Dumfries Sports Club

In National League Division 2 on Saturday newly crowned champions APD Dumfries won a potentially difficult encounter at West Lothian by 52 runs. In ‘the Josh and Jerry Show’, Josh Geary scored 81 in the Dumfries total of 242 for 7 and Jerry Goodin took four wickets to restrict West Lothian to 190 for 9 at the finish.

Dumfries chose to bat and when Aussies Parkinson and Geary came together at 47 for 2 they proceeded to put together a match winning partnership. They had almost taken the total past two hundred when Parkinson was bowled for 69. However with eighteen balls left a century was just beyond Josh’s reach when McKenna took an unbelievable caught and bowled off a rising drive destined for the boundary. He departed for the day’s top score of 81.

Dumfries finished on a competitive 242 for 7 but they had the significant problem of the league’s top run scorer, professional Van Wyk, plus the fourth top run scorer, overseas amateur Cookson, to overcome.

Again Alan Maskrey set the tone for Dumfries by bowling both openers. With the score at 70, left arm spinner Scott Beveridge took a crucial caught and bowled to dismiss Cookson.

Leg spinner Jerry Goodin struck an equally important blow when he had Van Wyk caught for just 17. The two spinners then reduced the opposition to 120 for 9. However Raven and Heath delivered a tenth wicket unbeaten stand of seventy to take the game right to the end but nevertheless a defeat and Dumfries’s 14th win of the season.

In Western Union Division 2, JMS Nunholm finished their league season with a disappointing seven wicket defeat to Langloan. Langloan successfully chased the home side’s total of 183 in which Andy Reed was the top scorer for the Dumfries side with 59.

Dumfries Cricket Club secured the biggest league title in the club’s 157 year history at the weekend when they became champions of Scottish National League Division 2.

A win by ten wickets in Saturday’s away fixture saw them deserved champions with two games still to play after having led the league from day one and with a record of won thirteen, lost one.

The emphatic win over opponents Weirs saw the Dumfries attack firing on all cylinders as they bowled out their opponents for just 61 with Alan Maskrey, Chris McCutcheon and Jim Patterson each taking two wickets and Scott Beveridge three. Tom McBride and Andy Parkinson then knocked off the runs without losing a wicket to start the champagne celebrations for the finest achievement in the club’s history.

Now in their fifth season in the National Leagues, after promotion from the Western Union in 2005, the title is a reward for APD Dumfries’s consistent challenge at the top of the table with the side having finished second twice and fourth twice. Read the rest of this entry »

On Tuesday, Dumfries Cricket Club hosted a team from the Refugee Cricket Project (RCP) in London. The team, aged from 15 to 18, was composed predominantly of Afghan refugees and is supported by the cricket charity, Cricket for Change (www.cricketforchange.org.uk).

They were on what was a special trip for them to Scotland to see the team that is the story of the cricket world, the fast improving Afghanistan cricket team, play Scotland at Ayr on the Monday. That was a well chosen match since Afghanistan secured a comprehensive nine wicket win by playing the type of ‘hit hard’, ‘bowl fast’ cricket that also characterised their younger RCP counterparts.

Since the team expressly wanted to spend the rest of their time playing cricket they played a young Dumfries Select on Tuesday followed by two matches (of Twenty20) the following day at Ayr and Prestwick before making their way back to London.

The RCP side fielded first and after being welcomed to Scottish cricket by two heavy downpours that reluctantly forced them from the field the weather fortunately cleared to give them a perfect day for cricket. Read the rest of this entry »

In National League Division 2 APD Dumfries are one win away from the league title with three games left after a close two wicket win over RH Corstorphine at Nunholm. The story of the match was an unbeaten 44 run partnership between Josh Geary and Chris McCutcheon that rescued Dumfries from 116 for 8 to pass Corstorphine’s total of 159 all out with just five balls remaining. Geary finished not out on 46, and McCutcheon on 30.

Bowling well Dumfries restricted their opponents to 159 all out. Maskrey bowled a tight opening spell for one wicket, Davidson took two and McCutcheon claimed three wickets at the end.

However Corstorphine also bowled well and Dumfries struggled, moving from 2 for 2, to 5 for 69, and then 8 for 116. That was when McCutcheon came out to join Geary and in a tense finish dominate the scoring to get a vital win for Dumfries.

In another dramatic encounter JMS Nunholm travelled to play GHK in Western Union Division 2. Exploiting the conditions GHK bowled Nunholm out for only 75. Nunholm managed to respond by having GHK five down for 16 and 36 for 8. However the final wicket eluded the side and they lost by just one wicket. Youngsters Temlett and Telfer caused the drama with four and three wickets respectively.

Site Electrical Dumfries lost a well contested match to Kelburne in the Strathclyde Sunday League by 4 wickets. Despite a maiden unbeaten century by Robert McBride and fifty one by Douglas Brotherston, Kelburne chased down the home side’s total of 218 for 4.

On Saturday in National League Division 2 APD Dumfries travel to play Weirs looking for one more win to claim the league title. JMS Nunholm are at Kingholm to play DMPS St Michaels in Western Union Division 2. On Sunday, Site Electrical Dumfries play at Ferguslie in Strathclyde Division 2.

On Friday Nunholm is the home ground for the club’s sponsors, Newbie company APD Ltd, in what promised to be a ‘keenly contested’ social match against Chapelcross.

Next week, on Tuesday, a Dumfries XI play the RCP, the Refugee Cricket Project, a team based in London and composed predominantly of young Afghan refugees and supported by the cricket charity, Cricket for Change (www.cricketforchange.org.uk). They are on a tour of Scotland which includes watching Afghanistan play Scotland at Ayr where the two sides compete in a four day match and two one day internationals. Dumfries have been added to their first year of fixtures which have included games against the MCC, Surrey club sides and Eton.

And good luck to Niall Alexander and Chris McBride who are in Edinburgh this week playing for the Western Junior Academy in the U14 festival of matches against the other regional Academy sides.

The current National League table for Division 2 is shown below. Read the rest of this entry »

In National League Division 2 leaders APD Dumfries maintained their winning ways successfully chasing a Kelburne total of 154 all out at Whitehaugh. Professional Harper was the mainstay of the Kelburne innings and was only dismissed in the last over for 60. Wickets were shared with McCutcheon, McBride, Davidson each taking two and Geary three.

With Dumfries at 77 for 5 the team had to look to their depth of batting resources. It required the experience of Davie Davidson and Jim Patterson, in a rare batting opportunity this season, to steady the ship. Patterson was stumped for the top score of 36 with just eleven runs needed. Davidson (29 no) completed the Dumfries win by four wickets and earn the Galloway Industrial Man of the Match award.

In Western Union Division 2 the match between JMS Nunholm and Kilmarnock at Dumfries on Saturday was abandoned in the second innings due to rain. In the Strathclyde League Site Electrical Dumfries beat Hillhead on Sunday. The side, with its emphasis on giving opportunities to the club’s younger players, held Hillhead to a total of 150 all out. Michael Temlett took three wickets and Stephen Temlett two. The youthful top order had less success and it required Parkinson and Geary to usher their side to a six wicket win. For details on Dumfries CC including the club’s Monday evening junior sessions (6:15-8pm) see www.dumfriescricketclub.co.uk.

This Saturday league leaders APD Dumfries are at home to RH Corstorphine in National League Division 2. Tom McBride is available again after being part of the Scotland U19 team who won the European Championships last week. In Western Union Division 2 JMS Nunholm are away to GHK and on Sunday Site Electrical Dumfries play Kelburne at home in Strathclyde Division 2.

In National League Division 2 APD Dumfries extended their lead with a win over Edinburgh at Nunholm by 6 wickets as nearest rivals Renfrew lost. Edinburgh totalled 202 all out in their first innings with McCutcheon, McBride, Patterson, and Davidson each claiming two wickets. It took an unbeaten fifth wicket century partnership between skipper Stuart Corbett-Byers, with 57 not out, and league debutant Andrew Batty, 44 not out, to see the Dumfries side home.

Forfarshire proved too strong for Dumfries in the Murgitroyd Scottish Twenty20 semi-final played at Poloc on Sunday. The Dundee side demonstrated Premier League quality as they racked up 160 for 6 wickets. Chris McCutcheon claimed a run-out and two wickets, including Scotland opener Watson. The required good start for Dumfries didn’t happen with the top four batsmen departing for single figures as Scotland all-rounder Parker, took two early wickets. Only Andrew Batty with 27 was in the runs as Dumfries yielded to the run pressure and subsided to 55 all out.

In Western Union Division 2 JMS Nunholm lost away when Cambusdoon passed the Nunholm total of 178 for the loss of seven wickets with two overs left. The Nunholm top five each scored runs in a good team batting performance with Williams top scoring with 39. With Cambusdoon at 64 for 4 after 26 overs rain made bowling difficult and a fine 59 by Ayr youngster Elliott Spiers made the difference. Peter Johnstone took three wickets in a fifteen over spell and young Chris McBride took two.

On Saturday leaders APD Dumfries resume their league campaign away at Kelburne in National League Division 2. In Western Union Division 2 JMS Nunholm are at home against Kilmarnock. On Sunday Site Electrical Dumfries are at home against Hillhead in the Strathclyde Sunday League.