Sat 9th May v Walton on Thames

DULWICH 244-9 (50) lost to WALTON ON THAMES 246-8 (50) by 2 runs

A new look Dulwich side started the season with six players making their 1^st XI league debuts for the club and only three of last year’s regulars. They played their first match back in Division 1 of the AJ Sports Surrey Cricket Championship at home to Walton on Thames. The match was a fluctuating affair which was not decided until the very last ball. Unfortunately Dulwich could not close out victory in a tense finish and lost by two runs.

Dulwich put their opponents in to bat, but saw them get off to a rapid start with 32 runs coming off the first five overs. A double bowling change saw order restored as newcomers Tommy Clout and Dan Empson conceded just 38 runs off the next ten, with both taking a wicket. Another newcomer, Adam Fowler-Watt took the third wicket in his first over, the fourth fell to a run out after a muddle by the batsmen, and Henry Goodwin picked up the fifth. New Kiwi overseas player Will O’Donnell took the sixth, dismissing opener Dan Roberts, who had held the innings together with 58 off 79 balls. O’Donnell struck again in his next over to reduce Walton to 126-7 in the 31st over.

Dulwich seemed to be well on top, but they were thwarted by James Madoc-Jones and Evan Beck, who put on 101 in 16.2 overs for the eighth wicket. Madoc-Jones played the supporting role, giving as much of the strike as he could to his partner before falling to Fowler-Watt for 37, off 71 balls. Beck’s attacking innings continued until the end, and he finished on 68 not out off just 62 balls. The Walton innings closed on 246-8 after their 50 overs.

The Dulwich innings started confidently, as Harrison Perry and first team debutant Abdullah Khawaja added 38 in seven overs for the first wicket, with Perry making 24 off 24 balls and Khawaja 9 off 20. But both fell in successive overs, bringing together O’Donnell and skipper Ollie Steele. The captain was the more aggressive, making 24 off 34 balls in a stand of 31 in ten overs for the third wicket. O’Donnell started slowly, taking 36 balls over his first eight runs, but a straight six broke the shackles, and he went on to add 119 for the fourth wicket in 22 overs with fellow newcomer Jacob Rhodes. O’Donnell became Beck’s second wicket having made 70 off 97 balls, to make it 188-4 in the 40th over. Rhodes fell two overs later, having made 58 off 69 balls, with the score on 201.

Dulwich thus needed 46 off the last eight overs. Josh Allan and Goodwin added 17 off the first four of these, before Allan fell for 16 off 19 balls, to leave 29 wanted off the last four. Seven runs came off the 47th, but Beck returned to bowl Fowler-Watt for a single in a 48th over that cost eight runs. Goodwin and Harvey Booth added another seven in the 49th to leave seven wanted off the last over, also bowled by Beck. They each took a single off the first two balls, and Booth hit a two off the third to leave three required off the last three. But Booth was caught at backward point off the fourth and Clout was taken on the boundary off the fifth while going for the winning hit. Three were still needed off the last ball, but Beck ensured that last man Empson was unable to finish it off. He had taken three wickets in his last two overs to finish with 5-41 off ten to go with his unbeaten 68, and complete a fine all-round performance. Dulwich closed on 244-9, leaving Goodwin stranded on 24 not out off 26 balls.

Dulwich take six points from this match. Next week they travel to newly promoted Old Hamptonians, who lost their first match to Camberley.