Dumfries Sports Club

Dumfries Cricket Club is raising funds for the Nepal Earthquake.

The club is joining cricket clubs across Scotland in a fundraising drive for Nepal this weekend.

Players at Saturday’s match at Nunholm will be asked to donate an extra £1 for their mid-match tea this weekend for the DEC Nepal Earthquake Appeal as part of “Teas for Nepal”.

“Teas for Nepal” – Josh for the 1sts and Andy for the 2nds start off the Nepal Earthquake donations at Dumfries Cricket Club.

The Nepalese cricket team arrived in Scotland this week to play the Scottish men’s national team in two ICC World Cricket League matches. To mark this occasion, Cricket Scotland has asked local clubs, including Dumfries Cricket Club, to help raise funds for a fellow cricketing nation.

As well as asking members and spectators to put a ‘pound in the teapot’, Dumfries Cricket Club will also be selling raffle tickets to raise money for the appeal.

Joanna Lumley batting for the Nepal Earthquake appeal by Scottish Cricket

Scottish cricket has attracted celebrity support due to its commitment to help efforts in Nepal. Joanna Lumley, who spearheaded the campaign for the Nepalese Gurkhas’ entitlement to UK citizenship, has praised the ‘golden-hearted’ cricket players of Scotland.

She also has a Dumfries and Nunholm connection through her involvement with the Peter Pan Moat Brae Trust for whom the Club hosted a charity cricket match in 2012.

Joanna Lumley said: “These are going to be gripping matches by any standards: the hill men of Nepal against the hill men of Scotland, a pitch looming between, bails in place, the stumps trembling in anticipation of the battle of the warriors.

“And I, as a daughter of Nepal by adoption and three-quarters Scottish by birth, shall be shouting myself hoarse from far away, uncaring about who wins but overwhelmed by these golden-hearted contests which will raise such a huge sum for those in greatest need. A thousand thanks to you all: shabash! and well done!”

Tony Brian, chair of Cricket Scotland, said: “Nepal is still recovering from the devastating earthquake that struck earlier this year.

“We thought that the Nepalese team’s arrival in Scotland would be a good opportunity to raise money and help a fellow cricketing nation.

A spokesman from Dumfries Cricket Club said: “Nepal might be a long way from Nunholm but we were all horrified by the devastation the earthquake caused earlier this year.

“The Nepalese are very passionate about their cricket and their best national team, matches can draw crowds of up to 15,000, and many follow their side online. So they will definitely be following the matches at Ayr this week and this distant support from Scottish Cricket will register with them.

“If ever there were a weekend to give cricket a try, this is it. Visit your local club and put an extra pound in the pot to help us support the recovery efforts in Nepal.”

For those who can’t attend a match at their local club this weekend, donations can be made online at www.justgiving.com/Cricket-Scotland .

In the Western Premier League on Saturday, Stafforce Recruitment Dumfries were well beaten in their away match at Ayr. Ayr totalled 257 for 5 with their South African professional Lenert Van Wyk dominating the innings with a score of 125 after Ayr were 2 wickets down for 12 runs. Opening bowler Niall Alexander took two of those five wickets, Pat Druce and Chris Bellwood took one each, and Ronan Dunbar contributed another run out.

In reply Dumfries could only muster 85 all out after early wickets fell, with Van Wyk and fellow South African Heynrych Nel each taking three wickets for the home side. The Cairndale Hotel Dumfries Man of the Match, Josh Forsyth, was the top scorer with twenty seven.

Fraser took three middle order wickets for Nunholm

In the corresponding Western Premier Reserve League match, Nunholm had an equally convincing home win over Ayr 2nds, Cambusdoon. The visitors were dismissed for 80 thanks to four wickets from Chris McCutcheon and three each for Stuart Alexander and Fraser Strachan.

The Star Refrigeration Nunholm Man of the Match, James Cox, then top scored with 37. Davie Davidson was 33 not out when Cammie Telfer hit the winning boundary for an eight wicket win in the twentieth over.

Meanwhile Dumfries’s Chris McBride was the second top scorer with 87 opening the batting in Cumbria U17’s innings against their visitors, Scotland u17s, in an ECB Championship two day match which was dominated by the Cumbria side.

Holiday Junior Cricket: Dumfries Cricket Club’s Junior Coaching takes place at Dumfries Sports Club on Mondays over the holidays, 6:15-8, for boys and girls, P4 to S1. Beginners are welcome. For details contact Trefor Williams (01387 256455), or the club on dumfriescricketclub@gmail.com, 07799 856094, or see www.dumfriescricketclub.co.uk, Facebook(dumfriescricketclub) or Twitter(dumfriescricket).

A Summer Holiday Cricket Camp, for boys and girls aged 7 to 12, takes place at Nunholm on 5/6th August (Wed/Thu) again with beginners welcome. For details please use the above contacts.

This Saturday in the Western Premier League, Dumfries play at home against Renfrew and Nunholm are away against Deanpark in the Reserve league.

On Saturday at Nunholm, Stafforce Dumfries dented second placed Kelburne’s title hopes with a comfortable five wicket win in the Western Premier League. Elsewhere only leaders Clydesdale were able to finish their game, winning a low scoring encounter at Drumpellier.

Batting first, Kelburne reached a final total of 162 all out thanks to resistance by the tail enders after the visitors were languishing at 82 for 7. Opening bowler Niall Alexander had removed the top three and took four wickets for Dumfries. Alan Davidson accounted for the middle order and also finished with four wickets.

Stafforce Dumfries Man of the Match Marcus Richardson

For Dumfries opening bat Drew Dawson contributed 27 and then Marcus Richardson, batting at three, batted positively for his score of 65. His was the third wicket to fall with fifty runs yet to get but Chris Bellwood with a composed score of 43 and Chris McBride with 16 not out saw the Nunholm side home with twelve overs to spare for the loss of five wickets.

Richardson was the Carlisle Refrigeration Dumfries Man of the Match for his match winning innings which included ten boundaries. Stafforce Dumfries remain in fifth place in the Premier league just behind Ferguslie.

In the Western Premier Reserve League, Nunholm lost at Whitehaugh after the home side scored 204 all out with the Barbours Nunholm Man of the Match, Peter Johnstone, taking three wickets. Nunholm reached 92 all out in reply as Milliken took six wickets for Whitehaugh, and on Sunday, four wickets from the Farries, Kirk & McVean Man of the Match, Dave Strachan, were not enough to prevent a three wicket loss in the friendly at Hillhead.

Holiday Junior Cricket: Dumfries Cricket Club’s Junior Coaching takes place at Dumfries Sports Club on Mondays over the holidays, 6:15-8, for boys and girls, P4 to S1. For details contact Trefor Williams (01387 256455), or the club on dumfriescricketclub@gmail.com, 07799 856094, or see www.dumfriescricketclub.co.uk, Facebook(dumfriescricketclub) or Twitter(dumfriescricket).

A Summer Holiday Cricket Camp, for boys and girls aged 7 to 12, takes place at Nunholm on 5/6th August (Wed/Thu) with beginners welcome. For details please use the above contacts.

This Saturday, Dumfries play away at last year’s West Champions, Ayr, who sit two places below them in the Western Premier League, and Nunholm host Ayr 2nds in the Reserve league.

On Sunday at the Murgitroyd Twenty20 Borders Finals day, Stafforce Dumfries beat Kelso in the semi-final and then defeated Gala to win the final at Selkirk. Dumfries now progress, as one of four teams, through to the National T20 Finals day in Glasgow in August.

In the match at Kelso the home side batted first and were restricted to a total of 83 for 7 in their twenty overs. The Solway Insulation Services Man of the Match Alan Davidson scooped a five wicket haul taking five wickets for just four runs in his allotted four overs. Dumfries then passed that for an eight wicket win and with overs to spare. The McBride brothers shared the winning partnership as Chris top scored with 31 not out and skipper Robert hit 23 not out. Chris Bellwood contributed another twenty five.

Josh shared the fifty partnership in the T20 final © SVZ Photography UK

The Nunholm side then travelled to Selkirk for the final against Gala who had just beaten Selkirk in the other semi-final. This time Dumfries batted first and set a total of 116. Chris Bellwood scored 36 for the Lever Photography Man of the Match award and Josh Forsyth hit 29 which included three sixes. Scott Beveridge took three wickets as Gala reached 62 all out in reply for a 54 run Dumfries victory. Two wickets each also went to Alan Davidson, Niall Alexander and Pat Druce.

Holiday Junior Cricket: Dumfries Cricket Club’s Junior Coaching takes place at Dumfries Sports Club on Mondays over the holidays, 6:15-8, for boys and girls, P4 to S1. For details contact Trefor Williams (01387 256455), or the club on dumfriescricketclub@gmail.com, 07799 856094, or see www.dumfriescricketclub.co.uk, Facebook (dumfriescricketclub) or Twitter (@dumfriescricket).

A Summer Holiday Cricket Camp, for boys and girls aged 7 to 12, takes place at Nunholm on 5/6th August (Wed/Thu) with beginners welcome. For details please use the above contacts.

Meanwhile on Saturday in the Western Premier League, the Stafforce Dumfries match at Uddingston was cancelled due to rain as was the Nunholm fixture at home in the Reserve League.

This Saturday, Stafforce Dumfries play at home against a Kelburne side in second place in the Western Premier and vying for the top spot, and Nunholm are away at Whitehaugh.