Horley cricketers are flying high

Horley 1st XI travelled to Alleyn for a top-of-the-table clash, attempting to knock the hosts off top spot in Surrey Championship Division Five, in what was the first timed game of the year.

Alleyn opted to bat first and with Guy Derham being unavailable, Robins turned to Ben Davies (2-36) to open the bowling with Will Taylor (2-60), a partnership that has been key for Horley in recent years.

Taylor had Ryan Ramdin caught at mid-off by Irfaan Baksh in the fifth over and, while Tom Eadon, Alleyn’s captain, wasn’t looking to hang around at the other end, riding his luck with multiple inside edges frustrating both Davies and Taylor, his luck ran out in the sixth over after making a run-a-ball 19 after a great bit of bowling from Davies to find the faintest of edges to Ant Puttick.

Davies wasn’t done there, returning in his next over to trap Will Deasy in front of all three stumps with a delivery that barely got above the batsman’s ankles.

At 36-3 in the eighth over, Alleyn were in a bit of bother and needed a partnership to steady the ship. Jake Trethowan (70) and Ewan Harris (22) seemed like the men for the job with Trethowan being the aggressor of the two, punishing some loose bowling. The pair fell one short of making a 50 partnership, thanks to Charlie Robins (1-59), who, after a few overs of reducing the run rate, found a way through Harris’s defence.

Unfortunately for Horley, it didn’t get any easier with this breakthrough and Alleyn moved on from 85-4 in the 23rd over to 150 in the 37th before Horley found their next breakthrough, with Trethowan being aided by Matthew Ogden (43).

In the same fashion as last week, a drinks break was Horley’s best friend, with Adam Stephenson (1-31) claiming the big wicket of Trethowan two balls after the break. Alleyn still had a potential 18 overs to bat, which incoming batsman Matthew Evans (51) made use of to help push the hosts’ score above 200 before the returning Taylor picked up the wicket of his partner Ogden with a well-directed short ball.

Nathan Baily (2-13) was given his first bowl of the season and made an immediate impact in the 53rd over, taking a wicket with his first ball to make the score 215-7. He went on to claim Evans’ wicket in the last over of the innings, meaning Alleyn ended on 232-6, giving Horley 45 overs to chase their total down.

The reply didn’t get off to the best of starts as Horley lost one of their mainstays from last week, Ben Stewart, in the fifth over to Joe Barnes (1-39). Usual suspect Regan Derham (83) was joined early by CP Singh (43) and they both went about their work, gradually ticking the score along. With only 67 on the board for Horley, Derham brought up his half century and was looking in fine form.

Alleyn didn’t seem to have an answer to Derham’s aggression and Singh’s stroke play, that is until they had a stroke of luck. Derham hit one straight back at Barnes who managed to get a fingertip on the ball, and with Singh unable to make his ground, the Horley overseas had to make the walk back to the pavilion, with the pair falling two short of their second 100 partnership of the season.

Davies came to the crease and Derham wasn’t letting that freak wicket affect him, still going after the bowlers to try to make this chase as easy for Horley as possible. Matthew Ogden (1-38) was in and out of the attack as Alleyn rotated their bowlers looking for any chance they could get, and he tempted Derham down the track and got him to play on to his own stumps, giving the hosts the lift they were looking for.

Horley were still in a decent position at 156-3 in the 35th over; however, disaster was about to strike. Trethowan cleaned bowled both Baily and Puttick in the 37th over, and with Angus Philpott (1-26) getting Luke Smith caught in the very next over, Horley quickly found themselves 173-6 at the end of the 38th over. Trethowan (3-35) claimed his third wicket in the 39th over, which now meant Horley were looking to reach the winning draw total. Stephenson (12 not out) played an able support role with Davies (52 not out) to make sure Horley lost no more wickets and finished their 45 overs on 208-7.

Horley’s 11 points for the winning draw meant they narrowed the gap to Alleyn at the top of the table to seven points. They will look to get back to winning ways when they take on fourth-placed Byfleet at home next weekend.

Horley 2nd XI maintained their 100 per cent winning record in the Surrey 2nd XI Premier Division, and are joint top of the table with Roehampton.

This week’s win came in the first of the timed matches, at home against Alleyn 2nd XI. Having won the toss, Horley fielded first and Chris Cosham and Matt Puttick opened the bowling with tight lines and good areas. They picked up a wicket each, putting early pressure on the opposition. With Alleyn not looking to score freely, Horley rotated their bowlers well, introducing Jon Barnett, followed by Chris Webber and Rob Woodward.

The latter pair took four wickets in tandem, with Woodward returning figures of 3-18 from seven overs and Webber 1-31, and he was unfortunate not to have got another after a spill in the slip cordon.

Trevor Stevens then came on to partner the returning Barnett, which built pressure on the batters and Stevens was rewarded with the big wicket of opener Frederick Everitt, caught behind by George Hyde for 77.

Barnett took full advantage and cleaned up the tail, taking 3-18 from 8.3 overs.

There was superb fielding throughout the day, with Hyde collecting three catches in all, Webber holding two and Woodward one. The final catch was a stunning dive on the boundary from Dave Keyte off Barnett to end the Alleyn innings on 164 all out from 49.3 overs.

Hyde and Toby Davie opened Horley’s reply, looking to build on their impressive form with the bat. And it was Hyde who made the faster start, with some explosive hitting which we have come to expect, sending the scoreboard racing to 50-0 after ten overs.

Davie, not one to miss out, struck the boundary several times with some controlled punches, drives and pull shots. Hyde was caught in the deep for 33 while looking to clear the ropes, and Horley were 65-1. Whilst this gave a sniff of a chance to Alleyn, the platform for Horley’s batsmen was well and truly set.

Richard Waddington was the next man in, and having recently returned from his honeymoon, he immediately rediscovered his early-season batting form, rotating the strike elegantly with Davie. The target came into sight with relative ease.

Davie finished on 73 not out, including nine fours, and allowed his partner to also reach his 50 which is the kind of noble gesture indicative of a team playing well together. Horley got over the line with ease, winning by nine wickets after 33.5 overs and in truth looked to be in control throughout the day.

They go to eighth-placed Battersea Ironsides next week, looking to make it six wins out of six.

Horley 3rd XI are top of the Sussex Division 11 West (North) table after getting back to winning ways with a five-wicket victory at bottom side Roffey 4th XI.

Roffey opted to bat first and made a good score of 183-5 from their 40 overs. They got off to a slow start against Horley's opening bowlers, with Alex Field and Ryan Smith both keeping it tight. Variable bounce, with some deliveries lifting with a puff of dust others keeping low, was causing problems and Field began with two maidens, then took the first wicket in his third over, caught by skipper Kieran Childs.

He conceded just five runs from his first six overs, while Smith was unlucky not to get a wicket, having a catch dropped, and Roffey were 28-1 after 12 overs.

The first-change bowlers were less effective but Childs re-established the stranglehold, coming on to take 3-23 from nine overs, the first lbw immediately before drinks, the second a steepling catch by Danny Patel and the third a catch by Ryan Bunn to dismiss Tom Danahay, who had just reached 50.

Horley dropped several other catches, but Smith made a couple of outstanding stops in the field and keeper Dirk Douglas called decisively and ran a fair distance to catch Maharshi Raval off Field, who finished with figures of 2-23 from nine overs.

With 184 the target, Dave Hyde got the chase off to a good start by scoring 51 from 47 balls. With a calf strain limiting his ability to run, he used his power and timing to find the boundary instead, hitting seven fours and two sixes. His opening partner Bunn was bowled for 15 and Nick Chadwick at four made 18 before being caught from a loose shot immediately before drinks.

At 104-5 after 20 overs Horley had work to do, but Childs and Liam Adams were up to the task. Childs, on ten when Adams joined him, went on to make 35 from 40 balls (four fours and a six), pacing his innings beautifully.

Adams took a more strong-arm approach at the other end, blasting 51 from just 28 balls, including four sixes and five fours, to see Horley home with 10.4 overs to spare.

Next Saturday Horley entertain fourth-placed Steyning at their Copthorne ground.