Sat 21st June - 1st XI v Ashtead

DULWICH 169 (49.1) lost to ASHTEAD 170-2 (36.1) by 8 wickets

A depleted Dulwich side lacking a number of first team regulars played a home match against Ashtead in the Premier Division of the AJ Sports Surrey Cricket Championship, but went down to defeat by eight wickets.

Dulwich won the toss and elected to bat on a blisteringly hot day, but lost both openers within the first six overs with just 15 runs on the board. Skipper Ollie Steele and Indian test player K.S. Bharat put on 50 in 12 overs for the third wicket. But Steele’s dismissal, having made 30 off 50 balls, was the first of six wickets to go down for 71 runs. Bharat scored 48 of them to take his score from 22 to 70 while the next five batsmen contributed just 20 runs between them. Joe Payne came in at 136-8 and helped add 22 for the ninth wicket before Bharat was caught on the boundary, having taken his score to 82, off 119 balls. He had accumulated steadily while wickets fell around him, before switching to attack as he began to run out of partners. Payne took his score to 13 not out, only the third batsman to make double figures, before a run out ended the Dulwich innings on 169 after 49.1 overs.

Dulwich needed early wickets if they were to defend this meagre total, but none were forthcoming as the openers added 60 in 16 overs before Payne made the breakthrough. A second wicket for Payne made it 72-2, but an unbeaten partnership of 98 between keeper Jevan Kher, in an unaccustomed role of opener, and Adam Thomas saw them home. Kher finished on 87 not out off 106 balls, and Thomas 62 off 59. Payne took 2-29 off his first eight overs before being cruelly dispatched for 18 off his ninth when he returned shortly before the end.

Dulwich take just one batting point from this match, and remain in ninth place. Next week they travel to Banstead, who are currently seventh.