Dulwich built a commanding total of 262-9 in their Surrey Championship Division One game against leaders Ashtead, and held their opponents to a winning draw.

Dulwich chose to bat first on a difficult pitch and openers Anil Mahey and James Balmforth were fortunate to add 31 for the first wicket in 10 overs before Mahey was lbw for 11.

An accurate throw would have run out Raza Dar before he'd faced a ball, but he survived to add 53 with Balmforth before rain brought an early lunch at 84-1 off 25 overs.

No time was lost, but on the resumption the scoring was held back by a miserly spell by Devon Weekes, who conceded only one run in six overs. Brendan O'Connell wheeled away at the other end to dismiss Balmforth 37 and Dar for 39.

Richard Farrow and Tom Howe consolidated and then went onto the attack, adding 122 in 23 overs for the 4th wicket.

Farrow's dismissal for 48, stumped by Chris Collins with the score on 228 in the 58th over, sparked a collapse in which 6 wickets fell for 30 runs as the lower order sought quick runs.

Five of the six fell to Collins, who added 3 more stumpings and a catch to the wicket of Farrow. All 4 stumpings came off the bowling of John Vaughan Davies, who took 4-34.

Howe was 8th out for 83, his highest Championship score, off 91 balls. Dulwich used up their full allotment of 66 overs to close on 262 - 9.

Ashtead's reply suffered an early setback when Andy Roberts was bowled for a duck playing no stroke to a Mark Kelly delivery.

James Cameron then raced to 26 off only 16 balls, comprising 5 fours and a 6, before being bowled by David Gritton. O'Connell fell to a diving one handed catch by Ed Matten off Kelly for 7, and Ashtead went into tea at 46-3 off 12.5 overs.

Skipper James Powell joined opener Greg Martin, but they made no attempt to push the score along, adding 43 for the 4th wicket in 17 overs.

Kelly came off with figures of 11-7-15-2, and Powell had crawled to 9 off 51 balls before falling to Dar with the score on 89 in the 30th over.

Martin progressed to a laboured 42 off 18 balls before being caught behind off Andrew Corbin for 42 off 118 balls.

Neil Farnsworth attempted to push the score along, scoring an unbeaten 50 off 71 balls, but the task of scoring 106 off 16 overs for the winning draw proved too much and Ashtead closed on 194-6 off their 54 overs.

Fortified by their winning draw against the leaders, Dulwich next week entertain Pyrford.