Sravan Konidena fell agonisingly short of a century with a superb 99 but it couldn't prevent Horspath from falling to a seven-wicket defeat at Oxford in Home Counties Premier Cricket League Division 2.
With the format switching to the time game, the opener held the Horspath innings together as the visitors were bowled out for 188 after being put in to bat at the Oxford University Press Sports Ground.
When Oxford crashed to 17-3 it looked like to may be enough but then Julian Laird (110no) and Brendon Smith (58no) shared an unbroken fourth-wicket stand of 172 to steer the hosts to victory.
Earlier in the day, an accurate home attack ensured runs were hard to come by on a slow surface as Horspath struggled to establish partnerships.
Konidena was the only visiting batsman to master the conditions with his runs coming off 151 balls and including eight fours and three sixes.
He reached his half-century before lunch, which arrived with Horspath 82-2 off 32 overs.
However, the visitors were unable to press on after the break, stumbling to 121-4 as Brad Taylor (4-41) took the first four wickets to fall.
Konidena could only look on as Horspath, who gave a Home Counties debut to wicket-keeper Connor Wardlaw, saw their middle order succumb to the spin of Alfie Smethurst (3-36) and Brendon Smith.
The Oxfordshire all-rounder kept the scoreboard ticking, though, and was within a run of a second Home Counties ton of the season when he swept a delivery from Julian Laird into Smith's hands on the deep square leg boundary.
Ryan Hicks (21) and Liam Turnbull boosted the Horspath total with 27 for the last wicket, before Jack Wilkins wrapped up the innings.
It looked a below-par score but Horspath rocked Oxford with three early wickets.
Derval Green pinned Lee Marland lbw, before the Jamaican star caught Gaajuran Ganagabalan off Konidena to make it 16-2.
One run later, Green shattered Finn McKeown's stumps and Horspath were right in the game.
But then Laird and Smith stood firm and turned the innings round in stunning fashion. They took the visitors to tea at 35-3 and proceeded to dominate the Horspath bowling after the interval.
Laird was the more fluent of the pair, bringing up his fifty with a six over mid-wicket as he punished anything short, while Smith completed his half-century with a scampered single.
Horspath's bowlers had no answer as Laird powered to a century, which he completed with a run off a reverse sweep.
Smith clinched Oxford's victory with a six over mid-wicket to add to eight fours in his 92-ball knock, while Laird's runs came off 105 deliveries and included 10 fours and four sixes.
Horspath remain in fifth place bid going into next Saturday when Chesham, who beat Stoke Green by 16 runs, visit the Recreation Ground.
It's part of a big weekend for the side with the Cawston Press Village Cup fifth-round tie at home to Clydach on Sunday.
Horspath CC would like to thank the following 2026 Player Sponsors:
Amin Rafiq (STRONG Pilates Oxford)
Asad Rafiq (STRONG Pilates Oxford)
Will Eason (Oxford Marquees)
Josh Richardson (Steve Richardson)
Tyrone Eyles (Interduct UK Ltd)
Robbie Eason (ARB UK Ltd)
Tom Coleman (RJA & SL Coleman)
Ryan Hicks (Green & Wakefield)
Ehsan Hussain (RMA Properties)
Tom Nichols (Savona Foodservice)
Josh Cummings (Gardiners Opticians)