Horspath Cricket Club News story

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Richardson & Eason shine in Horspath loss

28 Aug 2023

JOSH Richardson hit a maiden Home Counties Premier League half-century and Robbie Eason also weighed in with a fifty, but it couldn't save Horspath from a four-wicket defeat at promotion-chasing Gerrards Cross consigning the club to a bottom-two finish in Division 2.
Horspath went into the game knowing they had to win to stand any chance of escaping the drop zone, and they gave themselves every chance by posting 261-9 after being put in to bat.
In just his fourth innings in the league and his first opportunity in the top order, Richardson made 55 from 61 balls, while Eason's 50 came off 83 deliveries.
But Horspath were unable to prevent Gerrards Cross, whose target was revised following rain, claiming victory at 255-6 with seven balls to spare.
Jimmy Phillips and Tom Coleman with 32 apiece got the visitors off to a good start with an opening stand of 67 before they fell in quick succession.
However, Eason and Richardson continued the good work with a partnership of 107 for the third wicket.
Richardson was the more fluent and brought up the century stand with a straight six, before completing an excellent fifty with two runs off the next delivery courtesy of an overthrow which would have run out Eason at the non-striker's end as he backed up if it had hit.
The 18-year-old hammered his sixth four through the onside off the next ball only to drive Harry Spear into Gerrards Cross skipper Jon Denning's hands at cover one ball later.
Eason, who hit four boundaries and two sixes, brought up his first Home Counties half-century of the season by dropping a single into the onside in the 42nd over. However, he hadn't added to his score when he edged left-arm spinner Teddy Fleming (2-32) into Chris Marrow's gloves, making it 208-5.
Horspath's lower order chipped in as wickets fell to seamer Finn Collins (5-65) in the late scramble for runs, before last man Justin Clarke (18no) ensured the innings finished with a flourish by striking two sixes over long on as 17 runs came off the last over.
With rain arriving at the scheduled start of Gerrards Cross's innings, the home side's target was revised to 255 off 47 overs and they got off to a flier.
Clarke made the breakthrough in the fifth over by bowling George Coomber, before skipper Will Eason brought himself on and struck with his second delivery by trapping Marrow lbw to make it 38-2.
Horspath enjoyed further success to leave the hosts 62-3 when off-spinner Amin Rafiq removed opener Fahim Qureshi lbw for a fluent 32.
But then Ben Lane and Alex Hampshire put on 130 for the third wicket to swing the game in Gerrards Cross's favour.
Lane was the first to fifty with a single in the 25th over, while Hampshire also went to his half-century with a single nine overs later.
Their partnership was finally ended when Clarke had Lane caught by Minhaj Jalill for 83 off 87 balls with eight fours and four sixes to make it 192-4.
Four runs later, Hampshire fell lbw to Jalill for 54 from 84 deliveries, which included fives fours and a six. When the Sri Lankan removed Joel Abbott in similar fashion, Gerrards Cross were 199-6 and the game was in the balance.
However, there was to be no further success for Horspath as Denning, with an unbeaten 34 off 25 balls, and Fleming (21no) powered the home side to victory with an unbroken seventh-wicket stand of 56 to keep their promotion hopes alive.
Clarke (2-48), Jalill (2-51), Eason (1-23) and Rafiq (1-39) were the Horspath wicket-takers.