Dulwich 163 all out (65.2 overs) beat Reigate Priory 134 all out (50 overs) by 29 runs
A battling innings of 59 not out by Richard Farrow and superb spin bowling by Raza Ali Dar and Zoheb Sharif who took the last eight wickets for only 22 runs. Their performances saw Dulwich to a remarkable 29 run victory at home to last year’s runners up Reigate Priory in the Shepherd Neame sponsored Surrey Championship Premier League.
Put into bat, Dulwich struggled against accurate bowling by the opening attack of Ian Hewitt and Alex Pope. The newly arrived Australian Hewitt in his first game for the Priory dismissed Sharif in his first over and then took the wickets of Dave Burton and Dar in a spell of nine overs for just six runs. His last six overs were maidens.
His pace partner Pope dismissed Anil Mahey for 12 – made solely in boundaries and Dulwich skipper, Mark Kelly reducing Dulwich to 36-5 in the twentieth over. West Midlander, Gareth Cornick on debut helped Farrow to add 25 for the sixth wicket and East Midlander, Tom Savill provided solid support in a stand of 18 but Dulwich were still reeling at 79-7. Ed Matten joined Farrow and together they added 70 for the eighth wicket before Matten was bowled for fighting 34. The Aussie Hewitt returned to take the last two wickets and finish with 6-27 off twenty overs. Camberwell school teacher Farrow’s 59 took 155 balls but was crucial in setting a defensible total and thanks to Matten’s support Dulwich were all out for 163.
In reply, Alex Richards and Matt Bennett scored steadily against Burton and Savill aided by a stream of extras, until Savill dismissed both openers in three balls of his 4th over. Bennett was bowled for 7 and Richards well caught by Mahey at third slip for 10. Commencing together at 34-2 after eight overs Olly Tame and Michael Foster had few alarms in taking the score to 89-2 off eighteen overs at tea.
After the interval Dar and Sharif inspired some control but it took a sharp catch by Savill to remove Tame for 28 with the score on 112. This sparked a collapse in which five wickets fell for 5 runs in eight overs. Priory had tumbled from a position of being comfortably in charge to 117-7 seeking only survival. Foster had survived the carnage but his dismissal for 41 at 121 was crucial. The last two wickets were unable to hold out for fifteen overs and the last wicket fell at 134 in the 50th over. Slow left armer Dar finished with 4-33 off 19 overs and leg spinner Sharif took 4-18 off 16 overs in an exemplary spell of spin bowling.
On Saturday Dulwich entertain Guildford in the Shepherd Neame sponsored Surrey Championship Premier League.
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