A great team performance secures win over Dulwich

After a long drive over top Dulwich, and a football warm-up Ashtead won the toss at Dulwich and chose to bowl first in the first timed game of the season.

A couple of early wickets, one each from James Graham and Nikhil Waugh slowed the progress of the Dulwich batters on a helpful pitch. But through the middle overs anything short was punished and Dulwich began to score much quicker, but with wickets falling regularly they never really got away. The returning James Graham then mopped up the Dulwich lower order with the final 3 wickets finishing with 4-30 supported by a pair of wickets each for Waugh and Will Culhane as Dulwich were all out for 186 in the 41st over.

This left Ashtead 59 overs to reach there target. But Dulwich were not going to make this easy for us, and bowled a very nagging line and length. Several batters got starts but no one looked fluid on this pitch and this was definitely going to be a long slow chase.

But one batter stood out, Alex Culhane held his nerve and top scored with a fantastic 70*. However, it was left to the final pair to secure the 30 runs needed for the win as James Graham topped off a fine all-round game with 21* at number 11 to help secure the win and a vital 24 points lifting Ashtead to 3rd in the league.

A home game against table topping Wimbledon is next.