HORSPATH'S outside chances of promotion in Home Counties Premier League Division 2 were dealt a major blow with a 101-run defeat at home to relegation candidates Cumnor.
Despite the loss, the side remain in third place with the gap to second-placed Wargrave, who were sunk by five wickets at home to Thame Town, now 27 points with just three games remaining.
A six-match unbeaten run capped by three straight wins in the timed games had seen Horspath soar up the standings, but they were always second-best against a Cumnor side who have their own battle at the other end of the table.
With the league returning to the 50-50 over format, the visitors rattled up 281-3 after electing to bat in sweltering conditions.
Horspath were never in the hunt following an all-too-familiar top-order collapse as they were bowled out for 180, despite a maiden Home Counties half-century for Jehan Mohammed (pictured).
Former Horspath batsman Sulaiman Hussain and Will Price put on 73 for Cumnor's first wicket.
The breakthrough came in the 20th over when Price on 29 chipped a leading edge back to off-spinner Imraan Manack, who gratefully accepted the easy chance.
Hussain had batted steadily to reach 46 when he was next to go, caught by Manack off left-arm spinner Lloyd Belcher to make it 97-2.
But Tom Powell and skipper William Bull then took the game away from Horspath with a stand of 113 for the third wicket.
Powell was the first to reach a half-century with a cover drive for four, and he was followed two overs later by his captain with a square cut to the boundary as Cumnor piled up the runs.
Their partnership was finally ended when Bull was caught by acting skipper Will Eason off Manack for 62 to make it 210-3. His runs came off 61 balls and included eight fours.
Powell was then joined by Harry Ackland and the pair smashed 71 off the final 5.1 overs as Cumnor set a challenging target.
Powell finished unbeaten on 86 from 90 deliveries with nine fours and a six, while Ackland's 36 not out came off just 20 balls. Manack (2-54) and Belcher (1-51) were the Horspath wicket-takers, while Amin Rafiq was the most economical, bowling his 10 overs at a cost of 45 runs without reward.
Horspath needed a solid start to be in with a chance of chasing down the runs, but once again their top-order folded with only opener Max Smith standing firm.
It was quickly 4-2, then 12-3 and 27-4 as the wickets tumbled with Andrew Roberts the chief destroyer well supported by former Horspath paceman Asad Rafiq.
Smith, who had made a match-winning 74 at Amersham a week earlier, again showed good application before falling lbw to Ackland to make it 73-6 and the game was up.
Horspath's lower order, which has so often come to the side's rescue this season, unsurprisingly found this one bridge too far, but they did at least salvage some respectability.
Mohammed batted fluently combining powerful blows with deft touches. He shared a stand of 54 for the seventh wicket with Will Hawtin (21) before Belcher (22) helped him take the score up to 168.
Mohammed brought up his fifty with a single to mid-wicket before being the last man out in the 43rd over, bowled by Roberts for 52 from 56 balls with five fours and a six.
Roberts finished with impressive figures of 4-28, while Powell completed a fine all-round game by chipping in with 3-19.
Horspath will bid to get back on track when they travel to fourth-placed Chesham next Saturday.
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