Torrential rain eliminates possibility of play at Horsham

With promotion back to the Premier Division at stake approaching the run in to the season in their first ever term in Division 2 since the foundation of the league in 1971, third-placed Horsham CC, came into last Saturday’s home game versus Mayfield CC 27 and nine points behind leaders Bognor Regis CC and title chasing St James’s Montefiore CC respectively.

No play was possible in the game between Horsham CC and Mayfield CC

Earlier in the season at the Wellbrook Ground Horsham bowled out Mayfield for 129 to win by 72 runs, but with Nick Oxley due to lead Horsham in the absence of Michael Thornely, and the injured Chris Nash and Ben Williams, persistent heavy showers eliminated any possibility of play at Cricketfield Road.

Groundsmen Richard Marshall and Lawrence Gosling had worked hard to give play the best possible chance.

Cricket chairman Marshall told the County Times: “The weather has been an absolute nightmare! We’ve still got plenty of cricket to come and we want to give the first team every opportunity to play in their push for promotion back into the Premier League, so we’ve used all of the possible pitch coverings.”

The Horsham ground drains exceptionally well, but, the volume of driving rain throughout the week rendered play impossible.

Elsewhere, the story was no different – Lindfield CC v Burgess Hill CC, Preston Nomads CC 2nd XI v Billingshurst CC and Roffey CC 2nd XI v Bognor were all called off without any play, while Chichester Priory Park CC could only get to 86-5 off 30 overs when their game against St James’s was abandoned.

So, with every side taking 10 points, Bognor remain top – with 297 points, 18 points clear of St James’s, with Horsham still third on 270.

Roffey 2s look doomed, with the other relegation place tightly contested by Billingshurst 177, Lindfield 176 and Nomads 2s with 170.

With four games remaining – all on a 45 over per side win/lose basis - on Saturday Horsham travel to Fulking to play struggling Preston Nomads 2nd XI.