Dulwich get into promising position against Cranleigh – but weather the only winner in rained-off contest

BY JOHN LEWIS

On a horrible cold, wet day, Dulwich got themselves into a promising position in their AJ Sports Division 1 match at home to Cranleigh, but in the end, the only winner was the weather.

Dulwich put Cranleigh into bat but failed to make an early breakthrough as acting skipper Harvey Booth and slow left armer Felix Watson-Smyth bowled testing spells, but without any luck.

The score had reached 44 without loss after 12 overs when play was interrupted by the first rain shower. Booth bowled his opposite number with the first ball after the resumption but thundery rain then immediately caused another break in play which lasted until lunch.

After the interval, Booth completed his over, and Watson-Smyth then removed Cranleigh’s two most prolific batsmen in the space of three balls in the next over.

Booth struck twice more with the score of 72 and 84, but the latter wicket was the signal for a torrential downpour, which left wet patches on the square. Heroic efforts were made to dry it out and it was eventually decreed that play could resume after a two-and-a-half-hour break.

But just as the players were taking the field the heavens opened again, bringing the match to a premature close. Cranleigh thus finished on 84-5 after 22.2 overs, with Booth taking 3-52 off 11.2 overs and Watson-Smyth 2-27 off 11. Both sides took six points.

All the other top-of-the-table matches were similarly abandoned, so Dulwich remain in third place. Next week they will make the long journey to Valley End, who are currently seventh, and will be hoping for an improvement in the weather.