Heavy defeat sparks relegation fears for Horspath

HORSPATH were left anxiously looking over their shoulders at the Home Counties Premier League Division 1 relegation zone following a heavy eight-wicket home by local rivals Oxford. Will Eason's side, who were bowled out for 123, remain in sixth place, but are now just 11 points above second-bottom Slough. With the hosts being put in to bat on a green pitch just three overs play had been possible when the Recreation Ground was hit by a massive deluge, leading to the overs split to be reduced to 50-41. On the resumption, Horspath found runs hard to come by against Oxford's accurate opening attack of Samad Fallah and Richard Musk. And it was the Indian left-arm seamer who made the breakthrough when Jamie Stead was caught at mid-on by Muhammad Ayub with the score on 15. Fallah struck again with James Fitzjohn adjudged lbw to make it 29-2 and, without addition to the score, opener Tom Coleman fell in similar fashion to Musk for 15. With Horspath in trouble, Robbie Eason and Tom Cosford dug in to take the total to 72 when disaster struck. Cosford had just hit a straight six to move on to 20 when he was run out going for a single by Mark Beer's throw to wicket-keeper Jamie Perkin. The Oxford spinners then took centre stage with Mark Jefferson caught on the long on boundary by Musk off Chris Humphreys to make it 84-5. Three runs later, Stephen Green fell to leg-spinner Shamilal Mendis, who dived to his right to snap up a brilliant low catch off his own bowling. Brothers Robbie and Will Eason took the score to 106 when Humphreys struck twice in three deliveries, with the Horspath captain picking out Mendis at mid-wicket, before Jamil Faruq was bowled for nought. A smart stumping by Perkin off Humpheys then accounted for Ian Slatcher, making it 116-9. And Horspath were all out off the second ball of the last over when Oxford's left-arm spinner completed a five-wicket haul by accepting a straightforward caught and bowled chance in the final over from Robbie Eason, whose determined 44 from 106 balls contained a six and one four. Humphreys finished with excellent figures of 5-19 from 10.2 overs, while Fallah took 2-51. Having seen spin do the trick for Oxford, Horspath opened the bowling with Cosford and he claimed the early wicket of Owyn Tong-Jones to leave the visitors 20-1, with the opener caught at mid-off by Faruq. But then stand-in skipper Perkin and Ben Charlesworth put on 50 for the second wicket, before the acting captain was bowled by Lloyd Belcher for 30. There was to be no further joy for Horspath, though, as Oxford cruised to victory at 124-2 in the 35th over, with Charlesworth pulling his ninth four through the legside to clinch victory and finish unbeaten on 53 from 118 balls, while former Pakistan Test batsman Muhammad Ayub was 23 not out. Horspath now face a important trip to Tring Park, who are two places and ten points below them, next Saturday.

Posted by: Russ