A late-innings batting blitz set Horspath on the way to a crushing 116-run victory over county champions Cumnor in a one-sided npower Village Cup semi-final at the Recreation Ground.

Mark Skelton, firstly with the help of veteran Adrian Manger, and then Ben Cook, smashed 93 off the last eight overs to take Horspath to 243-6 off their 40 overs after they won the toss and batted.

Skelton was unbeaten on 56 off 44 balls with nine fours and a six, while Cook blasted 32 off just 12 balls, including two mighty sixes, after skipper Robbie Eason’s patient 40 had laid the foundations.

To add to Cumnor’s woes, Ayaz Khan split the webbing on his left hand attem-pting to take a catch off Cook and was unable to bat.

Off-spinner Umair Ghazali was the pick of the Cumnor attack, taking 1-22 from his nine overs.

Cumnor still seemed shell-shocked when they came to bat and were soon in disarrary at 29-4, with Will Eason and Mohson Rana doing the damage.

Left-arm seamer Andy Cummings then stepped in to polish off the remainder of the Cumnor order with 5-28 as the holders were shot out for 127 off 30.4 overs, Sam Jones top-scoring with 39.

Horspath, county runners-up for the last three years, will be seeking to break their final hoodoo when they entertain either Downs or Rowant in the Oxfordshire decider on Sunday, June 14.