Dumfries Sports Club

APD Dumfries lost out in a low scoring thriller by three wickets in the Premiership Grand Final in Edinburgh on Saturday for their opponents Watsonians to become Scottish Champions.

The match featured a tremendous fight-back by Dumfries to get into a position to possibly win and an outstanding innings of seventy not out from Scotland bat Ewan Chalmers to stop them.

Dumfries were asked to bat first and had a disastrous start immediately losing a wicket to a run-out and being four for two wickets and then five down for just twenty six. However Stuart Corbett-Byers played a skipper’s innings with a battling 32 as he and Alan Davidson recovered to reach sixty. Then Davie Davidson produced a belligerent 38 not out for the Benfield Dumfries Man of the Match award. His partnership with Pat Druce pushed the total up to 125, with the side all out off the last ball.

Watsonians bowled well keeping the batsmen under pressure and left arm opener Mike Legget did the early damage taking three wickets.

Even with that low total Dumfries managed to have Watsonians in trouble. Druce and Chris McCutcheon also took two early wickets and when Druce then clattered the stumps they were 21 for 3.

However number four and Scotland player Ewan Chalmers was now batting and he moved his side towards the fifty. Spinner Scott Beveridge came on and in his second over Druce took a catch at gully. Two overs later he took a further two wickets including removing former Scotland captain Wright to send shivers through the waiting batsmen.

Now it was 59 for 6 with 67 runs still to get and Dumfries threatening to pull off the most remarkable victory.

In a tense period of the game, Chalmers, with number eight Peter Legget, put together a partnership. The pair went on to add sixty runs with Legget surviving a difficult edged chance behind off Beveridge with over forty needed. His crucial innings of 22 ended lbw to Goodin with five still required.

There was still a Dumfries sting in the tail as Chalmers finally gave a chance and was dropped twice behind in one McCutcheon over with no more runs yet added.

At the end Chalmers was undefeated with a special innings of seventy to get his side home with three wickets left, and was a class apart on the day.

After the game a disappointed Dumfries Captain Corbett-Byers had the consolation of being presented with the Western Premier Trophy with APD Dumfries the League Champions of 2012.

Scorecard Photos

APD Dumfries won the CSL Western Premier league title at Benfield Park Nunholm in their final league game on Saturday after a decisive win over title rivals West of Scotland by a margin of 62 runs.

Dumfries were asked to bat in bowler friendly conditions and it required a crucial century partnership between Josh Geary and Tom McBride to fight back from a position of 34 for 3 after 17 overs. Geary went on to top score with a superb innings of 67 and Scotland U19 bat Tom McBride hit 35. That set the platform for a final overs onslaught that added eighty in the last ten overs to reach a challenging total of 196 for 7.

West were knocked back by opening bowlers Chris McCutcheon and Pat Druce to be two wickets down for just three runs. Alan Davidson took the third wicket when West were on 54 for 2 and remarkably he then went on to take a wicket in each of five consecutive overs to finish with a total of six wickets. That sank West’s title hopes and earned him the Solway Offset Man of the Match award.

He, and the other bowlers, were backed up by a series of fine catches with both Drew Dawson and Scott Beveridge taking exceptional efforts to put the side on the right track and when Lockhart was out caught by McCutcheon in the deep for 29, West were in dire straits at 93 for 7.

West of Scotland were finally all out for 134 to complete a comprehensive win by virtue of another team effort which was characteristic of the side’s efforts throughout the league season. That win in the club’s ‘biggest ever game’ meant that the side has won three consecutive league titles in three years.

This Saturday, APD Dumfries play Watsonians, winners of the Eastern Premier, in the Cricket Scotland Premiership Final in Edinburgh for the accolade of the top club side in Scotland.

Also last Saturday, CWE Nunholm lost away at leaders Partick in the Reserve league.

A good batting effort by Nunholm reached 158 for 7 with Building Tec Man of the Match Richardson top scoring with 59. However that target was successfully passed with the loss of seven wickets.

On Sunday, in their Scottish Cup semi-final, Dumfries Women got close to Glasgow Accies’ total of 77 for 6 but lost by thirteen runs, six down for 64. Rachel Howard was the Parkdale Garage Player of the Match taking two wickets.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.