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Todd hits terrific ton for Horspath 2nd

19 Aug 2024

Dan Todd hit a maiden Cherwell League century with a brilliant 125 in Horspath 2nd's 74-run victory over Shipton-under-Wychwood in Division 2 at the Recreation Ground.

The opener, whose previous best was 85 for Horspath 4th at Thame Town 3rd in Division 6A last year, continued his rich vein of form to post the highest score of the weekend.

He cracked 23 fours in his 114-ball knock to set the home side on the way to an impressive 299-7 after they had elected to bat.

Todd, who was adding to four fifties this season including one for the 3rd XI, shared an opening stand of 120 with Dominic O'Connor (40).

He then put on 82 for the second wicket with Hussaan Ahmad (22), reaching his century with a late cut for four down to third man before he was caught by Finn Barrett off Greg Woods (5-58) to make it 220-4.

Tyron Eyles smashed 34 off 24 balls and Max Smith weighed in with an unbeaten 22 as Horspath recorded the day's third highest score.

Eyles (3-29) and Smith then combined to reduce Shipton to 15-3 and the visitors struggled to 65-6, before Callum Taylor (58) and Arun White (57) put on 68 for the seventh wicket.

White and Woods (25) added 50 as the Shipton tail wagged, but Horspath were always in control as the innings closed on 225-9, with Josh Cummings impressing with 1-20 off 10 overs.

The win was the side's fourth in five games and keeps them in fourth spot ahead of Saturday's trip to Wolverton Town.

Luke Heritage hit an unbeaten 75 and Dan Corner weighed in with 57 as Horspath 3rd boosted their hopes of beating the drop in Division 3A with a five-wicket win at home to third-placed Bledlow Village.

Chasing 199-7 after putting the hosts in to bat, Horspath were in trouble at 23-3 when the pair came together with Joe Harman (2-14) doing the damage.

But they turned the game round with a superb fourth-wicket stand of 130 to set the visitors on the way to victory at 200-5 with two overs to spare.

Heritage's 105-ball knock was a Cherwell best, beating his previous highest score of 57 for Horspath 4th against Bicester & North Oxford 2nd in 2017, while Corner faced 101 deliveries with both hitting eight fours.

Earlier, Ed Oakley (3-29) had led the way as the hosts slumped to 105-6 with good support from Heritage, who took 2-20 off 10 overs, and Saud Kaleem (2-39).

Bledlow were indebted to a seventh-wicket stand of 85 between Sam Leppard (46no) and skipper Thomas Moore (45) for their final total.

Horspath remain at the foot of the table but are now just four points behind ninth-placed Banbury 3rd and 11 points adrift of Aston Rowant 3rd in eighth with games against both teams to come, starting with a trip to Rowant next Saturday.

Horspath 4th found third-placed Risinghurst too strong with a 288-run defeat in Division 5C.

The hosts rattled up 330-5 after choosing to bat, before the visitors succumbed to 42 all out.

With Risinghurst 87-3, Horspath were in the game, but then S M Mansoor Abbasi (110) and Lokeshwar Bandhu (84) put on 182 for the fourth wicket, before Kunal Bhardwaj hit an unbeaten 44.

The visitors' problems were added to with skipper Craig Wharton injuring a hand while wicket-keeping, leaving him unable to bat as they were bowled out inside 21 overs. Rakesh Nambiar took 3-6.

The defeat confirms the side's relegation, having been promoted as Division 6A champions last season when they did the double by lifting the Steve Dixon Memorial Cup. They are at home to Watlington next Saturday.