Horsham hammer Haywards Heath in friendly

After playing themselves in with three maidens, Johnson and Beer brutalised Heath’s bowlers with life-threatening sixes raining down around the ground, and after both retired unbeaten on reaching three figures, Thornely and new signing Simon Slabbert took over to post a far too challenging 350 run target.

Replying, Heath set off briskly, putting on 70 for the first wicket, but when vice-captain Ben Williams dismissed two of the top three batsmen, and left-armer Nick Cooper chipped in with another two wickets, the visitors had slumped to 74-4, from which there could be no recovery.

Despite a mid-order rally, Heath fell further and further behind the run rate, and, when the last wicket fell, still hadn’t quite reached the half way point of the requirement, with Cooper ending with 3-20 and Williams, Jake Martin and Beer two scalps apiece.

Michael Thornely told the County Times: “This was another very encouraging pre-season win and its good to see TJ (Johnson) back so keen. He got us off to a great start, with Will Beer cashing in, too.

"Again, everyone contributed well when we fielded and, when you think that we were without Chris Nash, Nick Oxley, Jimmy Brehaut and Sam Martin-Jenkins, the signs are very promising.”

A full scorecard from the game can be found at https://horsham.play-cricket.com/website/results/4636541.

This Saturday Horsham are at Billingshurst in the Sussex T20 Cup, against the winners of Hurst v Broadwater, who commence at noon.