Dumfries Sports Club

In the Western Premier League on Saturday, Stafforce Recruitment Dumfries claimed a convincing win as they hosted West of Scotland at Nunholm in their last home league game.

An Alan Davidson boundary on his way to 46 for Stafforce Dumfries

The match was interrupted early by rain after just six overs when Dumfries were 12 for no wicket. After the resumption, and with the match now reduced from 50 to 40 overs a side, the Dumfries openers, Drew Dawson and Alan Davidson, upped the pace to pass eighty at the 20 over mark with Davidson in particular going on to hit six boundaries on a now slow outfield. However the West change bowlers bowled effectively, and both openers were dismissed with the score on 83. Davidson was out for 46 and Dawson for 29.

Marcus Richardson, Robert McBride, and Stuart Corbett-Byers then provided useful partnerships with number five Josh Forsyth as the latter went on to accelerate in the closing overs. Over fifty came in the last five overs as Forsyth went aerial over the slow outfield by hitting six sixes. He was run out with two balls left for an Annandale Insurance Man of the Match top score of 76 in just 49 balls.

The total of 208 for 6 was tweaked to 213 to adjust for the interruption and Pat Druce and Alan Davidson made that target more difficult as each took two wickets to have the visitors 38 for 4. McNulty responded with an innings of 43 but Niall Alexander dismissed the last four wickets to fall as West of Scotland were all out for 127 with five overs left.

That Dumfries win meant West of Scotland were relegated on a day when Clydesdale claimed the league title with their victory at Renfrew who also became the other side to drop into the Western Union First Division. Despite the win Stafforce Dumfries remain in fifth place just behind the two sides above them.

Niall Alexander also opened the bowling during the week for the Scottish Reivers in their 50 over match against the Highlanders in Glasgow taking two wickets in a Reivers loss which meant the Pro50 title went to the Highlanders.

In the Western Premier Reserve League, in their away game against Partick, Nunholm were were well beaten by nine wickets. This Saturday, in the final league matches of the season, Stafforce Dumfries are away at newly crowned league winners Clydesdale in the Western Premier League and Nunholm host Titwood, who also sit top, in the league’s Reserve competition.

In the Western Premier League on Saturday, Stafforce Dumfries beat Drumpellier at home and moved into the top half of the table after posting an imposing total of 261 for 7. Josh Forsyth top scored with a hard hitting 76 aided by 57 not out from Scott Beveridge as the pair revitalised the innings from 5 down for 128.

The Stafforce Dumfries team on Saturday

A century opening stand put Drumpellier on the right track but a match-changing five wicket burst from the ETP Electrical Man of the Match Chris McCutcheon set them back to 153 for 6. However the lower order hit out and although the home side win looked safe during the final few overs their efforts still took the visitors to 252 for 7 off the fifty overs, ten runs short, on a day of runs at Nunholm.

With the other day’s results Clydesdale are the West Champions-Elect for 2015 as they require a mere one point, or one wicket, from the remaining two matches.

Stafforce Dumfries lost out in the Murgitroyd Scottish Twenty20 Semi-Final in Glasgow on Sunday. The host club Poloc set a total of 128 for 6 after Dumfries fought back from a half way score of 66 for no wicket. Dumfries then lost two early wickets but were challenging at 67 for 3 at the half way stage. However they ended up needing sixteen off the last over and lost the one remaining wicket to a catch on the boundary. The Stafforce Recruitment Man of the Match for Dumfries was Scott Beveridge for his all-round contribution including a brilliant run out. Having beaten Watsonians in the other semi-final, Forfarshire were later crowned the T20 Scottish Champions after a convincing win over Poloc in the final.

In the Western Premier Reserve League, Nunholm were away at Langloan, Drumpellier 2nds, and they dismissed the home side for 180 with APD Ltd. Dumfries Man of the Match Stuart Alexander and Gurupal Singh taking three wickets each. However Nunholm were defeated as they could only manage fifty three in the second innings.

Dumfries juniors won yet another close game away against Galloway U12s by nine runs with Tom Currie the Player of the Match for Dumfries, and sixteen year old Chris McBride continued his appearances for Durham Academy in the North East Premier League last Saturday. McBride shared a fifty run partnership with Scotland A, and Durham 2^nd XI, player Dylan Budge with Budge scoring the bulk of the runs on his way to a not out ton.

On Saturday, in the Western Premier League, Stafforce Dumfries take on West of Scotland at home at Nunholm, with Wests fighting relegation having moving to last spot with two sides to go down. Dumfries 2nds, Nunholm, are away at Partick in the Premier Reserve League.

In the Western Premier League on Saturday, Stafforce Recruitment Dumfries lost their away match at third placed Ferguslie by 38 runs. Batting first the home side scored 215 for 9 with Ferguslie’s Zimbabwean professional, Dabengwa, the top scorer with 81. Niall Alexander took three wickets, and Chris Bellwood and Drew Dawson each took two, but the Ryedale Remedials Man of the Match for Dumfries was Stuart Alexander for his probing opening spell which was rewarded with just one wicket.

In the Dumfries reply, opener Drew Dawson scored 30 and a good sixth wicket partnership between Chris McBride (28) and Stuart Corbett-Byers (30) took Dumfries to 146 for 5. However both were dismissed soon afterwards and Dumfries then fell short with a final tally of 177.

Gei was Man of the Match for Nunholm

In the Western Premier Reserve league, Nunholm had their opportunities against Ferguslie 2nds, Meikleriggs, but lost by 45 runs. A crucial last wicket partnership took the visitors from 101 for 9 up to 150 all out. The FM Associates Nunholm Man of the Match, Gurupal Singh, and Jerry Goodin both took three wickets and Chris McCutcheon and Aidan Collingwood took two each.

Then, despite an innings of 32 from opener Patrick Corkery, and twenties from Goodin (22) and McCutcheon (20 not out) the home side were all out for 105 with 12 overs still remaining.

Junior Cricket: Dumfries juniors won another last over finish against Galloway U12s by just three runs at Nunholm last week and an U17 side also competed well to win their match at Moffat by 39 runs.

In the Western Premier next Saturday, mid-table Stafforce Dumfries play at home against Drumpellier who sit two places below them in the league, and Nunholm play away at Langloan, Drumpellier 2nds, in the Premier Reserve League. On Sunday, Dumfries compete at the postponed Murgitroyd Scottish Twenty20 Finals day in Glasgow where they take on Poloc, on their home turf, in the morning semi-final.

Dumfries opening bowler Niall Alexander was in action last week with the Scotland Development XI on their trip to Yorkshire. There the Scotland side played a 2-day fixture against the county’s Yorkshire Academy team. The young side, which consisted of a number of Scotland’s up-and-coming cricketers, registered an impressive win against Yorkshire’s next crop of Joe Roots and gained some valuable multi-day cricket experience.

Scotland Reivers bowler Niall Alexander took wickets for the Scotland Development XI ©Donald MacLeod

The Scots set a good total of 296 all out on the first day with Budge 115 not out and Sole hitting 92. Then the opening pair of Alexander and Neill reduced the Yorkshire side to 35 for 5 with Alexander taking two wickets. He then came back to send the stumps flying with the ninth wicket as the home side were dismissed for just 119.

Chris McBride was to the fore again for Cumbria U17s with a score of 37 and a couple of wickets as they won their Royal London Championship Division with their performance against Leicestershire U17s after a first innings total of 264 surpassed that of the home side of 170 all out.

In the Western Premier League on Saturday, the Stafforce Recruitment Dumfries fixture at East Kilbride was cancelled with the ground not playable. All the scheduled fixtures in the league ended up as abandoned due to rain so the league positions remain unchanged.

In the Western Premier Reserve League, Dumfries 2nds, Nunholm, beat East Kilbride 2nds, Torrance House, at home by 71 runs to move up into third place. Nunholm scored 156 for 8 with Davie Davidson the top scorer with 41, aided by contributions of 29 by Adam Elliott, 25 from Cammie Telfer and James Cox’s 17 not out. Torrance House were then all out for 85 with the J&E Shepherd Man of the Match, Stuart Alexander, and Chris McCutcheon and Jerry Goodin all taking three wickets apiece.

The Dumfries Sunday XI won their contest at Kinmount by five wickets chasing 87 with two batsmen dominating each innings; Ben Flack with 48 not out for the home side and the Brian Boyes Electrical Dumfries Man of the Match, Gordon Lyburn, who scored 41 not out.

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).

In the Western Premier League this Saturday, mid-table Stafforce Dumfries are back in action at third placed Ferguslie and, also sitting in third, Nunholm play Meikleriggs at home in the Reserve League. On Sunday, Dumfries compete at the Murgitroyd Scottish Twenty20 Finals day in Glasgow where they take on Poloc, on their home turf, in the morning semi-final.