Dulwich beat Malden Wanderers by six wickets to move top of Surrey Championship Division 1

BY JOHN LEWIS

A fine all-round performance saw Dulwich defeat Malden Wanderers by six wickets to move to the top of the Surrey Championship Division 1.

Dulwich put their opponents in to bat, but the early exchanges favoured the batting side. 

Harvey Booth frequently beat the bat without any luck as the Malden openers, led by Zac Elkin, put on 41 in 10.5 overs.

Booth took the wicket of Dan Holland, who had faced 30 balls for his six, but Will Legg dominated a stand of 43 for the second wicket before Ahmed Khan dismissed him in his first over. 

He had made 29, off 29 balls, to take the score to 84 in the 18th over. 

Khan and Will Jenkins then imposed such restraint that only 33 runs came off the next 12 overs, with Jenkins taking two wickets in successive overs to see Malden go into lunch at 117-4 after 31 overs.

After the break, Booth returned to the attack, but it was Khan who took the vital wicket of Elkin, caught behind by skipper Ollie Steele for 72, with the score on 128. 

His first 50 had come off 55 balls, but he had been so tied down that the next 22 had come off 52. 

With his dismissal the wheels came off. Wickets tumbled as two more for Khan, off successive balls, and three for Booth saw the last six wickets fall for just ten runs in 5.4 overs. 

Malden had lost their last nine wickets for 54 runs to be all out for 138 after 39. Booth finished with 4-38 off twelve overs, Khan 4-29 off eleven, and Jenkins 2-28 off seven.

The Dulwich innings got off to a shaky start as Ralph Day dismissed both openers in his first two overs. 

But he could make no further breakthrough as Rob Gibson, playing his first match for the club, and Apoorv Wankhade then added 50 in ten overs for the third wicket before Gibson’s fine debut innings ended on 39, off 41 balls, with the score on 61. 

This brought in Sam Seecharan, who proceeded to flay the attack to all parts. Wankhade was content to play a supporting role until the target was in sight, when the two batsmen combined to take 46 runs off two overs by Malden’s only spinner. 

The pair had added 73 in 8.4 overs when Wankhade was leg before for 44, having faced 49 balls. Jenkins hit two fours off his first two balls to take Dulwich to victory, leaving Seecharan unbeaten on 42, off 32 balls. The target had been reached in just 22 overs.

With Spencer suffering an unexpected defeat, Dulwich take their place at the top of the table. Coincidentally the two sides meet next week, when the format reverts to 50 overs per side. Dulwich will be looking to avenge their defeat in the first match between the sides.