Sat 16th Aug v Wimbledon

DULWICH 164 (32.2) lost to WIMBLEDON 327-9 (50) by 163 runs

A depleted Dulwich side lacking several first team regulars lost their AJ Sports Surrey Cricket Championship Premier Division match at home to Wimbledon by 163 runs, in a fluctuating game punctuated by an extraordinary 23^rd over in the Dulwich innings.

Dulwich elected to field, and made an early breakthrough when Jacob Emler had the dangerous Tim Lloyd caught in the fourth over. Jack Boyle joined James Crosthwaite and the pair added 158 in 22 overs for the second wicket before Crosthwaite fell to Emler for 67, made off 71 balls. Rory Sale struck in the next over, but Boyle and James Weir added 37 in five overs for the fourth wicket. Harrison Perry then removed Boyle for 105, made off 88 balls, with the score on 213 in the 33^rd over. The Dulwich bowlers then slowed the scoring rate while they worked their way through the Wimbledon batting. The next four wickets fell in 14 overs for 68 runs, to make it 281-8 after 46.3 overs. But the ninth wicket pair added 38 off just 18 balls, and the innings closed on 327-9 after their 50 overs. Emler finished with three wickets, Perry and Ahmed Khan took two each, and Sale and Joe Payne one.

Dulwich started their reply confidently, as Khan and Perry added 43 for the first wicket in nine overs before Perry fell for 21, off 27 balls. Khan and James Schofield added 49 in 8.2 overs before Khan fell for 45, off 53 balls. Schofield fell on the same score for 14, but skipper Ollie Steele and Tommy Wright then added 15 for the fourth wicket before Wright fell for 3 to make it 107-4 after 22 overs.

At this point opening bowler Oliver Pike, who had been largely ineffective in going for 21 off four overs in his first spell, now returned to the attack. Kaif Ramzan had joined Steele, and they each took a single off his first two balls. His third bowled Steele for 13. The fourth bowled Chris Purshouse, the fifth had Michael Harms caught at slip and Sale was bowled by the sixth. Pike had taken four wickets in four balls to reduce Dulwich from 109-4 to 109-8. Ramzan and Emler then made merry, adding 48 in seven overs for the ninth wicket before Ramzan fell for 31, off 24 balls. Payne was bowled by Pike, who finished with 5-48 off 9.2 overs, leaving Emler undefeated with 24 off 29 as the innings closed on 164.

Dulwich take just four points from this game and remain at the foot of the table, but have now drifted 46 points behind Sunbury in eighth place, with just three matches remaining. Next week they travel to Ashtead, who are currently fourth.