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Biggs blitzes century in Horspath farewell

19 Aug 2024

Lachlan Biggs ended his stay with Horspath in a blaze of glory by hitting a superb unbeaten century for the Cherwell League Division 1 title-chasers to set up an emphatic 203-run win at Cumnor.

The Australian ace, who returned home on Sunday to play 1st Grade cricket for South Brisbane Districts, cracked 105 not out off 112 balls to steer the leaders to a formidable 289-6 after choosing to bat.

His swansong innings included 12 fours and two sixes as he shared an unbroken seventh-wicket stand of 125 with skipper Will Eason (46no) to take the game way from Cumnor.

The hosts were then shot out for 86 with Eason (4-17) leading the way as his side maintained a 24-point cushion over Didcot at the top of the table.

Robbie Eason had helped Horspath get off to a good start with a fluent 32, before the visitors suffered a mid-innings wobble as three quick wickets fell to Will Simpson, making it 117-5.

Biggs set about repairing the damage, moving the score on to 164 with Viv Narayan, before being joined by Eason in a match-winning partnership.

The overseas star went past fifty in the Cherwell League for the fourth time this season and with Eason stepping up the pace with a flurry of boundaries, Horspath got well on top as the two left-handers shared a century stand.

Biggs moved to 99 with his second six off the fifth ball of the penultimate over, before completing a maiden Cherwell century with a single from the next delivery.

His unbeaten ton took his tally for the season to 494 runs at an average of 61.75 plus two T20 half-centuries in the Hartwell Trophy, and he goes home as the leading runscorer in the top flight.

Simpson finished with 3-37 for Cumnor, while Patrick Knightley picked up 1-23 from his opening 10-over spell as Cumnor conceded 56 extras, including 43 wides.

Biggs carried on with the wicket-keeper's gloves where he had left off with the bat by taking a brilliant catch to give Asad Rafiq a wicket with the second ball of Cumnor's innings.

Will Eason then took centre stage, hitting the stumps for all four of his wickets with his tight lines offering little for the Cumnor batsmen, who collapsed in dramatic fashion from 49-2 to 60-8.

Jehan Mohammed (1-12) chipped in with a wicket and Stephen Green's superb throw for a direct run out hastened the home side's demise, before spinners Viv Narayan (2-19) and Amin Rafiq (1-6) sealed victory.

Horspath bid to keep up their title charge at home to ninth-placed Leighton Buzzard Town next Saturday.