Dumfries Sports Club

In the Western Premier League the weather hit first placed APD Dumfries’s title bid on Saturday as their game at home against fourth placed Drumpellier did not start due to rain. With the entire set of Premier fixtures cancelled or abandoned the table stays unchanged for the last league game on Saturday.

Tommy batting against Pakistan U19s ©ICC/Getty Images

That day Dumfries play second placed West of Scotland at Benfield Park Nunholm in a match which will decide if the title goes to Dumfries, West or Clydesdale.

The side go into the game knowing that victory would mean that they would win one of the top two leagues in Scotland at the first attempt. The match starts at noon.

The league’s top wicket taker, former Yorkshire and Scotland seamer, John Blain, will lead a strong West attack at Nunholm.

One behind him in wickets, Dumfries’s Scott Beveridge will be aiming to continue his all-round form and top run scorer Aussie Josh Geary plays in his final match.

Clydesdale face a Greenock side who must win to possibly avoid relegation.

Dumfries’s batting depth was demonstrated last week with their one wicket win at Uddingston and Tom McBride’s return from the U19 World Cup in Australia strengthens the squad.

Youngster McBride top scored for Nunholm

There he had the opportunity to play in matches against Australia, New Zealand and Pakistan.

Scotland reached the semi-finals of the Plate competition and finished with a comfortable win over perennial rivals Ireland.

The Western Premier Reserve match for CWE Nunholm at Langloan was abandoned, also due to rain, with Langloan interestingly on 25 for 3 chasing a meagre sixty two but on a difficult wicket.

Youngster Chris McBride was the Homer Burgess Dumfries Man of the Day top scoring with twenty three.

This weekend CWE Nunholm are at West seconds, Partick, in the West Premier Reserve league and on Sunday the Dumfries Women’s team play in the Women’s Scottish Cup semi-final at Ayr.

Clarke top scored for APD Dumfries

APD Dumfries won at Uddingston on Saturday by one wicket with just two balls to spare to stay top of the Western Premier league with two games left, both at Nunholm.

From 146 for 3 with over 12 overs to go Dumfries did well to restrict Uddingston to 193 all out. Spinners Goodin and Beveridge bowled effectively when the run push was on with Goodin dismissing Scotland’s Calum MacLeod for 52 and each taking two wickets. McCutcheon then took two in one over to end the innings. All the bowlers bowled tidely including Alan Davidson who dismissed prolific professional Priyadarshana cheaply lbw.

The Dumfries openers, Bellwood and Clarke, shared a fifty opening partnership and a number of batsmen got into double figures but were unable to go on to make the big score. 93 for 2 after 22 overs was the high point of the innings but Joe Clarke was then caught for the top score of 39 and when Geary was lbw for 19, Dumfries were in difficulties at 123 for 6 with thirteen overs left.

That was when Pat Druce arrived at the wicket, and with vital backing from Alan Davidson who scored 20, it was down to forty required off the last five overs with four wickets left.

McCutcheon hit ten off four balls and Dumfries needed thirteen off the last over with just one wicket left. That was to be bowled by Priyadarshana. Druce hit two fours and a single off the first three balls. Then Jerry Goodin punched his one ball through the covers for a dramatic winning boundary to reward an all round team effort.

Davie was Nunholm’s Man of the Match

Druce finished with a match winning 38 not out for the Cairndale Hotel Man of the Match award. Dumfries next play Drumpellier at Benfield Park Nunholm on Saturday.

CWE Nunholm also won their home match in the Reserve league against Uddingston 2nds, Bothwell, in the last over.

They won by six wickets chasing a total of 153 for 9. Carlisle Refrigeration Man of the Match Davie Davidson controlled a run chase to top score with 37 not out when seven runs an over were needed off the last seven overs.

Chris Bellwood top scored with 92no

APD Dumfries returned to the top of the Western Premier League on Saturday with a four wicket win over Ayr at Benfield Park Nunholm.

Ayr batted first and looked set for a big total when professional Thyssen and McLaughlin completed a third wicket hundred partnership.

However quick thinking by bowler Beveridge deflected the ball to unluckily run out McLaughlin for 37 and another fine piece of fielding by Chris McCutcheon ran out Thyssen from the deep for 86 to make it 162 for 8. The Ayr tail then successfully lifted the total to 215.

Dumfries batted steadily but were just at 64 for 2 at half way. When a fourth wicket fell past the hundred Beveridge joined opener Chris Bellwood to provide the required impetus. He scored a rapid 54 and Silver Fern Man of the Match Bellwood did his job with an accomplished 92 not out to see the side home with four wickets left and just one over remaining.

Top of the table Clydesdale lost so Dumfries are back in first place with three games left. Dumfries play at Uddingston on Saturday.

CWE Nunholm lost their match at Cambusdoon in the Reserve League. Cambusdoon scored 205 with the Ian Wilson Man of the Match, Robert McBride, taking four wickets and Niall McCrossan hitting 80. Nunholm mustered a lacklustre 127 all out in reply.

On Sunday the side lost their home Western Cup quarter-final to Glasgow Accies by 13 runs.

Alan Davidson driving towards his fifty for Nunholm

Accies scored 206 for 6 with Aussie Bartholomew dominating with an impressive 119 not out. Nunholm were always a couple of boundaries behind the rate despite a fine 57 from Monaghans Jewellers Man of the Match Alan Davidson and valiant efforts from Richardson (36 not out) and Andy Reed (21) to get the side to 193 for 8.

Scotland Appearances

Scotland U19s, with Dumfries player Tom McBride, performed creditably but lost their first two group games against New Zealand and Pakistan in the U19 World Cup in Queensland.

Niall Alexander had a no result with Scotland U17s at Herefordshire but the side beat Cumbria U17s in the ECB Counties Competition.

Scotland Womens U17s v Ireland at Stirling

Womens Cricket

Rachel Howard and Rosy Ryan played for Scotland Womens U17s in their close 3-1 T20 series defeat to Ireland.

Ryan was top scorer in only her second match for Scotland to help the side recover and post a total.

Women’s coaching takes place on Mondays from 6:15-7:30 at Dumfries Sports Club, Nunholm Road. Beginners are particularly welcome.

For details contact dumfriescricketclub@gmail.com, or Trefor Williams on 01387 256455 or see www.dumfriescricketclub.co.uk .

On Monday afternoon a deluge with some of the heaviest rain remembered at Nunholm turned the ground into a temporary loch.

There were mini lakes around Nunholm and a couple of temporary streams flowing off the ground.

However twenty four overs later it was a different picture.

On Saturday the Western Premier match at Benfield Park Nunholm had to be abandoned due to rain after 12 overs of the Stirling innings with the visitors on 36 for 3 and frustratingly eight overs short of a result. That was after APD Dumfries ended up on 189 for 4 with their innings reduced to 40 overs after a prolonged interruption when 35 overs had already gone. The last five overs after the resumption were bludgeoned for 66 as Dumfries went for runs. Scott Beveridge blasted four sixes in his 53 not out for the Farries, Kirk & McVean Man of the Match award and Josh Geary also finished not out on 53. Chris McCutcheon then took two wickets before the abandonment. The side remain in second place and are at home against Ayr on Saturday.

In the Western Premier Reserve League CWE Nunholm lost top spot after a defeat at Williamfield by five wickets. The Nunholm side reached 169 for 9 with Andy Reed hitting 47 not out and youngsters Dean Brotherston and Chris McBride each scoring 37. The John Walker & Son Man of the Match, Reed, and Brotherston put on a vital eighty eight run partnership for the Dumfries side to recover from 81 for 7. However the Stirling side reached their target with just over two overs left for the loss of five wickets. Nunholm play at Cambusdoon on Saturday and at home against Glasgow Accies in the Western Cup on Sunday.

On Sunday morning Dumfries lost their Murgitroyd Borders Twenty20 final to Kelso, at the sudden death stage, in a bowl out at a flooded Shedden Park.

The U19 World Cup in Australia starts in earnest for Dumfries’s Tom McBride on Sunday when Scotland play New Zealand and then Pakistan on Monday. This week the U19 side have been playing Australia and Bangladesh in warm-up matches and this week, in a first for the Nunholm club, four players are away on Scotland duty with Niall Alexander also featuring for Scotland 17s versus Herefordshire and Cumbria and Rachel Howard and Rosy Ryan for Scotland Womens U17s against Ireland U17s.

Club junior coaching sessions continue over the holidays on Mondays from 6:15-8 at Dumfries Sports Club, Nunholm Road. Beginners are very welcome. For details contact dumfriescricketclub@gmail.com, or Trefor Williams on 01387 256455 or see www.dumfriescricketclub.co.uk .

On Saturday leaders APD Dumfries lost a close encounter away at second placed Clydesdale in the Western Premier League. Dumfries set a target of 200 for 8 in their 50 overs with number three Drew Dawson top scoring with 51, 40 from Joe Clarke and important contributions from Alan Davidson (19) and Robert McBride (21 no) to boost the total up to the two hundred from 153 for 7 with just seven overs left .

However Clydesdale passed that total in the penultimate over for the loss of seven wickets. That was, despite three wickets from Chris Bellwood and two from Jerry Goodin, the Dumfries Tool Room Man of the Match, who bowled a tight ten over spell of leg spin.

Dumfries were in a promising position with Clydesdale on 110 for 6 but an eighty run seventh wicket partnership between Butt (46) and Hill (34 not out) was crucial. The result means that the two sides swap places at the top of the league. APD Dumfries face Stirling at Benfield Park Nunholm on Saturday hoping that a win will move them to top spot for the third time.

In the Western Premier Reserve League the game at Benfield Park Nunholm between first, CWE Nunholm, and second, Titwood, was abandoned due to rain after 16 overs with Titwood on 48 for 3. Niall Alexander took two of the wickets to fall and this week has been with Scotland U17s in Jersey in a series of matches against their U17 side.

On Sunday the Western Cup Quarter-Final at Nunholm against Glasgow Accies was postponed due to conditions but also that day the Sunday XI, Brammer Dumfries, utilised a combination of experience and youth to tie with Glasgow Accies in WDCU Sunday Division 2. Dumfries’s 112 all out was matched by Accies’ second innings of 112 for 9. G S Plumbing Man of the Match Trefor Williams took four wickets and young Fraser Strachan two for an exciting finish.

Club junior coaching sessions continue over the holidays on Mondays from 6:15- 8 at Dumfries Sports Club, Nunholm Road. Beginners are very welcome. For details contact dumfriescricketclub@gmail.com, or Trefor Williams on 01387 256455, or visit www.dumfriescricketclub.co.uk .