Cricketers ready for exciting season at Horsham and West Chiltington and Thakeham

Ground Manager and Fixtures Secretary Chris Shambrook has arranged a full programme, with matches on most days at Cricketfield Road through to September.

There are around 200 fixtures, embracing senior league cricket for men and women, feeder league matches, junior games for boys and girls, local knockout competitions and representative matches.

The season starts this weekend, when Horsham men’s 1st XI visit Pagham in the Sussex Cup on Saturday then host Banstead or Bromley in the National Cup on Sunday. The first round of Sussex Premier League matches is on May 6, Coronation Day, when Horsham welcome Mayfield. For four days from Monday 8, Sussex twos play Essex.

Horsham Cricket Manager and first team stalwart Ben Williams told the County Times: “We’ve signed two excellent young players registered with Sussex – Bertie Foreman and Charlie Tear, it’s great they want to come to play for us.

"Three of our other young players have received specialist coaching while playing abroad this winter – Joe Willis and Sam Martin-Jenkins were at Darren Lehmann’s Academy in Adelaide, while Ollie Haines was with Gary Kirsten’s Academy in Cape Town.

"And our Kiwi overseas, Ben Lister, will be rejoining. What we want as a club is all-round progress, with each team doing well and enjoying their cricket.”

Meanwhile, Joe Willis’s fantastic 100 in last year’s Under-18 tournament versus Horley, when he reached his ton before opening partner Alfie Haines was off the mark, is recorded in the new edition of Wisden.

Horsham’s home fixtures are available at www.horshamsportsclub.com

Horsham CC are expanding their successful girls’ section and inviting girls to try the sport – for fun and friendship.

No experience is necessary and girls’ development manager Katharine Lee says: “It's a really exciting time for women and girls’ cricket, with careers really opening up in the game.

“Our girls’ section is thriving, with U11, U13 and U15 teams, and girls making up more than a third of the club's junior membership.

"We’ve 13 girls on the Sussex Pathway, three having made it into the Southern Vipers Emerging Players Programme.

"It’s amazing to see Horsham’s Tara Norris in the inaugural Women’s Premier League for Delhi Capitals, taking 5/29 in her first game.”

U15 girls’ captain Emily Hall said: “The first time I ever played cricket was when my school stopped playing rounders. And after joining Horsham I soon realised that cricket is a unique sport. You get to work as a team whilst also having individual successes.

"I now work with younger children at the club, ensuring that they love cricket as much as I do!”

Lee continued: “We progress girls through to our successful women's team by entering some of the older ones in the Sussex Slam, their first experience of senior cricket.

"It's wonderful to see our girls forming friendships outside of school, sharing a similar interest in sport, and fantastic for them to help and encourage each other, kitted out in attractive coloured gear, and with their own dedicated changing room.

"Our older girls take leadership roles, developing the younger age groups. They have been incredibly successful in their cups and leagues, including winning the Sussex indoor league this winter.”

Any girls keen to enjoy the fun at Horsham CC can email Katharine Lee on [email protected] to attend a Thursday evening training session.

WEST CHILTINGTON & THAKEHAM

Martyn Swift has stepped down as 1st Xl skipper. He suffered a knee injury last season and has struggled to fully recover. It is likely he will not be physically fit enough to play a full season or even bowl.

Because of this he has also decided to return to his old club Worthing CC, where he hopes to play the odd game when able.

The WC&T 1st Xl committee and club thanked ‘Swifty’ for everything that he’d done for the club.

Hugo Gillespie has agreed to take on the role of 1st XI skipper for the season. The club added: “He is a 1st-class cricketer, an excellent team player and 100% committed to the success of our club at every level.”

Alfie Reeves will take over as skipper of the West Chilts 2nd XI this year from Callum Wyatt.

Wyatt has been skipper of the twos for a number of years and has been instrumental in inspiring, coaching and supporting numerous young players.

The club said: “We are all extremely grateful to Callum for all the time and effort he has given over the years and not just for the period as skipper.”

Their message to Wyatt was: "We know your skills and experience will benefit many more players over the coming years. On behalf of the committee, players, and members thank you for everything you have done and will do in the future.”

They added: “Alfie has been involved in the club for many years and we know he is looking forward to the challenge ahead.

"Having started his senior cricket playing for the threes as a young lad, he has grown in stature and skill and will no doubt lead the way he has played, hard, fair, positive and with a grin.”