Spinners Imraan Manack (2-23) and Josh Richardson (1-19) tightened Horspath's hold with a wicket apiece to make it 60-4 as opener Matthew Young (24) and Frankie Crouch fell with Subhan Javaid and Tyrone Eyles taking good catches in the deep.

Downs were never in the hunt from that point and left-arm spinner Lloyd Belcher ripped through the lower order with 4-7 as they closed on 103-9, despite a hard-hit 22 from Watts.



Posted by: Russ