Historic weekend for Horley Cricket Club as they field four men's team for the first time

The 3rds have been able to enter a league this season thanks to Copthorne Sports and Community Association doing sterling work to enable Horley to use their ground and the 3rds celebrated their big day with a win.

Horley found a last-minute fixture for the 4ths after it became clear that enough players were available, and a mixture of adults and colts took on Bank of England 4ths at Wimbledon. They lost by four wickets but will still go down in the club’s history books.

There were also league wins for the 2nds and 1sts to complete a fantastic Saturday for the Horley Club.

Byfleet 1st XI 39 all out (16.4 overs) Horley 1st XI 84 all out (37.1 overs)

Horley 1st XI got their Surrey County League Premier Division campaign off to a winning start in a low-scoring match at Byfleet, thanks to six wickets for Ben Davies and four for Will Taylor.

Horley were put in on a slightly green track. Their batting troubles continued from the previous week due to a mix of some tight bowling and poor shot selection, meaning they struggled to find any momentum.

Finding themselves 23-3 (effectively for four, after Jon Barnett retired injured) Matt Gainsford (15) and Taylor (14) battled hard to preserve their wickets, but regular wickets continued to fall. Ross Nel (12) and Charlie Robins (11*) added some late order runs, but Byfleet bowled them out for an under-par 84.

Horley knew that a couple of early wickets would put them right back in the game in the 15-minute spell before tea. Ben Davies obliged, removing both openers cheaply before tea was taken.

Horley came back out raring to go and Davies continued where he left off, picking up another with the first ball.

Wickets just kept falling with Davies grabbing the first six to fall, conceding just 11 runs. Taylor (4-24) making his league debut was Davies’s opening partner and cashed in with the final four wickets thanks to some accurate bowling and some great hands behind the stumps from Anthony Puttick. Riley Coutts (10) was the only Byfleet batsman to make double figures as the hosts were bowled out for 39 in 16.4 overs.

Not how they would have wanted, but Horley take 20 points and move on to play Weybridge Vandals at home next Saturday.

Horley 2nd XI 233-4 (45 overs), Byfleet 2nd XI 73 all out (26.4 overs)

An excellent performance with bat and ball from Phil Norman gave Horley a big win over Byfleet at the start of their season in Surrey County League 2nd XI Division One.

Horley elected to bat first on an overcast afternoon at Horley Row and worked their way to 20-0 against some tight bowling before Christian Kelly was dismissed. A rebuild from Matthew Reid and Andrew Thomas was starting before a mix-up left Reid run out.

Norman then joined Thomas at the crease and a steady 79 partnership developed with some interesting bowling and some lovely shots. When Thomas was finally dismissed for 61, Norman continued to bat well with support from Richard Waddington and George Hyde. Horley finished on 233 with Norman 89 not out off 96 balls including 11 fours and three sixes and Hyde 33 not out off just 23 (four fours, one six).

Horley’s bowling innings didn't start well as they lost both opening bowlers through injury. Colts Ben Stewart and Luke Smith picked up the duties taking regular wickets, with some good catching from Horley reducing Byfleet to 21-5.

Horley then turned to the spin of Norman and Trevor Stevens. There was more great catching, including one from injured Chris Cosham which was described as "a catch for any level" at first slip. Horley finished off the game bowling out Byfleet for just 73, with Smith taking 3-16, Stewart 2-24, Norman 4-20 and Stevens 1-3 off seven overs.

Horley 3rd XI 213-6 (30 overs), Broadbridge Heath 2nd XI 166 all out (31 overs)

A 50 from Dave Hyde and four wickets for Alex Field helped Horley 3rd XI to a 47-run win in their debut match in the Sussex Cricket League Division 11 West (North).

Horley were put in at the 3rd XI’s new Copthorne Jubilee Pavilion home and openers Harry Grimwood and Hyde settled in with a 67-run partnership before Grimwood was bowled. Hyde went on to make 50 from 48 balls (nine fours, one six) before falling lbw to the same bowler, Joshua Jeanes.

Andrew Reid and Khurram Jalil combined to make 91 for the third wicket before Bervin Babu bowled Jalil. Kieran Childs was bowled by Jeanes and Ryan Bunn was unlucky to be run out by a direct hit without facing a ball, and Horley had collapsed from 167-3 to 171-6 when Reid was bowled by Babu for 44.

Field (21 not out) and Daniel Sired (12 not out) saw out the remaining overs safely to post a total of 213-6 for Horley from their 40 overs.

Opener Ben Tyson (81) was Broadbridge Heath’s best batter and Horley took wickets around him with Field and Sired picking up one each in their opening spells, then Aidan Spalding taking two with his spin, while Darren Croft wheedled out two more at the other end.

Field returned to the attack and bowled Jug Judge before Bunn finally found a way to end Tyson’s innings, with a sharp runout. Field bowled the last two batters to dismiss the visitors for 166 at the end of the 31st over and Horley claimed 30 league points.

Bank of England 4th XI 113-6 (29.3 overs), Horley 4th XI 109 all out (32.1 overs)

The day didn’t start well for Horley’s inaugural Saturday 4th XI as they were put in to bat on a pitch cut into a rugby field.

Quick wickets fell, with the bounce variable, and Horley were soon down to 9-5. However, Danny Patel batted well to get 41 with Robert Rigby (27). The 83-run partnership was finally broken and Horley lost a few more quick wickets and were dismissed for 109 in 32.1 overs.

Naveed Sherwani and Max Heise opened the bowling for Horley and Sherwani picked up a quick wicket caught behind by Dirk Douglas before Bank of England put on a 50-run partnership despite some good bowling from Rigby and Will Hofmann. The partnership was ended when Will Hofmann took two wickets in an over with one being well caught by Ryan Smith and the other superbly bowled.

Dave Bunn and Ollie Millard then came on and bowled well for a wicket each, Bunn getting an lbw and Millard bouncing their number six batter, who gloved it to Leon Watson. Sherwani picked up the sixth wicket, caught behind by Douglas, to finish with figures of 2-18 from five overs, but Bank of England reached 113 in the 30th over to win the match.

Horley Under-15s have made a great start to the season, picking up two wins in a week, one in the league and one in the SJCC Plate.

They won by eight wickets at Chipstead, Coulsdon and Walcountians in the Surrey Junior Cricket Championship Tier Two league match. The hosts made 93-7 from their 20 overs with Daniel Sired and Aidan Spalding taking two wickets each and Sam Terry and Will Hofmann one each.

Horley took just 10.5 overs to hit 95-2 in reply. Luke Smith top-scored with 44 and Ryan Bunn made 35 not out, his highest junior cricket score.

In the Under-15s Plate, which is being played to a ‘100’ format, Horley won at Capel by seven wickets. Capel were bowled out for 61 in 88 balls, with Spalding taking four wickets and Sam Terry two, while Smith, Ollie Millard, Oscar Hofmann and Will Hofmann took one each (the latter bowling nine dot balls out of 10).

Horley needed just 50 balls to exceed Capel’s total, finishing on 62-3 with Bunn retiring on 22 from 20 balls and Smith making 17 from nine balls.

Horley Under-14s lost a thrilling game against Malden in the SJCC Tier One league. Malden made 145-8 in 30 overs; there were two wickets for Alex Mutton, one each for Spalding, Sired and Terry plus three runouts.

Skipper Henry Grimwood top-scored in Horley’s reply with 29 while Terry made 28. Horley needed 12 to win off the last over and Ryan Smith hit two fours, but was then caught off the next ball so Horley were all out for 142.