Electrophoresis of a tightly fitting sphere of radius
$a$ along the centreline of a liquid-filled circular cylinder of radius
$R$ is studied for a gap width
$h_0=R-a\ll a$. We assume a Debye length
$\kappa ^{-1}\ll h_0$, so that surface conductivity is negligible for zeta potentials typically seen in experiments, and the Smoluchowski slip velocity is imposed as a boundary condition at the solid surfaces. The pressure difference between the front and rear of the sphere is determined. If the cylinder has finite length
$L$, this pressure difference causes an additional volumetric flow of liquid along the cylinder, increasing the electrophoretic velocity of the sphere, and an analytic prediction for this increase is found when
$L\gg R$. If
$N$ identical, well-spaced spheres are present, the electrophoretic velocity of the spheres increases with
$N$, in agreement with the experiments of Misiunas & Keyser (Phys. Rev. Lett., vol. 122, 2019, 214501).