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Horspath are hot stuff in Feast Match

19 Sep 2023

PHEW, what a scorcher! With temperatures soaring to around 30°C, the annual Horspath Feast Match was held on probably its hottest day ever.
While the second Sunday in September was a real sizzler it wasn't really one for the formal attire that is traditionally worn for the occasion.
Indeed, some might say it was a day for fans of Phil Collins (No Jacket Required).
Anyway, with your correspondent heading for rainy Galway, details of the game are even sketchier than usual - mainly because those spoken to since have very hazy recollections! Suffice to say, though, it was a special day.
With Andy Grose and Simon Goves, the club's scoring maestros this season, not at the keyboard, Tommy Pritchard, taking a rare day off from running The Fox Inn at Boars Hill, made a welcome return to his old role accompanied by George Horsley. While, no doubt, the beer flowed as freely on the scorers' table as the runs on the pitch, details are conspicuous by their absence on digital platforms.
However, thanks to the wonders of the club's live Youtube stream it's been possible to glean the following. The President's XI, as is traditional, batted first and made good progress to reach lunch at 171-3 off 28 overs.
The break in play coincided with a brief shower on the sultry September day which led to the covers being put in place.
There then followed an interval of 2hrs and 15mins - not because of the weather as the rain quickly passed, but the highlight of the day with a full house sitting down for a magnificent lunch provided by Hayden Moon and his team.
It brought Horspath's resident chef a standing ovation with Clive Ricks, a former President's XI captain, suggesting since he should put in a bid for the Long Room catering contract at Lord's.
That certainly provides food for thought. Maybe he could serve up a Full English for the Egg & Bacon Brigade.
Horspath secretary Max Eason's post-lunch speech was as amusing as ever, while the opposition were captained this year for President Denis Walker by Wes Morrick, stepping in for Neil Megson, who like your correspondent was caught out by the late change of date.
The side also included former Horspath star Ben Thompson and Sri Lankan left-armer Navin Kavikara, whose 48 wickets played a leading role in Great Brickhill being crowned Home Counties Premier League Division 2 champions.
Among the trophies on show was the Airey Cup won by Horspath's 3rd XI. With the cup returning to the club for the first time in 32 years, it rekindled memories for several senior members from when they featured in Horspath's eight previous winning-sides of the old Oxfordshire Cricket Association competition back in the 1970s, 80s and 90s.
While Hayden's lunch was widely applauded, the festivities seemed to take their toll on the President's XI. When play resumed under the watchful eyes of umpires Bob Chamberlain and Carl Thompson a flurry of wickets saw them collapse to 208 all out off 36 overs.
Openers Christopher Hofen and Dominic O'Connor then got Horspath's run chase off to a flying start, putting on 105 inside 12 overs. Their partnership came to an end with O'Connor's dismissal, while Hofen completed a fine half-century.
The President's XI made further inroads into the Horspath batting, but the club had enough in hand to reach 209-7 in the 26th over for a three-wicket win before the celebrations continued into the evening.
Here's to catching up with everyone next year. Cheers!