With the later stages of the T20 competition held over until this year due to the coronavirus pandemic and the rescheduled finals day washed out in July, the decider had been a long time in the planning. But it more than lived up to expectations as the two sides served up a
terrific contest for the Honey-‘B’ Trophy, named in memory of the late Horspath player Morris Honey.

Having put Rowant in to bat and restricted them to 133-8, Horspath looked up against it at several stages of their run chase after opener Alfie Turner made 34 off 23 balls, which included several cracking cover drives among his seven fours. But Luke Heritage, who batted with a calm assurance for his unbeaten 33 from 26 balls with two fours and a six, and Joe Gibbs kept the home side in with a chance after they had been 96-8. Arriving at the last over, Horspath required 12 to win with two wickets remaining. Gibbs was unable to score off the first delivery, but then hit the next for six over long on.

He then departed for a run-a-ball 20 as he stretched to chop Eliot Hyman’s delivery back to the bowler, who gratefully clung on to the chance, bringing last man Josh Cummings to the crease. A wide meant Horspath needed five off the last three balls, and when Cummings got an edge to the next short-pitched delivery it flew past the wicket-keeper to the boundary for four. There was no run from the penultimate ball, but Cummings squeezed the last delivery out to point and the pair scampered through for the winning single to take Horspath to 134-9 and spark a massive roar from the home supporters by the clubhouse. Rowant paceman Hayden Rossouw produced brilliant figures of 2-1 from his four overs at the start of the innings, while Jamie Revill picked up
3-22 in the closing overs.

Tristan Rossouw also chipped in with 1-22 plus a brilliant direct hit from the long off boundary to run out Charlie Turner at the non-striker’s end as he attempted a second, but it wasn’t enough to prevent Horspath scrambling over the line. The home side’s bowlers, supported by some excellent catching, had earlier done well to hold Rowant in check. Charlie Turner and Cummings reduced the defending champions to 27-2 by dismissing the dangerous duo of Hayden Rossouw and Revill respectively. But then Tristan Rossouw and captain Oli Shaw put Rowant on top with a stand of 64 for the third wicket, before Heritage swung the game back in Horspath’s favour as he picked up 3-19 from his four overs. The off-spinner had Rossouw well caught by Charlie Turner at deep mid-wicket for 43 from 46 balls, and bowled Shaw for 29 off 25 deliveries, before striking again when Will Hammersley fell to a superb
catch by Rayaan Dogar at long off to make it 102-5. Gibbs then got in on the act to take 3-18 at the death with Josh Richardson and Dogar again taking good catches as Rowant fell short of setting the big target that looked on the cards at one stage.

That was to prove important as Horspath just had enough to get home in that pulsating finish before captain Tejas Anand lifted the Honey-‘B’ Trophy with Morris Honey’s family on hand to make the presentations. Now Horspath will defend the trophy at the Recreation Ground on Sunday, September 19 when the 2021 finals day takes place. They will face Banbury in the semi-finals at 11am, while Hook Norton take on Cumnor, with the final later in the afternoon.