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Match Reports Sat 7th June 2003 Result: Dulwich Winning Draw Leatherhead 188-8 (55 overs) and Dulwich 157-9 (45 overs) "I will not allow yesterday's success to lull me into today's
complacency, for this is the great foundation of failure." With 5 wins from 5 and a 13 point cushion at the top of the table, Dulwich were entitled to enter this match confident of victory, but whether that confidence spilled over into complacency is open to debate. A lackluster display in the field, followed by some indifferent batting, very nearly saw a home victory for Leatherhead and Dulwich's lead at the top of the table reduced, rather than increased by 2 points courtesy of favourable results elsewhere in the division. The league leaders will surely learn from this slightly fortuitous result to regain their early season form, starting at home to bottom of the table Sanderstead next week. Despite the increasingly impressive David Gritton taking a wicket in his first, and the game's second over of the match, Dulwich were profligate in the field throughout the Leatherhead innings, with soft runs regularly conceded through occasional slack fielding and some loose bowling. A better side surely would have punished Dulwich harder. Gritton's return of 2-36 from 14 overs and a battling 2-33 off 16 by spinner Richard Beeching eventually held Leatherhead back to an achievable total after a good start that saw them reach 100 for 2 in the first 25 overs. However, Dulwich never let their heads drop, the home team's middle order failed to deliver and they eventually batted for the full 55 overs in pursuit of a demanding total. A decision they would later regret. Dulwich's reply kept the scorers busy from the off. Back from injury, opener Allen Blackford chipped the third ball of the innings back to all rounder Jeganathan, Leatherhead's only cricketer of note. In came Anil Mahey to stylishly carve 16 runs from 14 balls before attempting his fourth boundary in successive balls, only to gift a previously humbled bowler a lifeline. Richard Purssell's 10 runs were equally swift, before being given leg before and John Acland-Hood played the worst shot of his otherwise successful season to leave Dulwich 4 down after 10 overs with 50 on the board. Russell Clayton then fell first ball to a superb catch at leg slip. However, at the other end of all the chaos was Steve Hale, also scoring runs at a fair lick, but displaying near perfect shot selection in a match saving innings of 69. Lawrence Bernhard and captain Shaq Farooqi came closest to offering him decent support at the other end, but when Hale was finally dismissed, any chance of a Dulwich victory disappeared. It was left to David Gritton to finish the game as well as he'd started it and bludgeon the runs required to ensure the winning draw. Dulwich were left to reflect on a day where precious little went to plan.
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