Rich Williams is enjoying his cricket at Bristol YMCA now after the demise of Horfield over the winter.

Following the likes of Castle Green and Trinity, Horfield folded after struggling to field 11 players every week.

The club, who were based behind the Rudgleigh Inn in Eastern in Gordano, finished second-from-bottom in Division Three of the Bristol & District League last summer.

Former Horfield skipper Williams said: "The club had been struggling for quite a while.

"When I first played for the side, aged 11, Horfield had four Saturday sides and two Sunday teams.

"We only had one side for the last 10 years and there were times when I had to get my dad to play – and he's 68.

"I even asked my mates, mates' mates and people from down the pub to play. We managed to struggle on, partly because we enjoyed it.

"But we had to make this difficult decision. We didn't want to do this. It wasn't fair on those who turned up every weekend to play and then have to carry three or four players in matches."

Horfield also lost one of its founder members, Albert Pratt, who died over the winter. The club had been nomads for most of their existence after they were formed in 1945.

They had hosted matches at Old Colstonians, Cleve Rugby Club, Stoke Lodge and the old Cathedral playing fields on Beggar Bush Lane before finally moving to Gordano. "That was partly the problem," added Williams. "We didn't have a clubhouse you could go back to and have a drink with your team- mates.

"If you don't have a clubhouse then you struggle to have an identity.

"Also, one of our founding members died over the winter. Albert Pratt joined the club just after the end of the Second World War."

Williams, 36, has taken 10 wickets this summer for YMCA since joining the Division One promotion hopefuls.

YMCA are a club on the rise, having bought their ground last year and now boast five sides on a Saturday.

The Henleaze-based outfit have lost one match this year – by two wickets to title-rivals Hanham.

Former Gloucestershire second team player Williams added: "Most of the Horfield players ended up at YMCA.

"We wanted to make sure that most of the players could continue to play cricket not necessarily at the same side. We had been friends with YMCA for some time.

"The club has a lot of talented youngsters, such as Gloucestershire Under-17 James Norris. It is good to see someone like James being in the same position I was when I was 16.

"I have not been impressed by the standard of Division One. We should be up there come the end of the summer."