Sat 15th Aug - 1st XI v Camberley

DULWICH 282-8 (50) beat CAMBERLEY 202 (46.3) by 80 runs

Dulwich maintained their run of form with a convincing 80 run victory in their M.Zaidi & Co. Surrey Cricket Championship Division 1 match at home to Camberley.

Dulwich elected to bat but their openers were unable to emulate last week’s mammoth partnership as Jacob Rhodes fell leg before for seven with the score on 25. Tommy Wright and Will O’Donnell added 68 for the second wicket before O’Donnell was bowled for 32. Wright passed his second successive half-century shortly afterwards, and he and skipper Ollie Steele added 22 for the third wicket before Wright was dismissed for 62, off 95 balls, with the score on 115 in the 30^th over. They had so far scored at a little under four an over, but the stage had been set for an onslaught over the last 20 overs, and this was led by Steele.

The captain now enjoyed partnerships of 55 for the fourth wicket with Lucas Parry, who made 28 off 27 balls; 58 for the fifth wicket with James Schofield, who made 18 off 17; 29 for the sixth with Benji Marsden, who played another whirlwind innings of 21 off nine balls; and 21 for the seventh with Harrison Perry, who made 15 off eight before falling in the last over. Tommy Clout followed three balls later and the innings closed on 282-8.166 runs had come off the last 20 overs, and 98 off the last ten. Steele remained undefeated with 79 off 71 balls.

The Camberley reply was built around a century from opening bat Will Hale. Dulwich launched their attack with the pace of Clout and Dan Empson. Clout beat the bat regularly but without success, and it was Empson, after taking two overs to find his rhythm, who took the first wicket in his third over with the score on 27. The second wicket pair put on 63 before the third quickie Joe Payne broke the stand. Perry took the next wicket in his first over to make it 107-3 in the 21^st over. Until now Camberley had scored at around five an over, but tight bowling, especially by O’Donnell, Perry and Parry, reined them back, and the fourth wicket stand of 68 between Hale and Dan Walker took 16 overs.

Perry returned for a second spell and bowled Hale for 106, off 104 balls, to make it 175-4. This left 108 to get off the last 13 overs, but it took four overs for the score to limp up to 188, whereupon the innings quickly disintegrated. Perry and O’Donnell each took a wicket in the last of their allotted ten overs to finish with 3-42 and 1-31 respectively. Empson returned to have Walker caught on the boundary with a rare aggressive shot. His 27 had come off 67 balls and comprised 25 singles and a two. Parry took a wicket in each of his next two overs to finish with 2-27 off eight, and Empson dismissed the last man in the next over to take 3-32 off 7.3. Camberley had lost their last six wickets in 6.3 overs for just 14 runs to be all out for 202.

This was Dulwich’s fifth win in succession, during which they have climbed from sixth to second in the table. Next week they travel to leaders Sunbury, who were relegated with them last season but who now need to win just one of their last three matches to be promoted back to the Premier Division. Victory in this top of the table clash would enhance Dulwich’s prospects of going back up with them.