Phillips shines as Horspath stay second

Jimmy Phillips 67

JIMMY Phillips hit a blistering half-century as Horspath posted an emphatic eight-wicket win at home to struggling Gerrards Cross to stay second in Serious Cricket Home Counties Premier League Division 2. Chasing the visitors' 162 all out after they had been put in to bat, the left-hander smashed a brilliant 67 off 57 balls to set Horspath on the way to victory.

Phillips and Jamie Stead got Horspath's run chase off to a flying start, racing to 70-0 off just seven overs. Phillips was especially severe on anything pitched short, and the pair had put on 103 for the first wicket before Stead was lbw to Jonathan Denning for 35 in the 16th over.

Nine runs later, Phillips, whose electrifying innings included three sixes and eight fours, was undone by a Denning delivery, which he fended off and was caught by Alex Woodland running in from slip. 

Rameez Raja then survived a caught behind chance on the way to making an unbeaten 35 as he Shahbaz Ali saw Horspath to victory and a double over the Bucks club at 164-2 from 31.4 overs. 

Earlier, left-arm spinner Lloyd Belcher (4-39) and Adam Price (3-44) led the way with the ball for the home side. Skipper Will Eason made the early breakthrough by having Matthew Watson caught at point by Stephen Green, who then held on to another chance at second slip when Woodland edged off Price, making it 17-2.

William Hunt's attempted hook off a short-pitched Price delivery only resulted in him offering a catch to Stead at mid-on. And Gerrards Cross were 50-4 when captain Daniel Hampton was caught behind by Rameez in Belcher's first over.

The left-arm spinner struck again when Harry Nichols turned a straight delivery into a yorker for 22. Jasraj Grewal and Matthew Brown steadied the ship to take Gerrards Cross to 96-5 at lunch, but soon after the break the former was trapped lbw by Price. A run later Richard Knudsen was caught behind off an underside edge off Pat Foster, who then trapped Jonathan Denning lbw, making it 118-8.

Horspath were held up, though, by Brown and Elliott Green, who put on 44 for the ninth wicket, before Brown fell lbw to Belcher in the first over of his second spell for a belligerent 58 from 65 balls, which included a six and ten fours. The teenager was then successful with a similar appeal against last man Joseph Bracey with his next delivery to wrap up the innings.

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Posted by: Russ