Sat 11th July - 1st XI v Walton on Thames

WALTON ON THAMES 181 (63.4) drew with DULWICH 176-9 (56)

Dulwich narrowly survived a remarkable eight wicket spell of bowling by former Surrey left arm spinner Mark Bainbridge to earn a winning draw in a fluctuating M.Zaidi & Co Surrey Cricket Championship Division 1 match at Walton on Thames.

Walton elected to bat, but got off to a poor start as Dan Empson struck in his first over and Thomas Clout in his second to reduce them to 9-2. But these were the only wickets to fall to pace in the entire match. 57 runs came off the first 13 overs before the openers gave way to Harrison Perry and Patrick George, who conceded just 29 off the next eleven, but without taking a wicket. They in turn gave way to Lucas Parry and Will O’Donnell. The third wicket pair had put on 90 when Parry removed both of them in successive overs, and Walton went into lunch on 106-4 after 33 overs.

After the break O’Donnell twice took two wickets in an over and Parry picked up his third. From a commanding position of 99-2 Walton had collapsed to 135-9, losing seven wickets in 18 overs for 36 runs. But the end was delayed by a crucial last wicket partnership of 46 in 17.4 overs between last man Bainbridge, who led the way with 29 off 62 balls, and Evan Beck who remained undefeated on 18 off 55. O’Donnell took the last wicket to finish with 5-41 off 19.4 overs, while Parry had 3-28 off 12. Walton were all out for 181 in 63.4 overs, leaving Dulwich 56 overs to score the runs.

Walton opened their attack with pace at one end and Mark Bainbridge’s son, off spinner Jake, at the other, but Peter Frettingham and James Schofield put on 39 for the first wicket in eleven overs before the introduction of Mark broke the stand. He dismissed Schofield with his first ball and bowled unchanged for the rest of the innings. Frettingham and O’Donnell added 51 for the second wicket before Mark removed Frettingham for 58 off 96 balls, his first half-century for the first team, and dismissed Parry next ball. Father and son were now bowling in tandem, and it was Jake who took the next wicket when he had skipper Ollie Steele leg before. O’Donnell was adjudged lbw to Mark, having made 44 off 82 balls, and Freddie Skelton was stumped off Mark for 8. Dulwich had lost five wickets in 14 overs for 41 runs..

Perry thus joined Tommy Wright with the score on 131-6 after 43.1 overs, and the pair had  added 27 in seven overs when Mark had Wright stumped for 31. Perry and Clout took the score to 170 before Mark had Clout caught for 7 off the second ball of the 54^th over, and Empson added a couple of twos before being bowled by the last ball of the same over. The last wicket pair needed eight runs off the last two overs, but after scoring two off the first ball to gain an extra batting point Perry did not score off the rest of the over, leaving George to play out the last over and secure the winning draw. Mark Bainbridge had bowled 23 overs to take 8-38, and would have taken a ninth wicket and won the match for his side if he had been able to cling on to a diving return chance in the last over. This was one of a number of chances to go down during the match.

Dulwich take eleven points from this match and climb one place to sixth. Next week they have a home fixture against Old Hamptonians, who are currently ninth. Dulwich won the first match between the sides by 74 runs.