HORSPATH skipper Will Eason described Robbie Eason and Max Smith's scintillating unbroken partnership of 171 in the Voneus Village Cup win over Wembdon as one of the best he had seen in club cricket.
The pair's spectacular fifth-wicket stand took Horspath to 236-4 before they bowled out the Somerset & Avon champions for 160 in the fifth-round tie.
Will's brother, Robbie, made a brilliant unbeaten 102 not out at the top of the order, while Max smashed 80 not out after the home side had been 65-4.
Horspath's captain said: "I think we started very positively with the bat, and I think they bowled well early on. I was looking at 180 being a competitive score, so in the second innings we could take the pace off the ball.
"As the game went on, the way Robbie and Max batted to set it up and continue with the aggressive way they played, was one of the best partnerships I have seen in club cricket.
"From 180 we went to 200 to 210 and all of a sudden 230. I thought if we put a bit of pressure on early on and took wickets it was always going to be difficult for them."
If Horspath's innings had seen a batting masterclass, it was breathless stuff in Wembdon's reply with the visitors trading sixes for wickets.
Captain Jonathan Brockwell blasted 60 off 38 balls before he was bowled by Subhan Javaid with Horspath's attack well supported by some stunning work in the field - notably Max Smith's run out and Jimmy Phillips's one-handed catch on the long off boundary.
Will added: "I thought we bowled well early on. Max's direct hit got us going and I took a wicket in the same over, so they went from 21-0 to 21-2.
"Whenever they got a partnership going, we took a wicket and broke it up. I think their skipper played really well. He hit the ball hard but once Subhan bowled him it was pretty much done.
"The competition seems to bring the best out of us, and our fielding in it has been very good. The direct hit from the run out and Jimmy's catch at the finish will live long in the memory."
Horspath's skipper also paid tribute to the backing his side received from the home crowd.
"The support we had was unbelievable," he said. "It is huge. You don't get it normally in cricket with just 20 to 30 people watching. In this competition with 200 to 250 people cheering you on every ball it makes such a difference. It was a great day for the club. We have not had many better in our 19 years back as Horspath (since the club was reformed).
"It is the first time we have won a home game at this stage in the competition. When we have played away, we have not quite had that atmosphere we had today. The crowd is worth an extra 20 to 30 runs and two wickets. When we get on top, they drive us on."
Now Horspath head to Grampound Road, near St Austell, in Cornwall for a last-16 tie on July 2.
Will commented: "I feel in the squad we have all bases covered with the seam attack and the spinners complement each other by turning the ball both ways.
"We have lads at the top of the order who can dig in and lads who can clear the boundary which gives us a good chance of getting through the next round."