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Horspath slip deeper into relegation trouble

22 Aug 2023

HORSPATH slid deeper into Home Counties Premier League Division 2 relegation trouble with a 108-run defeat at promotion-chasing Oxford Downs.
The hosts posted 243-8 after choosing to bat - a score which proved well out of reach as the visitors fell to 135 all out.
The loss means Horspath are now 33 points from safety in ninth place after Buckingham Town beat Amersham by four runs to leapfrog Oxford, who drop to eighth spot.
With just two games remaining - and 40 points available - the side face an uphill task to finish outside the bottom two.
Second-placed Downs' total was built on a fine 129-run second-wicket stand between Luke Maslen, who hammered 82 from 108 balls, and opener Will Watts with a patient 46.
Maslen went to his fifty with a sweep for four, and the pair brought up a century partnership before their stand was ended by a run out.
An errant piece of fielding with the ball flying over wicket-keeper Joey Todd's head tempted Maslen at the non-striker's end to set off for a second only for Minhaj Jalill to throw down the stumps with a direct hit.
Maslen's innings included six fours and three sixes, but his dismissal sparked a mini-collapse with three wickets falling for two runs.
Watts was caught behind off Josh Richardson's leg-spin without addition to the score, before skipper Will Eason dived low to his right at slip to catch Tom Ettridge one-handed off Jalill to make it 153-4.
But then former Horspath all-rounder Tom Cosford and Matt Warner put on 50 for the fifth wicket. Cosford had made a fluent 32 when he holed out to Richardson off Justin Clarke.
The Oxford University paceman had also made the initial breakthrough by having opener Freddie Smith caught by Elliot Ruff in the slips.
And he further added to his tally in his second spell with Matt Warner caught behind for 25, before Downs skipper Tom Costley picked out Eason at mid-wicket for 18.
Off-spinner Amin Rafiq took the final wicket to fall when David Schierhout was caught by Stephen Green, but by then Downs had posted what appeared a formidable total given Horspath's brittle batting this season.
Clarke finished with fine figures of 4-41, with Jalill (1-21), Rafiq (1-41) and Richardson (1-56) the other wicket-takers.
Horspath's run chase never got off the ground as they were quickly reduced to 26-4 with Matt Warner (3-16) and Lawrence Brock (1-19) doing the damage.
Opener Tom Coleman stood firm before being bowled by Oliver Armstrong for 41 to make it 92-7, but Eason was the only other batsman to provide any resistance with 29 as the visitors folded.
Armstrong (2-29), Schierhout (2-31), Costley (1-21) and Ettridge (1-1) wrapped up the innings with Horspath all out off 41.4 overs.
The side travel to third-placed Gerrards Cross next Saturday, knowing they must win to have any chance of escaping the bottom two.