Horsham cricket captain Craig Gallagher ‘concerned’ by lack of bowling options

Craig Gallagher has admitted the lack of seam bowling options at Horsham has him worried ahead of the new cricket season.
Concern. Horsham skipper Craig GallagherConcern. Horsham skipper Craig Gallagher
Concern. Horsham skipper Craig Gallagher

Gallagher’s side endured a frustrating first competitive game of the new year as an under-strength team crashed out of the ECB National Club championships at the first hurdle with defeat away at Valley End on Sunday.

This is the second successive season Horsham have failed to reach the second round of the competition they won in 2005 and ahead of this weekend’s first league game Gallagher said: “It was disappointing. If we’d had our full strength side out it probably would have been a good game because they weren’t world beaters.

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“We did have a weakened side but it was still a lacklustre performance from us as well, and coming the day after losing a friendly to Worthing it didn’t make for a great weekend for us.”

Bowling was again the problem against newly promoted Worthing on Saturday, as Michael Gould hit 131 in Worthing’s 279-5 total. In reply the hosts crashed to 186 all out.

With all-rounder Dev Endersby likely to miss most of the season and no overseas player again, Gallagher is concerned by a lack of pace in his seam attack. “If you don’t take wickets you don’t win matches and we can’t rely just on Michael Munday however brilliant he is. I am fairly worried at this point, we might have no option but to get an overseas player in even at this stage,” he said.

Seam bowler Stuart Whittingham should be back from Uni to play most weekends, and spinner Will Beer should also again feature when he recovers from injury. Batsman James Johnston is likely to miss the first month away at Uni, while Owain Jones has left to join former club Steyning.

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Horsham open their league season by hosting Chichester Priory Park at Cricketfield Road on Saturday.

The side have been runners up in the Premier Division in each of the last three years but Gallagher admits competing for the title may be beyond them this time around.

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