Dulwich opened their Ryman Surrey Championship Division Two season with a 17 run victory at home to Old Emanuel.

Dulwich elected to bat first but were immediately on the back foot when both openers fell in the first two overs. By the 10th over a further two wickets had gone with the score on just 35-4.

Richard Farrow and James Soulsby were forced to consolidate and had taken the score to 60 in the 22nd over when Farrow was dismissed for a hard fought 24 from 57 balls. Tom Savill joined Soulsby and gradually accelerated the scoring rate.

The stand was worth 76 off 18.4 overs when Savill was dismissed for 37 off 52 balls. At 136-6 in the 40th over new batsman Mark Kelly, who hit an unbeaten 35 off 29 balls, provided an important boost to Dulwich. Soulsby eventually fell in the penultimate over for 57 having held the innings together for 39 overs and helped to ensure that Dulwich amassed a defendable total of 200-7.

The Old Emanuel innings mirrored Dulwich’s as both openers were dismissed cheaply in the first two overs. Sunil Patel, with 22 off 23 ballls, pushed the score along but his dismissal with the score on 49 brought a marked reduction in the scoring rate. Mark Kelly and overseas debutant Majeed Jehangir conceded only 7 runs in 9 overs. With pressure building, four Old Emanuel wickets fell for 14 runs as the score crawled to 89 for 7 in the 31st over with Jehangir taking three of the wickets which fell.

With Dulwich seemingly in a winning position they were held up by an enterprising eight wicket partnership of 67. John Opie, with 40 from 37 balls, pushed the score along with good support from Buddy Mason who made 26 off 45 balls.

However, Soulsby removed both in successive overs to reduce Old Emanuel to 161-9 in the 43rd over. A further spirited innings of 12 by Harry Cranshaw kept Old Emanuel in the game until a diving catch by Soulsby off his own bowling gave Dulwich the win by 19 runs.

Opening bowlers Savill and Chris Lester finished with two wickets apiece. Jehangir had 3-19 from his 8 overs whilst Soulsby finished with 3-14 from 4.3 overs to complete an excellent all round performance.

Next week Dulwich are away to newly promoted Valley End.