The Sunday XI start the season with an impressive win

On the 29th of April, on a cold, damp and overcast day in Horley, the start of Billy Saunders reign as Sunday skipper began. Maybe the weather was a sign of how his reign will go? It didn’t start well with Captain Saunders losing the toss and being put in on a ropey wicket. SNCC started well with Nick Driver and Matt Lewis putting on 50 for the first wicket. Nick then departed after miscuing a pull shot straight to mid wicket off Heise and then Mark Pereira on debut departed for 2, bowled by a yorker from Heise. With the score on 71/2, the big dog strolled in. Jack Bellars joining Matt Lewis at the crease and the crisis was quickly averted. Both scored quickly with Matt bringing up an excellent half century and moved towards a century with some poor Horley bowling. The Bellars and Lewis partnership was 94 with the highlight a huge forehand smash six from Bellars off a Beamer that is now in a different postcode. Bellars then departed to an absolute plumb LBW off Thomas but Hawkeye then showed it was an incorrect deacon as it was missing leg. With wickets fallen around him and the wrong score on the scoreboard Matt Lewis composed himself to bring up a 7th SNCC 100. Once there the shackles were broken and he smoked 3 consecutive boundaries and ended unbeaten on 116*. An innings consisting of 14 4s & 2 6s. Well batted lad. SNCC ended on 227 for 7 off 35 overs. A very respectable score considerable how the wicket was playing.

The bowling innings started well with Damien Hutchinson and Michael Gibbens each picking up wickets in their first overs, Michael with his first ball! The score after two overs was 1/2. Horley regrouped and SNCC didn’t take another wicket until the 22nd over with Dylan getting an LBW. The score was 88/3 and then 1 brought 7. With wickets falling quickly after that. Michael Gibbens backed up a brilliant effort with the ball with a run out. Then with the light fading and overs running out, the skipper turned to the only man he could in that situation. Big Dave Bowen. He rattled through Horley’s lower middle order, nearly taking a hat trick in the process and ending with figures of 3 for 8 off 3 overs. Mark also backed up Bowen’s excellent bowling picking up 3 wickets also. SNCC bowled Horley out for 119, winning by a massive 108 runs.

MOTM: Matt Lewis

Roll on next week at home to Leigh