Horspath missed out on a great opportunity as they slipped to a 27-run defeat against Thame Town in Home Counties Premier Cricket League Division 2 at the Recreation Ground.
The hosts had Thame in big trouble at 103-9 with Sravan Konidena (4-33) and Jehan Mohammed (3-16) doing the damage after the visitors had chosen to bat.
But Horspath were then frustrated by the last pair of captain Hassam Mushtaq (40) and Fos Fasanya (13no), who added a crucial 64 runs to take Thame to 167 all out.
With the home side also finding batting difficult on a tricky pitch, they tumbled to 140 all out with Dinushka Malan returning match-winning figures of 7-38.
It had started so well for Horspath with Konidena reducing Thame to 15-2. Bowling with good pace, the Oxfordshire all-rounder struck twice more to make it 50-4.
Fifteen-year-old opener Evan Cowley stood firm, though, and moved the score on to 93 with Alex Browne, before Sam Leslie's left-arm spin broke the partnership.
With Browne (24) getting a leading edge, Dominic O'Connor ran round from first slip to take the catch at short fine leg.
Without addition to the score, Mohammed removed Cowley (40) with Tom Nichols snaffling a good catch at slip.
The medium pacer was celebrating again after bowling Shahbaz Meer and Malan as Horspath went into lunch on top with Thame 102-8.
Just one run had been added after the interval when Leslie (2-67) bowled Brad Watson, but then Mushtaq and Fasanya came to Thame's rescue.
They defied the Horspath attack for 20 overs before Liam Turnbull (1-30) bowled Mushtaq to finally end the innings.
The home side's run chase got off to a disastrous start as they slumped to 18-3 with Malan, the division's leading wicket-taker last season, wreaking havoc.
Viv Narayan, fresh from helping Oxford University win the Varsity Match against Cambridge in The Parks, attempted to hold the innings together as wickets fell around him and went into tea unbeaten on 31 at 88-5.
But he was unable to add to his score after the resumption, falling lbw to become Malan's fifth victim, and Horspath were precariously placed at 91-6.
Malan made it six of the best with acting captain Derval Green caught at mid-wicket by Watson for 18 to make it 116-7, and quickly added a seventh wicket.
Josh Richardson provided resistance with 21 only to be lbw to Mushtaq, who wrapped up the victory to finish with 3-30 as the hosts were bowled out off 36.4 overs.
Despite the defeat, Horspath move up a place to seventh but are now only three points above bottom club Challow & Childrey.
The side are at home again on Saturday when ninth-placed Ickenham, who lost to Challow by six wickets, are the visitors.
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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)