Singh's 140 takes Horley to the brink

Horley’s 2nd XI remain second in the Surrey County League Premier Division after beating Battersea Ironsides at home, but the 3rd XI lost their top-of-the-table battle at Steyning in Sussex Division 11 West (North) and slip to second place.

When Horley and Byfleet met two seasons ago, both sides’ combined total was less than the magnificent 140 CP Singh scored this time (Horley only having managed a paltry 88 in 2022, before dismissing the home side for 39).

How different it was at Parvis Road on Saturday. Horley were put in and the score was only six when Ben Remfry (1) was adjudged lbw to Charlie Black (3-45). However, 200 more runs kept the scorers busy before the next wicket fell.

Singh’s 50 came up in the 17th over, the 100 partnership with Regan Derham in the 21st over, the 150 partnership in the 29th over and Singh’s 100 in the 30th. With Derham playing the supporting role, Singh continued with boundaries, one of which was a huge six that went out of the ground. He was almost caught and bowled, but Tyrone Cunningham could not hang on to a ball hit really hard straight at him.

The 200 came up when 18 runs were hit off the 33rd over (14 from Singh, two from Derham and two extras.) Two overs later, Derham stepped back to make room and was bowled by Black for 63, with score now 210-2.

Ben Davies joined in the high scoring with five fours and a six but Singh finally fell in the 39th over for a wonderful 140 (15 fours, five sixes).

Davies (46 not out) and Ant Puttick added 40 more runs before Puttick, who had scored 18 off 16 balls including a huge six, was caught behind off Sam Crabtree (3-49) with the score on 267.

With five overs still to come and a huge score guaranteed, Horley could be forgiven for not finishing as well as they might have.

Guy Derham (1) was unlucky to be run out by Cunningham, then two wickets fell in two balls as Richard Waddington (8) was caught and Will Taylor was run out for 0. In the 49th over, Irfaan Baksh was caught on the boundary and then Will Hofmann who had only arrived back in England from holiday at 8am, was adjudged lbw, both scoreless victims to Sam Crabtree.

After this clatter of wickets, Davies and skipper Charlie Robins saw off the last three balls, and the innings closing tamely on 299-9.

During the tea interval, the word ‘Bazball’ was overheard and it proved to be Byfleet’s approach, as they set off like an express train in their reply.

The first wicket fell when Taylor (3-46) had Louis Hansom caught behind by Puttick. Another 30 runs were added in three overs before A Mickley was bowled all ends up by Guy Derham (1-31). The score had reached 59 when Taylor bowled a double wicket maiden, first Ashley Rannie (nine) was caught by Guy Derham and then Ben Tyler was bowled.

Riley Coutts, the Byfleet overseas player, was still there, achieving his 50 off 33 balls and the 100 came up in the 14th over. George Mickley threw his bat about before Davies (2-29) spread his stumps then Coutts was run out for 62 by a well-directed throw by Robins, reducing Byfleet to 126-6.

With Robins ringing the bowling changes and not allowing Byfleet to settle, Baksh came on and bowled Crabtree for a duck. The end was nigh: Cunningham fell, bowled by Davies, Sam Taylor was run out by Remfry and Coyne, who had played Bazball once too often, was out for an enterprising 23, caught by Regan Derham off Hofmann (1-9).

After this convincing win, with three games to go and a 35 point margin over second-placed Alleyn, the league title is surely now within reach. Horley are 53 points ahead of third-placed Cobham, so the chances of slipping out of the two promotion spots are now very remote.

Horley 2nd XI had a rollercoaster day against Battersea Ironsides who languish low down in the league. Horley chose to bat at Horley Row and Ryan Bunn and Toby Davie got stuck in.

Despite the presence of a slow left-armer (not any opening batsman’s ideal situation), Bunn unleashed his powerful hitting, racing to 44 with three sixes and six fours, with Davie largely observing for the first five overs.

Davie was trapped lbw for one when the score was 47 and things did not go according to plan from there. Bunn was caught without adding to the score and Dan Sired didn’t last too long, being caught for 11.

Horley captain Jon Barnett joined Matt Ware, aiming to build the innings, but Ironsides were starting to bowl better areas and slow the scoring. Barnett (12) hit three nice fours until a mix-up saw him stranded in the middle of the pitch and run out. Ware then swiftly followed, bowled for four; Horley were 86-5 and things were looking bleak.

Matt Gainsford and young Artie Hoskins looked to repair the damage. Gainsford indulged in some powerful hits down the ground and when Hoskins was out, Adam Stephenson – returning from injury – joined Gainsford in a 51-run partnership for the seventh wicket. Gainsford fell for 57 from 54 balls, including two sixes and seven fours.

Stephenson (eight), Ollie Millard (20), Liam Adams (eight) and Trevor Stevens (four) all contributed as Horley reached 206 all out. Everyone felt that score was under par, but it was a great recovery from the collapse.

The new duo of Sired and Adams (2-32) took the new ball for Horley and both bowled good areas and looked to get on top early on. Sired was the first to strike with a plum lbw getting rid of Sam Mackay. Adams then took the other opener with an edge to Davie. Keith Spelman fell victim to the same combination and with the score at 38-3, it felt like the game was swinging Horley’s way.

The first change of bowlers saw Stephenson (1-18) and Stevens (1-16), the spin duo, build pressure. Stephenson lacked his usual rhythm but did bowl a particular gem, through the gate to dismiss Mark Breese. Stevens was tidy, with 16 runs coming from his nine overs, and he trapped Max Burlefinger in front.

Barnett (4-17) joined in the party, scooping the wicket of the Ironsides top scorer, Muhammad Nawaz, with the help of some excellent keeping from Davie, who stumped him. By now, Horley felt in control and the wickets continued to fall regularly, with Barnett taking three more before Gainsford (1-4) came on and got the last one, wrapping up the win by 87 runs.

Horley sit second in the league, 11 points behind Roehampton and 22 ahead of third-placed Croydon, who entertain Horley next week.

League leaders Horley 3rd XI went to second-placed Steyning keen to secure a big win to improve their chances of hanging on to the single automatic promotion spot out of Sussex Division 11 West (North).

They did the first half of the job well, with Oscar Hofmann taking 5-32 as they bowled the hosts out for 123, but their batting failed to deliver and they were bowled out for 104.

Steyning opted to bat first and after a sharp chance was spilled first ball, they lost their first wicket to a good diving catch from wicketkeeper Dirk Douglas off Hofmann from the first ball of the third over.

Will Mandry was dismissed by the same combination at the start of the seventh over and two balls later Elliot Brown reluctantly went the same way after the Steyning umpire initially gave him not out, having not heard or seen a clear nick to Douglas, but finally reversed his decision.

Steyning were 24-3 and survived another six overs before great captaincy by Kieran Childs accounted for the league’s top-scorer Jaiden Semple-Hughes for 12. Childs brought Tom Jowett a few steps closer at short third man and next ball he dived forwards to grab a catch off Childs.

Abdul Razzaq and Dave Childs bowled a wonderful spell of eight overs in tandem during which Childs conceded just one run and Razzaq nine, taking one wicket. Childs was extremely unlucky not to get a wicket, finishing with figures of nine overs, four maidens and 11 runs.

Hofmann returned to the attack in the 32nd over and finally broke the partnership which had put on a very slow 39 for the sixth wicket, when Sam Terry took a brilliant diving catch to dismiss Mark Harrison.

Henrick Cook picked up two wickets in the 35th over, the first caught by Kieran Childs when he leapt on the boundary to save a six, parried the ball into the air and caught it as he lay on the ground.

Anup Ghanshala held a regulation catch for Cook’s second and the excellent Hofmann took his fifth wicket when he bowled Brent Fforde off the first ball of his next over, before Andrew Burbidge came on and bowled the last man with his first ball.

Horley were confident of chasing 123 and they started well, with Cook hitting two consecutive fours in second over despite being hit in the visor in the first.

After four overs Horley were 29-0 and Cook and Ghanshala took the score on to 41 before Cook was bowled for 19 at the start of the seventh over.

It was clear the pitch was difficult, with variable bounce, but some poor shot selection contributed to Horley’s downfall. Ghanshala and Douglas were both caught off Elliott Vielvoy in the eighth over, Burbidge – who had already been dropped – was bowled in the ninth and Jowett was caught in the 11th, and Horley were reeling at 54-5.

Andrew Reid (who had made a two-hour trip to play his first match of the season in order to help Horley out of a player-availability crisis) and Razzaq steadied the ship for a while, but Reid was bowled in the 15th over.

Kieran Childs joined Razzaq, who by now had Burbidge as a runner because of an ankle injury. They stayed together until the 23rd over, taking the score to 91, before Childs was caught behind. Peter Smith and Andrew Dodd mopped up the tail to dismiss Horley for 104 in 27.1 overs.

Steyning have taken top spot in the table, nine points ahead of Horley with a game in hand. Horley have two games left and if they win one, they will be assured of at least finishing second and entering a playoff for promotion against the runners-up in Division 11 West (South).