OPENERS Tom Coleman and Jimmy Phillips racked up half-centuries as Horspath kept their hopes alive of escaping the Home Counties Premier League Division 2 relegation zone with a convincing 79-run victory at home to Oxford.
The pair set the hosts on the way to 222-8 after they were put in to bat in a match reduced to 47 overs-a-side by rain.
Jehan Mohammed then starred with 4-26 as Oxford were bowled out for 145 in pursuit of their revised target of 225.
It saw Horspath end a run of nine weeks without a win, but the side remain in ninth, 19 points from safety after eight-placed Buckingham Town triumphed by five wickets at Thame Town.
Coleman and Phillips got Horspath off to a fine start, putting on 53 off 9 overs, before rain led to a 48-minute delay and a reduction to the overs.
When play resumed they carried on where they left off with Coleman going to his first Home Counties half-century of the season with his ninth four, a late cut down to the third man boundary.
However, he had only added a further single when his 59-ball knock came to an end in the next over when he was lbw to left-arm spinner Alfie Smethurst for 54, making it 95-1.
Phillips completed his second league fifty this term with a four through the covers before he became Oxford skipper George Tait's third victim when he was caught by Smethurst for 57 to leave Horspath 151-4. He had faced 112 balls and hit three fours and one six down the ground over long on.
Minhaj Jalill ensured Horspath's good start wasn't wasted by making a fluent 39, before he was bowled by Farhaan Khan to make it 201-7. Amin Rafiq then smashed an unbeaten 18 off 11 balls to take the home side to their final total.
Tait, with 3-24 from 10 overs of off-spin, was the pick of the Oxford attack, while Khan took 2-54 with Smethurst and Jack Wilkins each returning economical figures of 1-33.
Manan Parmar and Vishane Perera put on 40 for Oxford's first wicket, before Horspath skipper Will Eason made the breakthrough courtesy of a sharp stumping by Will Hawtin to remove Perera.
Oxford had added just one more run when a sharp downpour led to a further 36-minute delay.
Following the resumption, it was the introduction of Mohammed which put the home side firmly on top as the visitors crashed to 69-6. He trapped Parmar lbw for 27 with just his second delivery, and added three more victims, while off-spinner Amin Rafiq also got in on the act.
Khan hammered 33 before becoming the second of two victims for Jalill with Justin Clarke returning to take the final two wickets as Horspath clinched a resounding win with Oxford all out off 39.2 overs.
Mohammed was well supported by Jalill (2-27), Clarke (2-31), Eason (1-20) and Rafiq (1-31).
Horspath continue their battle to beat the drop with a trip to second-placed Oxford Downs on Saturday, while Buckingham entertain Amersham, who are fourth.