Sat 20th July - 1st XI v Old Rutlishians

OLD RUTLISHIANS 106-7 (41) drew with DULWICH 167 (40)

Scorecard link http://dulwich.play-cricket.com/website/results/3754195

Dulwich had the better of their AJ Fordham Surrey Championship Division 2 match at Old Rutlishians, but were unable to separate the eighth wicket pair and had to settle for a winning draw.

Dulwich were put into bat, but before the players could take the field a heavy downpour delayed the start by 75 minutes and caused the match to be reduced to 81 overs. Skipper Ed Stolle got them under way with seven runs from the first four balls, but the bowling tightened up and wickets started to fall. Chris Purshouse, Matt Marfani and Jake Dunford each faced 16 balls in scoring 7, 8 and 8 respectively. Stolle was the fourth man out, having made 27 off 52 balls, and Sam Ellison fell for 2 in the next over to make it 56-5 in the 20th.

Elliot Miles thus joined Will Bancroft and they defended resolutely against spinners Ross Trimmings and Trishan Patel. Bancroft made the early running, but after a slow start Miles got into his stride and played some inventive shots, including a remarkable reverse sweep for six. The pair had added 110 in 19.5 overs when Miles was out to the last ball of the 39th over. After taking 28 balls over his first five runs, he had needed only a further 36 for the next 58, finishing with 63 off 64, the top score by a Dulwich batsman this season.

At 166-6 Stolle was looking at an early declaration, but the decision was taken out of his hands in the next over. Jon Lodwick hit the second ball for a single. Bancroft was run out off the third, having made a vital 45 off 60 balls. Salaar Waqar was also run out off the fourth, without facing a ball. Lodwick was bowled by the fifth and Alex Gledhill went the same way to the sixth. Dulwich had lost their last five wickets in seven balls, and the last four in four, to be all out for 167 after 40 overs, leaving their opponents 41 overs to get the runs. Trimmings had bowled that last over to finish with 4-34 off 12.

Stolle opened the bowling with the pace of Lodwick and the spin of Miles, and was rewarded when Lodwick struck in his third over and Miles in his fourth to make it 14-2 after eight. Lodwick then removed their two most experienced batsmen in three balls in his 7th over to reduce them to 28-4 in the 13th. With the batsmen now intent on survival, Trimmings and Dan Nuttall resisted for nine overs to add 16 before Waqar had Nuttall caught by Stolle for 9, and Gledhill had their skipper lbw for a duck in the next over. A bright interlude by the teenage Patel enlivened proceedings until Miles returned to bowl him for 27, off 26 balls, to make it 85-7 in the 29th over. With 12 overs to go hopes of a Dulwich victory were high, but Trimmings and Evan Watson resisted everything the bowlers could throw at them to secure the draw on 106-7, with Trimmings completing a fine all-round performance with 39 not out.

Dulwich gained seven points from the match and remain in fifth place, but the gap behind the leaders has widened. Next week they have a home match against Oxted & Limpsfield, who beat them easily in their first match but who are now one place below them in the table.