Apoorv Wankhade hits century as Dulwich record 98-run victory over Walton on Thames

BY JOHN LEWIS

Another superb century by Apoorv Wankhade, his third of the season, powered Dulwich to a 98-run victory over Walton on Thames in Division 1 of the AJ Sports Surrey Championship.

Dulwich were put into bat on a difficult pitch, but James Schofield and Ahmed Khan saw off the threat of the Walton pace bowlers, and the score advanced steadily with the assistance of a glut of wides and no balls.

Both batsmen had reached 21 out of a total of 60 when Schofield became the first wicket to fall after facing 54 balls. Chris Purshouse joined Khan but was forced to retire hurt with a hamstring injury with a score of 72. This brought in Wankhade, and the pair took the score to 97-1 off 27 overs at lunch.

After the break conditions had become easier, and both batsmen were able to take advantage. They had taken their partnership to 104 off 20 overs when Khan was bowled for 70, his first half-century of the season. He had faced 134 balls but had batted responsibly to stave off any threat of a collapse while conditions were at their most difficult and had set the stage for the assault to come.

Skipper Ollie Steele thus joined Wankhade with the score of 176-2 after 41 overs. The pair added 101 for the third wicket in just 12.3 overs before the latter fell for 106, having faced just 90 balls. He hit six fours and eight sixes and took his aggregate for the season to 640 runs at an average of 64.

Steele was now joined by newcomer Will Jenkins, who smashed two more sixes in scoring 15 off six balls. The score reached 301 off the last ball of the 55th over, whereupon Steele declared. The skipper had also played aggressively in making 42 not out from only 38 balls.

Walton had 61 overs to score the runs or bat out time, but the innings started in a frenzy when acting skipper Sam Gorvin took 22 runs off Harvey Booth’s second over with a slew of leg-side boundaries. But off-spinner Kaif Ramzan, unusually opening the bowling, took the first wicket in his second over and followed up by dismissing Gorvin with the last ball of his third. Gorvin had made 34 off 20 balls, in a score off 46-2 off six overs.

The third wicket pair were even more explosive and had reached 90 off just 9.3 overs when Ramzan took his third wicket. Felix Watson-Smyth struck in the next over, and the two spinners imposed some restraint to see Walton to tea at 115-4 after 15 overs.

Booth was recalled straight after the interval and his extra pace accounted for the next two wickets as Walton declined to 151-6 in the 23^rd over. With victory slipping out of reach keeper Jayden Clark now shepherded the tail in a search for batting points. Leg spinner Khan replaced Ramzan, and took the next three wickets to reduce them to 197-9. The last wicket pair had gained the runs needed for a third point when Jenkins dismissed Clark for 43, off 79 balls. Walton had been bowled out for 203 after just 37 overs. Khan bowled a typical miserly spell of 3-24 off nine overs, while Ramzan had 3-43 off ten and Booth bowled a second spell of 2-26 off six to finish with 2-50 off eight.

Dulwich gain 24 points from this match, and remain in second place. Next week they have a crucial fixture at home to Normandy, who are just ten points behind in third place. Dulwich won the first meeting between the sides, and will be hoping to complete the double.