MARK Skelton smashed a superb half-century as Horspath 2nd got their Cherwell League Division 2 title tilt back on track with a convincing 94-run victory over bottom club Abingdon Vale at the Recreation Ground.
Having chosen to bat, the hosts were in trouble at 68-5 when Skelton joined Stephen Green and the pair proceeded to turn the game round by putting on 93 for the sixth wicket.
Skelton (pictured right with Green) hammered 62 off 73 balls with five fours and fives sixes before he was caught behind off left-arm spinner Paul White to make it 161-5.
Green rode his luck early on to go on and make 47, while Justin Clarke blasted 29 from 16 deliveries before both fell to Jonathon Jenkinson (5-55) as Horspath posted a challenging 223 all out.
Abingdon openers Joe Guntrip and Alex Jennings put on 43 for the first wicket, but after they were parted Horspath took charge with wickets falling in clusters.
The visitors slumped to 91-6 with three wickets falling on that score before the last four wickets went down for the addition of two runs to leave Vale 129 all out, with Amith Premkumar (34) top-scoring.
Clarke (3-14) was the chief destroyer, while there were two wickets apiece for fellow paceman Subhan Javaid and spinners Luke Heritage and Josh Richardson.
The win sees Horspath maintain their seven-point cushion over Buckingham Town 2nd, who they visit in a top-of-the-table clash on Saturday.
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