Viv Narayan hit a maiden Home Counties Premier League half-century as Horspath marked their return to Division 2 with a five-wicket win at Bicester & North Oxford.
With the hosts posting 209-9 off 50 overs after choosing to bat, Narayan made 61 from 87 balls to steer last season's Cherwell League champions to victory at 213-5 with four balls to spare.
His fine knock included four boundaries as he shared a stand of 105 for the third wicket with Tom Coleman, who weighed in with 45 off 67 deliveries.
The pair put together a match-winning partnership after coming together at 36-2.
Narayan went to his half-century with a single down to fine leg, and Coleman was also closing in on a fifty when he was trapped lbw by Afghan Waris to make it 141-3.
His innings included six fours including a cracking back foot drive through extra cover.
Narayan fell shortly after, bowled by Waris (2-37), but Josh Richardson kept Horspath on course, hitting over the top well before being stumped by skipper Josh Towell off Farhaan Khan for a breezy 31.
It was then left to Tom Nichols and skipper Amin Rafiq to steer the visitors home, both finishing unbeaten on 16.
Although the match went to the last over, Horspath always had the situation under control with Rafiq thumping the winning boundary over long on to the delight of his teammates.
Earlier, Horspath had produced a good effort in the field to restrict Bicester.
Asad Rafiq made a dream start as Khan edged the third ball of the innings to his brother, Amin, in the gully.
Former Horspath player Christopher Hofen was then joined by Markus Jeacock to put on 51 for the second wicket, before Will Eason (2-28) struck twice in the space of as many balls.
He had Hofen caught behind by Will Hawtin, before Towell fell lbw to make it 53-3.
Ryan Moore joined Jeacock to rebuild the innings. They had put on 76 for the fourth wicket and Jeacock had just reached 50 from 124 balls with four boundaries when he was run out by Nichols.
Spinners Amin and Josh Richardson then tightened Horspath's grip.
Moore was pinned in front for 42 by Richardson, while fellow leg-spinner Narayan accepted a caught and bowled chance from Oliver Ward.
The pair then combined to account for Sam Payne with Richardson, who produced the stand-out spell of 2-20 from 10 overs, the beneficiary as Narayan again displayed good hands.
Dan Savin (17) and Ben Clark (21) boosted Bicester before the pair were bowled by Sravan Konidena and Amin respectively.
It looked like a total which Horspath would have every chance of chasing down with sensible batting and that's how it proved as the side got off to a flying start.
Next up are Slough, who beat Datchet by eight wickets, at the Recreation Ground on Saturday.