​Horley 1st XI 82 all out (36.2 overs), Shepperton 1st XI 83-2 (20.2 overs), Surrey County League Division One, Saturday 31 August, Horley Row. Horley lost by eight wickets.
Horley Cricket Club 1st XI secured promotion to the Surrey County League Premier Division despite a heavy defeat in their final league match of the season.
Sitting in second place in the table before the game, nine points ahead of third-placed Putney, Horley were skittled out for 82 by Shepperton and were unable to return the favour, as their visitors made 83-2 to win the game. Horley then had to endure a long wait to find out Putney’s result and, to their delight, when the news came through during the evening it was good, as Putney had picked up just six bonus points in a loss to bottom-placed Old Tenisonians, so Horley had hung on to the second promotion spot behind champions London Gymkhana.
This was Horley’s second season in Division One, having been promoted at the end of 2017 after three seasons in Division Two. They won six of their first seven matches this year then went off the boil a bit with three draws mid-season and only two wins out of their last five games.
Nevertheless, skipper Charlie Robins was obviously delighted they had secured promotion.
“After we lost the last match, when we thought we might have blown our chance of going up, we were saying to each other that to finish third would be all right – we would have been happy with that at the start of the season.
“But, after the way we started the season, we had hopes, and so we are buzzing to be going up.
“Anybody can beat anybody in this league – all the top teams lost their last match and all the bottom teams won.”
Horley’s second team had already sealed the County League 2nd XI Division One title with a match to spare, and with their T20 team finishing as losing finalists, it has been an extremely successful season for the club. They expect life in the Premier Division to be tougher still, but Robins said: “Our team is really young – the average age is about 25, so we can get better.”

​London Gymkhana 1st XI 275-6 (45 overs), Horley 1st XI 117 all out (31 overs), Surrey County League Division One, Saturday 24 August. Horley lost by 158 runs.
Horley 1st XI’s chances of winning the Surrey County League Division One title ended with a big defeat against top-of-the-table London Gymkhana, but Horley can still secure the second promotion spot if they beat Shepperton on Saturday.
At Gymkhana, the hosts batted first and an early breakthrough from Charlie Robins didn’t stop them from scoring quickly. Trevor Stevens (33-2 from nine overs) and Jordan Robins (27-0 from nine overs) both bowled good spells but Gymkhana made 275 for six from their 45 overs.
When Horley batted no one got in properly and Richard Waddington’s 18 was the top score in a disappointing total of 117 all out from 31 overs.

​Horley 1st XI 199-6 (45 overs), Whiteley Village 119 all out (43.4 overs), Surrey County League Division One, Saturday 17 August, Horley Row. Horley won by 80 runs.
Horley 1st XI kept themselves in the hunt for the Surrey County League Division One title with a win over Whiteley Village, who are fighting for survival at the foot of the league.
In perfect conditions for bowling, Horley were put in but started well by not losing any wickets in the first ten overs and working hard to rotate the strike. At the drinks break Horley were in a strong position as they were only two wickets down and had built a good platform.
Opener Matt Reid pushed the innings along smartly by knocking boundaries when needed and working the scoreboard with relative ease. The rest of the Horley batting line up assisted Reid well by rotating the strike and looking to push the fielders as much as they could for that extra run. Horley ended up on a respectable total of 199 for six after their 45 overs. Reid was very unlucky not to get his 100, as he was out for 96.
As a bowling unit Horley knew they had to put Whiteley under pressure early by starving them of runs. Charlie Robins and Guy Derham started as they have every week, bowling the right lines and conceding few runs. As each over went by the required run-rate pushed up and up, making the batsmen play shots they didn’t need to.
The first three wickets fell with less than 40 on the board, but the fourth wicket partnership showed determination and good understanding of what was needed. Robins brought himself back on to bowl to break this partnership and did so with the second ball of his spell. From there, the opposition struggled to find runs and the Horley bowlers continued to apply the pressure, eventually bowling them out for 119, for an 80-run win.  Trevor Stevens took three wickets for 21, Jonathan Barnett and Robins took two wickets each.
With two league matches to go, Horley are just seven points behind first-placed London Gymkhana and they play them away on Saturday. Horley have a 23-point cushion over the third placed club, so a handful of bonus points will guarantee them second place and promotion.

Horley 1st XI 208-6 (45 overs), Ripley 1st XI 171 all out (45 overs), Surrey County League Division One, Saturday 3 August, Ripley Green. Horley won by 37 runs.
A sublime innings of 108 by Jonathan Barnett helped Horley secure a valuable win at Ripley.
Horley were top of the league before the start of play on Saturday, but have London Gymkhana snapping at their heels, and so felt a victory at Ripley was essential to their title ambitions.
Horley were put in to bat and struggled early in tough conditions, losing three wickets for just 16 runs on the green surface.
However, number three Richard Waddington and batsman five, Barnett, were able to steady the ship, and Horley reached 100 in the 34th over without losing another wicket. Both batsmen soon reached 50, and the run rate picked up rapidly. When Waddington was dismissed for 62, the score read 151-4.
From there, Barnett made the pitch look like a flat track, tearing into the bowlers with a flurry of boundaries to all parts of the ground. He raced to his first first-team century of the season, eventually falling for 108.
After 45 overs, Horley had amassed 208-6. Tim Grech was the pick of the Ripley bowlers, taking three for 31 from nine overs.
Ripley immediately struggled under the pressure of maintaining the required run rate. Charlie Robins and Guy Dereham bowled a tight opening spell and Ripley were seven for one after eight overs. Several batsmen got themselves in and then got themselves out and when Dylan Knight and Tim Russell were building a decent partnership, rotating the strike, Trevor Stevens dismissed them both in the same over. He and Charlie Robins ended up with three wickets apiece, while Jordan Robins took two and Barnett one, ensuring that Ripley were unable to complete their task, eventually being bowled out for 171.
Horley are eight points ahead of London Gymkhana at the top of the Surrey County League Division One table with four games to go. This Saturday they entertain mid-table Sheen Park.​

​Horley 1st XI 159-9 (42 overs), Old Tenisonians 93-7 (37 overs), Surrey County League Division One, Saturday 20 July, Archbishop Tenison’s Sportsground. Timed winning draw to Horley.
Horley are still top of the Surrey County League Division One table despite not having won for three matches now. A string of wins has been followed in the last three weeks by a loss and two draws, the latest of which came at Old Tenisonians on Saturday.
Rain delayed the start so the match was shortened by 17 overs. Horley lost the toss and were put in to bat, but Guy Derham and Ben Remfry got them off to a nice start until Derham was run out on 39.
Remfry finished on 29 and Horley’s run-rate was then steady through to the end of their innings as they finished on 159-9 from 42 overs.
Matt Gainsford made 31 and Ross Nel 25.
Tenisonians were left with 37 overs to bat. Taking the old ball, Trevor Stevens got an early breakthrough for Horley and after Horley switched to the new ball wickets fell at gradual intervals but the visitors did not manage to get the 10 wickets required for the win.
Tenisonians finished at 93-7, with the best bowling figures from Stevens who took three wickets for 12 in eight overs. Derham got two wickets and brothers Charlie and Jordan Robins one each.
Horley will look to get back to winning ways at third-placed Putney this Saturday. 

Shepperton 170-8 (50 overs), Horley 1st XI 172-7 (45.4 overs), Surrey County League Division One, Saturday 29 June, Shepperton CC. Horley won by three wickets.
Horley stay top of Surrey County League Division One after a win at fourth-place Shepperton, with Jonathan Barnett contributing with the bat and ball, scoring 45 not out and taking three wickets.
Horley put Shepperton in on a very hot day and started well with the ball, picking up some early wickets through Charlie Robins (one for 49) and Trevor Stevens (three for 22).
Sachin Puri, batting at three, made 96 not out but his team-mates kept getting out around him as Barnett dismissed batters seven, eight and nine to restrict Shepperton to a total of 170-8 off 50 overs.
Horley lost their first wicket without scoring and Shepperton bowled really good lines, so it was a slow start for the visitors. But then Andrew Thomas and Ben Remfry built a little partnership to get things started and when Thomas was out Remfry and Matt Ware kept the runs coming, scoring 31 and 33 respectively.
Barnett came to the crease when Remfry was out and forged a partnership with Ware to take Horley to 98-3 off 30 overs, setting up an interesting last 16 overs needing 73 to win.
Barnett stuck to the task, finishing on 45 not out while Richard Waddington hit the winning runs with three balls to spare when six runs were needed from the last over.

​Horley batsman Chris Allen scored his 20,000th run for the club on Sunday – only the second batter to do so in the 200-plus year history of the club.
Allen, who umpires for the Horley first team games, returned to playing this season after a three-year break, after he was made aware that he was just 127 runs short of the 20,000 landmark.
It took him just three appearances for the club’s Sunday Strollers to pass the milestone. He made 57 not out in his first match last month, hit 54 last week and got the 16 runs he needed on Sunday, striking a four to pass the 20,000, and being greeted with a standing ovation from the Horley players and club members who had come to the game in the hope of watching Allen make his own little bit of history.
He batted on to make 30 before being caught out, but Horley went on to win against Jamaica Inn Pirates.
Allen, aged 55, was delighted and probably a bit relieved to pass the landmark after falling just short last week. He has been involved with Horley Cricket Club for as long as he can remember. “My parents first brought me down here when I was a baby,” he said. He recalls that his first appearance was as a substitute fielder in 1975, but he didn’t score his first runs for the club until 1978 and he has played for all the Horley senior teams, scoring a total of 26 centuries during his career.
The popular and talented batsman’s long association with the club is far from over. Asked if he planned to retire from playing again now, Allen smiled and said, “I have got a veterans match to play and if the club are short anytime I will play, but I don’t want to stop other people from playing.”

Horley 1st XI 125-6 (24.4 overs), London Gymkhana 124-7 (50 overs), Surrey County League Division One, Saturday 22 June, Horley Row. Horley won by four wickets.
Horley 1st XI beat top-of-the-table London Gymkhana and took their place at the head of the Surrey County League Division One table.
Charlie Robins won yet another toss and put Gymkhana into bat. Matt Reid, bowling from the pavilion end, took the first wicket of the day when Amjad Majadi lifted a miscued drive straight to Ben Remfry in the covers.
Robins, at the other end, provided great control, only conceding seven runs from his seven overs. He was replaced by Trevor Stevens who bowled a mammoth 18 over spell taking three wickets in the process and only conceding 50 runs.
Equally impressive was Jon Barnett whose 13 overs only cost 24 runs and yielded three wickets. The bowlers’ efforts were backed up by some excellent fielding which restricted Gymkhana to 124 for seven from their full 50 overs.
Tackling the chase was the opening pair of Matt Reid and Andrew Thomas, who was promoted from the second XI after some good performances including a 50 and a century. Unfortunately, he fell first, out LBW for two.
With Ben Remfry next in, Horley began to make light work of the chase. Reid and Remfry scored at a good rate before Remfry was unfortunate to be caught down the leg side for 20.
His brother Sam came in next at four and he and Matt Ware and Barnett all came and went for nine runs each just after Reid brought up his 50. Reid was then bowled by Sharjeel Malik for a well-made 56.
With five wickets down and 20 required the pressure mounted on Ross Nel and Richard Waddington, but Waddington hit the winning runs and Horley leapfrogged London Gymkhana to move in to first position in the table. Next week they travel away to fifth-placed Shepperton and will hope to keep the winning run going. 

​Whiteley Village 75 all out (25 overs), Horley 1st XI 79-0 (11.2 overs). Surrey County League Division One, Saturday 15 June, Whiteley Village Cricket Club. Horley won by ten wickets.
Horley travelled away to Whiteley Village and were back home early with an easy win under their belts, keeping them in second place in the Surrey County League Division One table.
On a rather green wicket, Horley won the toss and elected to bowl first. A great opening spell from Charlie Robins and Guy Derham resulted in four Whiteley wickets, three for Robins – including both openers and the skipper Deepak Gaikwad - and one for Derham.
Sam Remfry picked up the fifth wicket with a great direct-hit run-out from long on.
Jordan Robins took two wickets and Matt Reid one to finish the Village, all out for 75.
A great bowling display from the Horley attack was followed by two good knocks from their opening batters. Ben Remfry made 28 and the in-form Reid 38, passing the Whiteley total without losing a wicket.
This Saturday Horley entertain league leaders London Gymkhana and will be hoping to make it four league wins in a row so they can overtake them at the top of the table.

Sheen Park 1st XI 160-9 (50 overs), Horley 1st XI 162-6 (41.4 overs), Surrey County League Division One, Saturday 8 June, Sheen Common. Horley won by four wickts.
Horley moved up to second in the Surrey County League Division One table, turning round last year’s loss against Sheen Park to win by four wickets.
With the ground wet, Horley skipper Charlie Robins won a vital toss and put Sheen Park in, then he and Guy Derham set the tone with some great bowling. Sheen Park were under pressure, with Robins taking two wickets – catches by Jonathan Barnett and Richard Waddington - and the hosts never really recovered as each bowling change continued to create chances.
Sam Remfry found his length to bowl batters three and four and the two spinners, Barnett and Trevor Stevens bowled extremely well together and picked up three and two wickets respectively, showing that bowling in the right areas will bring rewards.
Sheen Park did well to bat the full 50 overs and put on a par total of 160-9.
Horley opened the batting in a very positive manner and took to the Sheen total with ease. Ben Remfry was unlucky to get out early, as he was looking good again, but Waddington and Matt Reid steadied the ship and continued with the positive outlook against good line and length bowling.
Horley were looking very much in control and set for a good win when Reid was given out LBW after scoring a solid 76. Horley then lost a few quick wickets, including Waddington for 32, but they managed to finish the game off with four wickets to spare.