May 29th – 1st XI vs Leatherhead & Cobham
02. Jun, 2010 
1 Comment
Dulwich 290-4 (50), Leatherhead & Cobham 293-8 (49.3)
Dulwich were hopeful of recording their first win of the season after posting a competitive score of 290-4 from their 50 overs in the Shepherd Neam Surrey Championship Division 2 match at home to Leatherhead & Cobham. However, they were frustrated in a close game as the visitors chased down the runs with 3 balls to spare.
Dulwich chose to bat first in steady drizzle with skipper Anil Mahey and James Balmforth concentrating on survival at first as the ball seamed around. Despite scoring just 21 runs from the first 10 overs Dulwich were able to up the scoring rate with 32 runs coming from the next 6 overs before Balmforth fell for 20 with the score on 53. Marshall Hood then joined Mahey and together they put on 115 in 22 overs, taking the score to 168 from 38 overs before Mahey fell for 75.
Hood and Richard Farrow then also put on 115 together in only 10.4 overs. Farrow fell in the 49th over for 32, off just 34 balls. Hood, having reached 50 off 61 balls, raced to his century of just a further 26 balls and fell in the last over for 126 off 98 balls.
The visitors found batting no easier at the start of their innings. Chris Lester struck in his 2nd over, while Arshad Iftikhar bowled his 10 overs unchanged for just 20m runs. Tom Peacock struck in his first over to reduce Leatherhead to 45-2 in the 15th, but skipper Matt Joblin then joined 16 year old opener Adam Dyson and together they had added 92 in 16.2 overs before Lester returned to the attack and dismissed Dyson for 54. Matt Roberts hit his first ball for six but fell the next ball trying to repeat the stroke.
At 149-4 Leatherhead needed 142 off 18.3 overs. Joblin and Nick French then added 90 in 13 overs, but the dismissal of Joblin for 92, scored at a run a ball, initiated a collapse in which 4 wickets fell for 22 runs off 14 balls. With 30 needed off 20 balls Dulwich were still in with a chance, but Andy Baker, with 12 off 9 balls, gave good support to French and together they knocked off the runs. French finished on 66 from 52 balls.
Next week Dulwich visit Egham as the format reverts to a time game with a minimum of 100 overs.
Congratulations on the spiffing new website. A big improvement. I must say, although Dulwich lost the points, they were the moral victors. One thing the Earl can’t stand for is cheating – especially in cricket. To see a batsman wait for a decision when he hits it turns his stomach. But arguing with an umpires decision is tantamount to treason in the Earl’s eyes. I was so upset I went home and gave my butler Montey a terrible thrashing. Well done Dulwich and best of luck next week – the Earl predicts a winning draw.