Attfield backs Horsham after double defeat

His side lost their unbeaten league start to the season with a defeat away at Cuckfield by 69 runs on Saturday and then exited the ECB National Club Championship with a four-wicket loss at Havant the following day.

Attfield said: “It was going to happen sometime but it was disappointing to lose to Cuckfield.

“On paper I’d say we’re a better side then them but they played their conditions better then us.

“We let them get too many runs, it was probably a 150 wicket, so we let them get 50, 60 or 70 runs too many (Cuckfield scored 223-7 batting first, Tom Cummins with 92 runs).

“That was probably where the game was lost, although they then bowled well in their familiar conditions. They had one good partnership (Cummins and Oliver Altendorf put on 154 for the second wicket) and we didn’t, that was the main difference.”

On Sunday away at Havant, Horsham again won the toss but this time chose to bat first, and made 149-9 from their 45 overs.

Despite making some early breakthroughs to have the hosts 24-3, Havant reached their target in 42.3 overs for the toss of six wickets in a close finish.

“It was very close on a similar wicket to Saturday and the ground was big so we knew it would be hard to hit boundaries and that running between the wicket was key,” Attfield said.

“We probably fell 30 runs short, 180 would have been about par. We took early wickets and bowled and fielded really well so the good thing is we bounced back from Saturday, it was a much better performance.

“It’s annoying to lose but they’re a good side and that’s just cricket sometimes.”

In losing to Havant, Horsham missed out on playing Roffey in the Group 11 final of the ECB National Club Championship, after their local rivals won at Valley End.