BROTHERS Robbie and Will Eason combined to orchestrate Horspath's 94-run victory over Shipton-under-Wychwood in the Voneus Village Cup second round at the Recreation Ground.
The home side were in trouble at 13-3 after being put in to bat on a tricky surface which was ideal for seam bowling following the previous day's heavy rain.
But Robbie Eason (51no) stood firm and found a willing partner in Stephen Green (41) as they turned the innings round with a fourth-wicket stand of 65.
Using all his experience to adapt to the testing conditions, Eason then put on 62 for the sixth wicket with Jehan Mohammed, who chipped in with a handy 21.
Eason reached his half-century with a single down to fine leg in the 39th over with his runs coming off 104 balls and including four fours and a six down the ground over long on.
It was left to Amin Rafiq to round off the innings in style with two sixes in the final over as he finished unbeaten on 20 from 11 deliveries with Horspath closing on 178-6 from their 40 overs.
Greg Woods (3-40) was Shipton's most successful bowler, while veteran left-arm spinner Shaun Miller conceded just 12 runs from his eight overs, which included five maidens.
Horspath's total looked challenging, and so it proved as skipper Will Eason got to work with the new ball.
Extracting a prodigious amount of swing from the pitch, he ripped through Shipton's top order to leave the visitors in disarray at 7-4, clean bowling three of his victims as he returned impressive figures of 4-13.
Arun White (34) attempted to rally the 2002 and 2003 national champions, but leg-spinner Josh Richardson kept the visitors in check, taking 1-10 from his seven overs, before off-spinner Rafiq (4-29) polished off Shipton for 84 from 29.4 overs.
Horspath are now away to Cumnor or Oxford Downs, whose game was called off due to a wet ground, in the Oxfordshire semi-finals on May 21.
See match highlights here
OXFORDSHIRE GROUP 19
Semi-finals (May 21): Tiddington v Aston Rowant, Cumnor or Oxford Downs v Horspath.
Meanwhile, the club's four sides all suffered washouts on Saturday as the Home Counties Premier League and Cherwell League seasons got off to a distinctly soggy start.
Indeed, the only game to take place was in Cherwell Division 8D where Letcombe won by four wickets at home to Faringdon & District 2nd.