Cricket: Dulwich drop to bottom of table after loss to Guildford

Dulwich are bottom of Surrey Championship Division 1 after a six-wicket loss at Guildford last weekend, writes John Lewis.

The start of Saturday’s match was delayed by half an hour due to morning rain, causing a reduction to 112 overs, with the first side batting for a maximum of 62.

Dulwich chose to bat first under overcast skies in difficult batting conditions, and needed all of their allotted overs.

Following the early loss of openers Ollie Sykes and Ollie Steele, James Schofield and skipper Chris Purshouse saw off the opening attack and put on 121 in 36 overs for the third wicket. But both fell with the score on 144.

Purshouse was the first to go, having made 56 off 113 balls, while Schofield followed in the next over after making 68 off 123.

The innings never fully regained momentum after the loss of two established batsmen in the space of three balls.

Despite the efforts of Dan Crowley, with 30 off 34 balls, Sam Ellison, 19 off 27, and Simon Harwood, 14 off 15, Dulwich could only reach 217 as the last two wickets fell in the last permitted over.

Another brief rain shower reduced the Guildford innings to 48 overs, but it then began in bright sunshine. The venom had gone from the pitch, and the Dulwich bowlers were unable to muster either the threat or the accuracy of their counterparts.

A second-wicket stand of 125 in 19 overs between Australian overseas player Angus Lovell, with 85 off 94 balls, and Jacques Sharam, with 67 off 59, set them well on their way.

Only an impressive second spell by Jon Lodwick, in which he took 2-12 off five overs, delayed their progress as they cruised home in 40.4 overs for the loss of just four wickets.

Dulwich gained just three points from this defeat.

Tomorrow they have a home fixture against fourth-placed Banstead.