Sat 17th May - 1st XI v Reigate Priory

DULWICH 243-8 (50) lost to REIGATE PRIORY 245-0 (31) by 10 wickets

After the excitement of their narrow win last week on their return to the Premier Division of the AJ Sports Surrey Championship, Dulwich came back down to earth with a bump, suffering a ten wicket defeat at the hands of Reigate Priory.

Dulwich chose to bat but got off to a disastrous start when Harrison Perry fell for 10, and overseas player KS Bharat was run out going for a quick single in the next over. James Schofield and skipper Ollie Steele thus came together with the score on 20-2 after 5.1 overs, and advanced slowly against bowling that combined both movement and accuracy. They had taken the score to 50 in the 15th over when Schofield fell, having faced 37 balls for 15. Steele and Sam Seecharran then put on 66 in 17 overs for the fourth wicket, the best stand of the innings, before Steele fell for exactly 50, scored off 91 balls. The fifth wicket soon followed, but Seecharran and Will Jenkins then added 53 in eight overs for the sixth before Seecharran fell in the 43rd over with the score on 180. He had played a vital innings of 74, off just 72 balls. Jenkins went for 25 off 36 balls, whereupon Kaif Ramzan repeated his heroics of last week, slamming 33 not out off just 23 balls to lift the Dulwich total to 243-8 after their 50 overs.

Priory opened their reply with Richard Oliver and Luke Haughton. The Dulwich bowlers were unable to summon the same degree of accuracy as their opponents, and rarely looked like taking a wicket. Runs flowed freely from both ends, with the few false strokes typically evading the reach of the fielders. Both batsmen reached their centuries, and coincidentally they both finished on the same score of 113, though Haughton faced 101 balls, 15 more than his partner. The target was reached with 19 overs to spare. Seven bowlers were used, but Jenkins, with four overs for 21, was the only one to concede less than six an over.

Dulwich can console themselves with the knowledge that they were playing last year’s runners up, and can look forward to better days against lower ranked teams. Next week they visit Spencer, who were promoted with them last year, but who now remarkably are the only side in the division to have won both of their opening matches.