Dumfries Sports Club

It was a final Saturday run-fest at Nunholm when a Dumfries U23 side hosted the Southern Steelers. With the sides contending with intermittent showers it was an amazing innings by Dumfries’s Marcus Richardson that lit up the second innings and the match.

The Steelers set the ball rolling by amassing 234 for 5 from the allotted thirty overs in their high scoring first innings. Captain and opener Charlie Steel hit 44 at a run a ball. He was backed up by Noble with 39 and, in the later overs, by Faulkner with a rapid 43 and an even more rapid top score of 60 not out from Horn. Chris Brockwell was the pick of the bowlers with 4 wickets for just 26 on a day when everyone’s figures suffered.

Dumfries set off on an unlikely run chase and it was number three Richardson that settled into the task. Along with youngster Chris McBride, who merely scored at a run a ball, the pair went past the two hundred by adding 192 for the second wicket when McBride was run out attempting an ambitious run for a fine innings of 46.

However Richardson had sent the bowling to all parts as he hit 17 fours and 7 sixes. His century took just 57 balls as he hit a series of majestic shots. He had reached 135 in 79 deliveries when he followed McBride with the score still on 204, finally bowled by Jones.

With six overs to go thirty runs were still needed but further wickets affected the run rate and it came down to ten to win off the last over. The Steelers held their nerve and won a great game of cricket by one just run. Dumfries finished on 233 for 7 and the Good Man Home Improvements Man of the Match for the Nunholm side was, unsurprisingly, Marcus Richardson.

In a tense finish on Saturday APD Dumfries lost their last Western Premier League match of the season by just two wickets at Uddingston.

That result meant that Uddingston became league champions ahead of their challengers Clydesdale, and then only on run rate, and claimed this year’s title from holders Dumfries who finished in third spot.

APD Dumfries were put in and made a good start with openers Griffiths and Druce taking the side to 74 without loss. However the introduction of Calum MacLeod, with three wickets, set Dumfries back to 86 for 4, including Griffiths lbw for 41.

Tom McBride and Drew Dawson responded with a fifty partnership, but McBride was out for the top score of 42 with the score just past 150. Then a resilient unbeaten stand between Scott Beveridge, with 38 not out, and Peter Lojszczyk (18no) took Dumfries past two hundred to 209 for 7.

Dumfries had another good start as Uddingston were reduced to 44 for 4, after Chris McCutcheon and then Peter Lojszczyk each took two wickets. However Scotland player Calum MacLeod proved to be the match-winner. He and Reddy, caught off Lojszczyk for 28, recovered to 137 for 5 and when the Homer Burgess Dumfries Man of the Match, McCutcheon, trapped MacLeod lbw at 187 he had scored ninety.

Then the loss of two more wickets meant a nail-biting finish for the locals as they scraped home with two wickets left for the win required to take the Premiership title.

In their last league game in the Western Premier Reserve League, Eco-Genics Nunholm demolished Uddingston 2nds, Bothwell, in a 144 run home win. Nunholm scored 190 with Andy Reed the top scorer with 36, adding to runs from Jerry Goodin, Robert McBride and Todd Rafferty.

Bothwell were then bowled out for just 46. Two run-outs helped but Goodin, the A.C Eggleton Man of the Match, took three wickets and Stuart Alexander and Chris Brockwell took two each. The win meant the Nunholm side finished in fourth place.

On Sunday, Good Man Dumfries won a close friendly at Dalton by just 5 runs. Peter Lojszczyk was the Solway Offset Dumfries Man of the Match for his big-hitting 66 in the Dumfries total of 178.

The season’s last friendlies take place this weekend. For more information about Dumfries Cricket Club, contact 07799 856094 or see www.dumfriescricketclub.co.uk, www.twitter.com/dumfriescricket .

Peter Lojszczyk featured for the Border Reivers in their 3-day match against the Highlanders at Stirling at the beginning of last week, a match which ended in a draw.

Seventeen year old Niall Alexander received a late call-up for the Reivers after playing at Nunholm on Sunday and found himself with Scott Beveridge in Aberdeen on Monday playing in their one-day match in the LiveSport.co.uk Pro Series.

There he acquitted himself well taking two wickets and was a factor in a late innings slump that saw the Highlanders only squeeze home by one wicket.

Nevertheless the Reivers claimed the Trophy for their Pro Series victories over the Highlanders side.

Dumfries’s Chris McBride captained the Cumbria U14s side to creditable performances in their five days of cricket at the Scarborough Cricket Festival last week with his best performance in their eight wicket win over Durham where he took three wickets and finished on 38 not out.

In the Western Premier League on Saturday it was a case of ball over bat at Nunholm as APD Dumfries beat West of Scotland to move past them into third spot.

Dumfries could only muster a score of 73 on a day when the bowlers found plenty of swing combined with movement off the seam. However that proved enough, just, when after Niall Alexander took two early wickets, in-swing bowler Alan Davidson replaced him and aptly swung the match and the Roger Lever Photography Man of the Match award. He produced the leagues’ best bowling figures of the season by taking seven West of Scotland wickets for just nine runs in six devastating overs for a remarkable victory by just six runs.

On Saturday the top four play each other in the matches which will decide which of the two sides level on points, Uddingston or Clydesdale, will claim the trophy from holders Dumfries. APD Dumfries play at marginal leaders Uddingston and West of Scotland play at second placed Clydesdale.

It was an even closer win for Eco-Genics Nunholm at West of Scotland 2nds, Partick, at Hamilton Crescent in the CSL Premier Reserve League. With runs also at a premium Nunholm scored 114 all out with Chris Brockwell top scoring with 24. Then the Solarae Man of the Match spinner Jerry Goodin took four wickets and Stuart Alexander and Brockwell two each with the winning catch taken off Brockwell to complete a four run win. On Saturday, Nunholm play Uddingston 2nds at home.

The Sunday XI, Good Man Dumfries, won their friendly at Nunholm against Galloway by six wickets. Galloway amassed 239 for six with Vosloo top scoring with 70 and Conn hitting a fifty. However the RF Angus Man of the Match, Niall Alexander, was there at the finish, the top scorer with 90 not out. Peter Lojszczyk scored 58 opening and Marcus Richardson, with 52, shared the big match winning partnership with Alexander.

For more information about the club at Nunholm, contact 07799 856094 or email dumfriescricketclub:gmail.com.