HORNER EXPLODES BACK ONTO SCENE WITH TON

Chris Horner exploded back onto the Lilley scene after a three year sabbatical with a blistering 105 as Lilley cruised to their first victory of the season against Steeple Morden.

Morden, without their Captain Phil Saich, chose to bowl on a sluggish track and fielded three youngsters.  Tomsett (36) and Horner Junior put on a solid 68 for the first wicket, but youngster Tidy got the better of the former, having him caught at point after some pressure bowling.

Brad Tompkins followed for a duck and Tim Perry (11) and Gareth Tompkins (6) both perished for the Lilley cause, stumped, advancing down the track.  Enter Dad Phil and some swashbucklingly good strokes to show the young man how batting should be done!  Horner senior perished for 20 after three mighty boundary fours.

Horner (junior) continued to display all the strokes of days gone by, and moved to 99 with one over remaining – sadly, the treacherous Ashby was on strike, and only the gods could say whether he would be in generous mood or would bat out the last over.  The skipper nabbed a single off the first ball of the over and Horner responded by powering his 14th four, to add to his two sixes, to notch his first century for Lilley.  The big man perished soon after to an understandably tired shot and Taz followed, trying for the big shot to take Lilley over 200.  Still, 196  ought to have been, and indeed was, enough.

Lilley went into the field with a sexy bowling line up featuring Ashby, Perry, Tompkins and Philo Clarke.  Ashby and Perry kept things tight early on, with Perry taking two wickets, including a sharp catch from the skipper at short cover.  Gareth Tompkins was introduced into the attack and bagged 3-30 from his ten overs, but that was only after Philo ‘Golden Arm’ Clarke had removed danger man Anderson for 43, bowled by a grubber!

Lilley were a different beast from the previous week in the field, with ground fielding excellent, notably Brad Tompkins.

Taz Qureshi’s spin introduced some speed into the Lilley over rate as the dark clouds loomed and he responded by bagging an LBW wicket.

With Morden 129-7 in the 39th over, skipper Ashby turned to the self professed ‘Pixie Express’ or the ‘Gay Bus’ as he was named by others, for some inspiration.  Paddy produced a reasonable over and it was enough to send Lilley to victory by 59 runs.

All in all a top effort.  8 lads still in the pub at 9:30pm is always good, and we out-drank them all.

In addition…Ken Hammond made his Lilley return, umpiring only today, but he’s back in the fold – he stayed for the whole game and umpired for 60 of the 80 overs.  He’s back for next week, 2 stone lighter – and boy, does he look lighter…