First Team & Horspath Share Spoils

The First team visited Horspath last weekend and it was captain Shelvin Gumbs who called correctly and elected to field after winning the toss.

Simon Stanway and Mo Choudhry moved the ball around beating the bat consistently and were very economical in their opening spell as the hosts was restricted to 37-4 in the opening 21 overs in the game.

Stanway made the early breakthrough in the sixth over with Chloe Hill taking a diving catch behind the stumps. The second came in the 10th over followed by a third in the 12th both taken by Choudhry before Stanway took his second in the 21st over.

By lunch Horspath had reached 84-4 and a recovery was underway with the key partnership of 78 between Daryll Brown and Tom Cosford advancing their total to 120 before the fifth wicket fell. This was well supported by a couple of crucial late partnerships as the Horspath reached 228-8 from their 64 overs.

In pursuit of the chase, the new opening pair of AJ Woodland (pictured) and David Burnell (pictured) got off to an excellent start, easily the best in the last few years as they put on 120 before Woodland was out caught off the bowling of Lloyd Belcher for 54. The old cliché of one brings two rang true as 3 runs later Burnell fell LBW for 55 also off Belcher.

A collapse followed with the next three partnerships only producing a total of 12 runs as we lost the wickets of Steve Clark, Charlie Macdonell and captain Gumbs. Next to fall was Sheridon Gumbs LBW after a partnership of 11 and then Rory Criddle after he too had added 11 with Michael Payne.

With the bulk of the batters gone, a draw was now the preferred outcome for TPCC and Payne found a partner in Choudhry to bat out the last 11 overs as our innings closed on 184-7 with the match drawn. After a couple of weeks away, the First Team return to London Road and host leaders Henley this weekend.