Cricket: Dulwich field three 15-year-olds in Challenge Cup win over Worcester Park

BY JOHN SMITH

A Dulwich team containing four 15-year-olds emerged victorious against Worcester Park in group eight of the regionalized AJ Fordham Sports & Fuller’s Brewery Challenge Cup.

The Dulwich innings was built around a mature 94 by 15 year old opener Veer Patel, who took part in three substantial partnerships.

The innings got off to a disastrous start when George Taylor-Yeates, another 15 year old who was making his first team debut, was run out going for an ambitious second run off the third ball of the innings.

Frankie Brown joined Patel and together the pair added 68 in 16.2 overs for the second wicket before Brown was bowled for 25. Michael Harms helped Patel add 65 in 12.2 overs for the third wicket before also being bowled for 24.

The third 15 year old Robbie Keaton was run out going for a quick single on the same score to make it 134-4 in the 30^th over. Nick Gunning joined Patel in adding 46 in eight overs for the fifth wicket before the youngster was dismissed with the score on 180. His 94, which came off 107 balls, was his third half century in five innings for the first team this season, and his highest score in a league match.

Gunning fell in the next over for 21, off 26 balls. Skipper Jon Lodwick added a quick 10 off eight balls to take the total to 193-7 after the allotted 40 overs.

Lodwick then struck with a wicket with the fifth ball of the innings.

Scott Kent and Richard Rawlings came together in a stand of 96 for the second wicket, but they were kept in check by tight bowling, particularly by Lodwick, Alex Gledhill and Ben Swanson, which meant that the stand had used up 24.3 overs.

With 98 still wanted at more than six an over the batsmen needed to press on, but were constrained by the Dulwich left arm spinners.

Swanson dismissed Rawlings for 33 and Waqas Sagar for a duck, and Brown had Kent caught by Patel for 61.

The Hill brothers took the score to 131-4 after 33 overs, but Swanson then took two more wickets while bowling his eight overs straight through to finish with 4-27.

Gledhill returned to take the next three wickets, including acting skipper Rob Hill for 30, to finish with 3-24 off seven overs.

The Worcester Park innings closed on 171-9 to give Dulwich victory by 22 runs.

The bowlers were well supported by keeper Harms with a catch and three stumpings.

Dulwich thus recorded their third consecutive victory and climb to second place in the table. Next week they visit old rivals Old Rutlishians, who stand in third place, just two points behind them.