Shahbaz and Price star as Horspath edge a thriller

Shahbaz Ali

SHAHBAZ Ali and Adam Price hit contrasting half-centuries as Home Counties Premier League Division 2 leaders Horspath claimed a nerve-jangling two-wicket win at Aston Rowant.

Chasing Rowant's 199 all out after putting the hosts in to bat, Horspath were in trouble at 42-4 with overseas star Rameez Raja among the wickets to fall. But then Price scored fluently with 59 off 62 balls, including eight boundaries, to dominate a fifth-wicket stand of 75 with Shahbaz, who grafted away to turn the game around. After Price departed, Shahbaz stepped up a gear to finish unbeaten on 61 from 121 deliveries with six fours and see Horspath home at 200-8 with four balls to spare.

Adam Price

Andrew Tolson and Alex Jewell had got Rowant off to a decent start, putting on 41 for the first wicket before the latter top edged a delivery from Price to fine leg where Lloyd Belcher ran round to his left and took an excellent diving catch. Tolson had made 33 when he was next to go, with Mark Skelton producing nipping one away to hit the top of off stump, making it 90-2.

Skelton, in the midst of an impressive spell, struck another important blow by then having Steven Richards caught at deep square leg by Rameez for 44. It then became 121-4 when Rowant captain Josh Smith in attempting a reverse sweep off Rameez only succeeded in edging to Horspath skipper Will Eason at slip. Ten runs later, Rameez claimed his second victim when Wes Morrick was caught at deep square leg by Harrison Ward.

Chris Watling then fell lbw to left-arm spinner Belcher, who followed up by having Leo Bethell caught behind by Jasper Davies, making it 148-7. It was 175-8 when Adam Muttit was trapped lbw by Rameez. And the last two wickets went down on 199 with Tom Condon caught and bowled by Belcher for 44, before Skelton pouched Sasha Barras at square leg as Price switched from seam to spin. Horspath's attack had worked well as a unit once again with the wickets shared between Rameez (3-36), Belcher (3-39), Skelton (2-34) and Price (2-39).

However, their reply got off to a disastrous start with Jamie Stead adjudged lbw to the first ball of the innings from Bethell. Ward was then bowled around his legs by Morrick, who struck again to clip the top of Robbie Eason's off stump and make it 38-3. And things got worse for Horspath when Rameez, who had looked in ominous form, was caught at mid-wicket by Watling off Bethell for 14.

But Price then took the attack to Rowant and with Shahbaz digging in, the pair turned the game round, putting on 75 for the fifth wicket. Price had made 59 from 62 balls with eight fours when he was bowled by left-arm spinner Barras.

Shahbaz then stepped up a gear, mixing the occasional boundary with neat dabs and deflections. The visitors appeared to be coasting home as he put on 58 for the sixth wicket with Will Eason. But when the Horspath skipper holed out to Richards at deep mid-wicket off Barras for 16 it set up a nail-biting finish.

The tension increased when Skelton was bowled by Dominic Whatman, making it 186-7. Davies released the pressure by reverse sweeping Watling for four, but was then out lbw attempting an orthodox sweep to the next delivery with the score on 195. With two needed for victory off the last over bowled by Whatman, Jamil Faruq took a single off the first ball, before Shahbaz turned the next delivery to fine leg to secure the win.

With Amersham and Oxford also triumphing, it means Horspath remain two points clear of the Bucks club with their old rivals a further four points back in third.

Posted by: Russ