Dumfries Sports Club

APD Dumfries Captain for the new season, Stuart Corbett-Byers

This Saturday APD Dumfries take their first steps in the newly formed Scottish Championship when they play away at Fife side, Falkland, in their first league match of the season.

This season the Scottish National Leagues have gone from three divisions down to two. Dumfries who were the winners of a ten team Division 2 last year have moved into the Championship which now consists of fifteen teams after the expulsion of Edinburgh CC for ground problems. This sits below the Scottish Premiership which this season has sixteen teams.

Dumfries will be seeking to maintain their challenge at the top of the new league as they consistently managed to do in Division 2. However life will be testing with the side facing new opponents from the old Division 1; Poloc, Stenhousemuir, Penicuik and their opposition on Saturday, former league rivals Falkland.

Skipper Stuart Corbett-Byers said “We want to get off to a good start in the new league. We will need the same team spirit and attitude that the players had last year and for the more experienced players to play to their ability on Saturday”.

Dumfries can expect to face returning Sri Lankan professional, Cooray, who was, by a long way, Falkland’s top run scorer with 768 runs last season and was their second top wicket taker with his off-spin.

Also on Saturday, the Dumfries 2nd XI, Site Electrical Nunholm, will try to commence their league season with a home match against Whitehaugh after their first match in the West SNCL Reserve league against Langloan last Saturday was washed out when the only rain of recent weeks duly arrived at Nunholm.

On Sunday Brammer Dumfries play Glasgow Accies at Nunholm in West Sunday Division 2 and Dumfries U13s play Gala in a Scottish Cup match in the morning.

The club welcomes new senior and junior players. Senior training takes place on Tuesdays and Fridays and junior coaching is on Monday evenings. For details contact Trefor Williams on 01387 256455 or see www.dumfriescricketclub.co.uk .