Horley, who won Division 11 West (North) last season, picked up from where they left off in 2024.
In this opening match, at Copthorne, both skippers agreed on the toss and Horley bowled first with Kilnwood Vale only having nine men.
Horley’s young opening bowlers, Ryan Smith (15) and Tom Jowett (13), looked to put the pressure on early and kept their foot on the gas, skittling out Kilnwood Vale for a meagre 33 in just 10.4 overs. All the wickets were bowled, despite the slow pace of the pitch.
Smith deservedly earned a place on the honours board early in the season with great figures of 5-25 with one maiden off just 5.4 overs .
Jowett took his first wickets in senior cricket, with his five overs including three maidens, for figures of 3-8.
Andrew Rowe scored 22 of the visitors’ runs.
Horley set off to chase the target; Aidan Spalding and Khyan Patel opened up and they were all that was needed as both played nicely, and reached the target in 6.5 overs. Patel scored 21 of the total of 35, hitting three fours, as well as rotating the strike with Spalding (seven not out).
Horley take on Littlehampton, Clapham & Patching 3rd XI at home next Saturday hoping to keep the momentum going.
After a good start to their pre-season friendlies, with a win and a tie, Horley 1st XI were much too friendly to Egham and proceeded to lose by eight wickets having failed to amass even 50 runs.
Put into bat on a wicket which had got wet when rain seeped through the covers during a tremendous downpour the previous evening, Horley were soon in trouble with both Remfry brothers, Sam and Ben, together with Luke Smith all departing with only 28 runs on the board.
Whilst there was the occasional cultured strike, Horley’s batters fell victim to injudicious shots, great catching and the uncertain wicket. The remaining seven wickets fell for 19 runs with Ben Davies the top scorer, with 13. Notable in the bowling was Adrian Griesel who took 5-12, Ryan Dennis who took 3-23 and Matthew Cooper picked up the other two wicket for 12 runs
Horley’s total of 47 was never going to be defendable, and indeed it wasn’t. The sun shone which took the edge off the wicket and Egham cruised to the target with Milan Gogev 34 not out. Guy Derham and Charlie Robins took the two wickets to fall.
Horley’s league season in Surrey Championship Division Four East starts next Saturday, with a home match against London Gymkhana. Horley skipper Regan Derham says, ‘Overall we’ve had a solid pre-season with some very strong performances against strong opposition. I’m very happy with how the squad is shaping up and we’re all ready and raring to go in the league on Saturday.’
Half-centuries from Danish Mehmood and debutant Henrick Cook helped Horley 2nd XI to a 71-run win over Balcombe in their final pre-season friendly, in weather more fitting for an August bank holiday weekend than an early May one.
Jack James was also making his Horley 2nd XI debut, alongside Cook, while Balcombe’s team comprised of a mix of players from throughout their club.
Horley captain Chris Webber chose to bat and hard-hitting Mehmood and Cook both made confident starts. Mehmood took the attack to the bowlers, playing an array of strokes including one six deposited onto the roof of the nets (no mean feat at Horley). In little time the team 50 came up and that was quickly followed by Mehmood’s 50. Soon after, Balcombe’s Matt Rawbin managed to remove him, lbw for 57.
In the next period of play, fielders were found with unerring regularity, so there was a drop in run rate. Regardless, both Cook and Richard Waddington battled through and began to find the gaps more frequently. Balcombe’s Paul Tandy was extracting movement from the batter-friendly deck but Waddington saw it as the perfect opportunity to play what was described afterwards as ‘the shot of my career’, the ball sailing into the squash courts behind the bowler’s arm for a big six. It was Tandy who had the last laugh however, bowling Waddington next ball for a well-made 40.
After Ryan Bunn fell to the spinner Ben Lee for two, Dan Sired came in and just like he has shown all pre-season, looked comfortable from ball one. At the other end, Cook was continuing to build his total, and soon reached his 50. He then fell to Sumit Adhikari for 51, but two imperious straight drives had highlighted his ability and comfort at this level.
George Hyde and Sired were tasked with increasing the run rate and did just that until Hyde found a rather acrobatic method of dismissal. Attempting a sweep shot off Lee, he lost his balance and was subsequently bowled. This brought Artie Hoskins to the middle, who played some trademark wristy shots and showed positive intent.
Two balls after Webber remarked, ‘Dan (Sired) hasn’t been out all pre-season,’ he was bowled by Adhikari for 20. This brought Liam Adams to the crease, who alongside Hoskins, saw out the remaining balls, taking Horley to a total of 209-6 from 40 overs.
Balcombe’s innings began with Dave Ward and captain Sam Blackburn opening up with the bat and captain Webber and Trevor Stevens with the ball. Webber soon removed Blackburn with a good catch from Hoskins. Lee came in and, alongside Ward, showed positive intent, with a series of powerful drives. Webber’s second victim came after Hyde took the decision to stand up to the wicket, and Lee was bowled for 18.
This brought Ashaz Mohammed Azard to the crease, who played a supporting role for the destructive Ward, who soon passed his 50. A change of bowling at both ends saw Adams and debutant James come on. Adams was particularly unfortunate as Ward was dropped four times off his bowling, while a plethora of mis-fields somewhat blighted his bowling figures.
At the other end James was settling into his work and soon removed Mohammed Azard for nine, stumped by Hyde. Soon after, James had Zak Horscroft lbw for a duck and Balcombe were four down. The danger man Ward remained, but Adams deservedly bowled him for 61, straight after he’d been dropped for the fourth time.
Balcombe were certainly up with the run rate, however having lost their top order, it was left to Louis Bohm and Biswajit Rath to rebuild. Both played with intent and found the gaps to frustrate Horley, until Mehmood entered the bowling attack and swiftly removed Bohm, caught Hoskins for 19, and Rath bowled for 22.
The innings was sewn up with the two near identical dismissals of Adhikari and Tandy, both caught and bowled by Stevens, who showed Horley what a safe pair of hands looks like.
Balcombe, all out for 138 from 26 overs, had provided a good challenge for this Horley side and areas of improvement (especially in the field) were highlighted.
Horley’s 2nd XI head to Tadworth next Saturday for the start of their Surrey Championship Division Eight East season and hope to continue their unbeaten start to 2025.