Horley hit the top spot after 7-wicket victory over Sutton

FIRST TEAM LEAD DIVISION - BUT SECOND AND THIRD BOTH COME TO GRIEF

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HORLEY Cricket Club’s first team romped to a seven-wicket victory in a rain-affected game against Sutton II, climbing to top spot in Division Four East of the Surrey Championship.

Horley skipper Regan Derham lost the toss and Sutton elected to bat first on an overcast day - although with the wicket at Horley Row looking slightly green, Derham was not disappointed with their decision.

Ben Davies (1-38) got Horley off to a good start, getting Sam Woods caught at slip by CP Singh in the fourth over, after seeing a ball split the slip fielders earlier in the same over.

Ansh Bansal and Aarav Rajnikanth rebuilt for Sutton after a rain delay that meant it was now a 42-over game.

Horley were doing a good job of making sure Sutton did not get away from them, with first and second-change bowlers Charlie Robins (2-30) and Matthew Gainsford (2-36) building pressure at both ends. Robins was the one to make the breakthrough, removing Bansal for 32 in the 15th over with the score 61-2.

Robins got back in on the action in the 21st, clean bowling Sutton skipper Daniel Edwards, after he had played a couple of nice scoops, orthodox and reverse.

At 88-3 Horley felt in control of the game, and even though Rajnikanth was set, he seemed to be leaving the scoring to his incoming batters.

It would take Horley until the end of the 30th to claim their next, Matthew Gardner picking out Luke Smith at point after trying to reverse sweep Adam Stephenson (3-23).

Soon, 124-4 became 134-5, Stephenson taking a sharp return catch in his next over. He had found a little purple patch, as he took his third wicket in three consecutive overs - this time caught by Singh - to clear out Sutton’s middle order, leaving the away side on 144-6 after 34 overs.