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Saturday Third X1 Match Reports
Versus Sunbury (H) – Surrey Championship on 8th July 2006
Dulwich 81 all out in 46.4 overs Dulwich 82 for 2 wickets in 15.1 overs Result: Lost by 8 wickets
Like our previous home game, this was another late arrival by the opposition. Unlike our last home game, though, the visitors were full of apologies this time. And unfortunately for Dulwich, this time they also showed quality in their cricket.
This was our first use of our other ‘home’ venue this season. The wicket at the old Honor Oak ground looked in better shape than it had done for years; once again, the grass was cut short in the outfield and the boundary ropes were not a great distance from the square. All in all it looked like a good day for batting, which the Dulwich players found themselves doing when Sunbury won the toss.
One cannot be certain as to whether the two senior Sunbury pros who took the new ball did so because more youthful colleagues were still stuck near the Hampton Flower Show traffic, but they certainly knew how to exert pressure by bowling a miserly line and length. It was therefore bitterly disappointing that the top four batsmen did not use their experience, failed to absorb that pressure and ultimately gave away their wickets. 35 for 4 wickets was an unacceptable start to proceedings, and one from which we never recovered.
The one bright spark was the skill and technique displayed by 13 year old Andrew Corbin batting at number 5. Once overcoming initial nerves, he demonstrated good shot selection against the Sunbury attack and ended up being joint top scorer with 16.
There was no excuse for the final total of 81 all out. Although after tea the four bowlers used gave their all and the fielders appeared to be absolutely committed throughout, the Sunbury batsmen showed what this wicket really was like. Our score was overtaken for the loss of 2 wickets (both falling to Ejaz Khan) in just the sixteenth over.
Even the best sides usually have a bad day at the office during the summer and this hopefully was our one over and done with. Another woeful batting performance like this one and the good work of the season to date will rapidly be unravelled. A visit to Reigate Priory next week – with whom we enjoyed a close match at the South Bank ground in May – is an excellent opportunity to get back on track.
Champagne moment: The Sunbury opening bowler before the start. Being one of only two opposition players on the ground at the designated commencement time, he quoted from Dulwich’s website report for the previous home game, wondering if he and his colleagues in this report would also be asked to ‘foxtrot oscar’ back down the A3!
Pickled egg moment: The Dulwich batting. Enough said.
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