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Horspath march into Hartwell Cup final

02 Aug 2023

HORSPATH produced an impressive bowling display to set up a resounding eight-wicket win over Brackley in the Hartwell Senior Cup semi-final at the Recreation Ground.
Tyrone Eyles (4-22) and skipper Amin Rafiq (3-20) returned the stand-out figures as Brackley were shot out for 101 after electing to bat.
Minhaj Jalill then blasted 41 off 30 balls to lead Horspath to victory at 105-2 with 6.2 overs to spare and a place in the final of Oxfordshire's premier T20 competition for the sixth time in 11 years.
Now Horspath will look to go one better than 12 months ago when they line up at Sir Paul Getty's Ground, Wormsley on Sunday, September 17 against either holders Banbury or Oxford, who meet at White Post Road on Thursday.
Max Smith set the tone by opening up with a maiden, before Rafiq struck a big blow with his first delivery when he trapped Adam Wirth, the leading runscorer in Pool 2 where Brackley finished runners-up, lbw.
Rafiq's accurate off-spin had been a feature of Horspath winning Pool 1, and he was celebrating again in his second over when David Gibson drove into Hussaan Ahmed's hands at cover to make it 4-2.
Jalill, as well as being the competition's top runscorer is also the leading wicket-taker, and he added to his tally when Will Hawtin stumped Eric Carpenter off his second delivery to leave Brackley 18-3.
The Sri Lankan (2-17) was on the mark once more when he bowled George Brock for 15 to make it 29-4 in the 10th over and Horspath were well on top.
When Jehan Mohammed had Michael Lowe caught behind by Will Hawtin in the next over it looked as if the visitors could cave in at 37-5, but to their credit the Cherwell League Division 2 side rallied in spirited fashion.
Josh Taylor pulled a six over mid-wicket by the car park in making a brisk 17, before Rafiq returned to have him caught by Stephen Green backpedalling to take a skier at point.
Josh Rowland and Josh Markham also cleared the ropes in a handy partnership to take Brackley up to 91, before the former was bowled for 15 by Eyles.
The Horspath seamer then had Markham caught by Rafiq for 22, before hitting the stumps with consecutive deliveries to polish off the tail with Brackley all out off 19.4 overs.
It was a clinical performance by Horspath's bowlers, and Jalill and Mohammed quickly settled home supporters' nerves with a second-wicket stand of 68 from 51 balls.
The pair unleashed a barrage of boundaries before the Sri Lankan all-rounder hit consecutive deliveries for six with a huge maximum straight down the ground before he fired the next ball into the houses on the far corner as he took 20 off one over.
Jalill looked as if he was set for a third half-century in the competition only to be stopped in his tracks when he was lbw to Michael Lowe in the 10th over, making it 73-2.
Stephen Green ensured there was no let-up for Brackley's bowlers, though, as he joined Mohammed to power Horspath home by cracking an unbeaten 19 off 12 balls.
Mohammed was undefeated with a well-made 34 from 33 deliveries, while Green's breezy knock included a six over backward square leg, before he secured victory by edging to the third man boundary.