Horspath frustrated by battling Thame

PROMOTION-CHASING Horspath were left frustrated as Thame Town held out for a draw in Serious Cricket Home Counties Premier League Division 2 at Church Meadow. The result sees Horspath now 15 points adrift of leaders Oxford, while their advantage over third-placed Amersham has been cut to two points.

Having elected to bat first on a used pitch in the belief that it would only get worse, Horspath posted 195-9, but were then thwarted as Thame rallied to close on 154-8 after being 40-5.

Harrison Ward

Horspath were themselves in early trouble at 32-3. Jamie Stead edged a Will Rooney delivery to Will Sutcliffe at slip, while Jimmy Phillips cracked a boundary before sending a catch to Matt MacDonald at point. Rameez Raja had also hit one four when he was caught behind by Will Taylor off a good ball from Rooney. But Harrison Ward and Shahbaz Ali then saw the visitors to 85-3 at lunch, before going on to put on 86 for the fourth wicket. Ward had made 60 from 122 balls with eight fours when he was unluckily run out, backing up when Hassam Mushtaq finger-tipped a straight drive from Shahbaz on to the stumps.

Stephen Green was then trapped lbw by Mushtaq, before Shahbaz was caught at slip by Sutcliffe attempting a reverse sweep off Thame captain Mike Higgs for 47, making it 139-6. Adam Price was bowled by Mushtaq, but acting skipper Pat Foster, standing in for Will Eason, who is on holiday, took the attack to Thame by hammering 40 from 33 balls before he was bowled by Rooney (3-22). Jehan Mohammed was then stumped off Mustaq, who finished with 3-76, as the visitors posted a respectable total on a tricky pitch. 

Thame were soon in trouble at 4-2 after Price trapped Taylor lbw and Sutcliffe was run out by a smart bit of work by Lloyd Belcher at point, after a mix-up with Henry Thomas. Jamil Faruq then struck twice, having Michael Beard caught at deep backward square leg by Belcher, before Stead accepted a chance from Thomas, making it 38-4.

A brilliant piece of fielding then accounted for Honey Garg with Rameez gathering Shahbaz's return from fine leg before throwing down the stumps at the non-striker's end as the Thame batsman went for a second run.

Thame were 45-5 at tea, but MacDonald and Higgs came out in positive fashion after the break. They had moved the score on to 79 when the Thame skipper was trapped lbw for 21 by Rameez, who bowled Mushtaq in the same over to make it 81-7 and had the visitors sensing victory.

However, with the pitch not showing any signs of deteriorating they were foiled by Matt MacDonald and Adam Phippen, who put on 58 for the eighth wicket. MacDonald hit 51 off 83 balls with seven fours when he was caught at slip by Rameez off Ward to lift Horspath's hopes again. But Phippen (38no) and Rooney stood firm to secure the draw for Thame, who drop into the bottom two.

Posted by: Russ