Champions! Horley secure Surrey Championship Division Five title

Churt and Hindhead, who are bottom of the table, opted to concede last weekend’s match and the 20 points that gave to Horley were enough to secure top spot with two matches still remaining, as they are 50 points ahead of second-placed Alleyn. With no players at the club to celebrate on Saturday, no doubt the beers will be flowing after the two remaining games.

Horley were promoted into Championship Division Five at the end of the 2022 season from the Surrey County League Premier Division. Last season they finished a respectable fifth in the table and having added overseas player CP Singh to their ranks this year, they have lost just one match, while winning 11, with one tie and two winning draws.

A restructuring of the Surrey leagues is in the offing, so that the existing separate league pyramids for 1st, 2nd, 3rd XIs and beyond will be amalgamated into one. If it goes ahead in time for the 2025 season, Horley 1sts will be playing in Championship Division Three. If it is delayed, they will be in Division Four next year.

With two matches still to play, Singh is currently Horley 1st XI’s leading run-scorer, while Ben Davies has taken the most wickets. Horley have strengthened their team in recent years with the addition of a handful of players from outside the club, but the majority of the squad which has now won two promotions in three years are home-grown Horley players, who have come up through the club’s colts system.

Horley 2nd XI’s match against Croydon was rained off on Saturday, leaving them second in the table with two matches to go. Roehampton are top with 258 points, Horley have 247 and Croydon are still chasing them for the second promotion spot with 225. With 20 points available for a win, and two matches remaining, Horley could secure promotion with a win at home v Putney next weekend, before a potential title-decider at Roehampton on 7 September.

Horley 3rd XI’s chances of promotion from Sussex Division 11 West (North) improved markedly when last-placed West Chiltington and Thakeham conceded Saturday’s match, enabling Horley to claim the 30 points for a win and go back to the top of the table, while all the other games were rained off.

Horley have one match remaining – away to seventh-placed Warnham next Saturday. Second-placed Steyning are still in the driving seat for the title and the single automatic promotion spot as they are 11 points behind Horley with a game in hand, but Southwater and Forge Wood, in third and fourth, are more than 70 points behind Horley with two games to go.

The team which finishes second in the table will play off against the runners-up from Division 11 West (South) for a promotion spot, so if Horley don’t manage to overhaul Steyning, they are at least guaranteed that opportunity to move up.

This is Horley’s third season in the league and they finished sixth in the first year and fourth in the second, so are eager to secure promotion this time.