Dumfries Sports Club

After winning the Nithsdale Sports Council award for Team of the Year at the Awards Dinner on Friday, APD Dumfries were hit by the weather at the weekend.

Captain Stuart Corbett-Byers collected the award for the side’s success in winning the Scottish Division 2 last season and the club’s biggest title. He said “it was good to see last year’s team effort from all the players rewarded with a team award”.

However he then saw Ferguslie get off to a good start in the Championship league match at Nunholm on Saturday. An attacking series of boundaries from sixteen year old youngster Darroch left the Paisley side at 81 for 1 when the rains came to subsequently end the match.

On Sunday morning rain also put paid to the Scottish Cup match at home against Renfrew. The tie will be replayed on the 29th.

The weekend’s cricketing excitement was reserved for Gatehouse on Friday where the Dumfries U12s tied with Galloway U12s in their D&G Colts League match. Chasing 73, Galloway needed three to win off the last ball and managed to scramble two to tie.

On Saturday, APD Dumfries play at Renfrew in the Championship and then at Selkirk in the Murgitroyd Twenty/20 on Sunday. The seconds, Site Electrical Nunholm, play Bothwell at home on Saturday in the West SNCL Reserve League.

APD Dumfries team at Falkland

APD Dumfries lost out in an exciting finish in their opening Scottish Championship match away at Falkland on Saturday.

Jerry Goodin took four wickets to restrict Falkland to 184 all out with Sri Lankan Cooray hitting 85 but despite 36 from Davie Davidson Dumfries fell short by thirteen runs and with two overs still left.

Goodin took 4 wickets

The performance with the ball and in the field was what was required but the batting after the initial overs made heavy weather of chasing a gettable target.

This Saturday APD Dumfries are at home to Ferguslie in the league and are also at Nunholm on Sunday for a Scottish Cup match against fellow Championship side Renfrew.

Dumfries 2nd XI, Site Electrical Nunholm, were beaten by Whitehaugh in the West SNCL Reserve League on Saturday losing by 62 runs.

Thompson top scored for Nunholm

Youngsters Douglas Brotherston and Owen Thompson took 4 wickets and scored 30 respectively but their efforts couldn’t prevent the consequences of a batting collapse after a good bowling performance kept Whitehaugh down to 128 all out.

On Sunday it was a rearguard action that produced a win for Brammer Dumfries against Glasgow Accies in West Sunday League Division 2. It was a victory which was unlikely when Dumfries were 135 for 6 and 180 for 8 chasing 218 but a match winning ninth wicket partnership between Niall Alexander and Adam Lawrie took the side to victory.

Dumfries juniors started their matches at the weekend with a Friday friendly against Midweek side, Shipwrecks and an U13 Scottish Cup match against Gala. Both resulted in losses but notable individual performances including those from McBride and Strachan meant the players got the feel of bat on ball for the new season.

The club welcomes new senior and junior players. Senior training takes place on Tuesdays and Fridays and junior coaching is on Monday evenings. For details contact Trefor Williams on 01387 256455 or see www.dumfriescricketclub.co.uk .

APD Dumfries Captain for the new season, Stuart Corbett-Byers

This Saturday APD Dumfries take their first steps in the newly formed Scottish Championship when they play away at Fife side, Falkland, in their first league match of the season.

This season the Scottish National Leagues have gone from three divisions down to two. Dumfries who were the winners of a ten team Division 2 last year have moved into the Championship which now consists of fifteen teams after the expulsion of Edinburgh CC for ground problems. This sits below the Scottish Premiership which this season has sixteen teams.

Dumfries will be seeking to maintain their challenge at the top of the new league as they consistently managed to do in Division 2. However life will be testing with the side facing new opponents from the old Division 1; Poloc, Stenhousemuir, Penicuik and their opposition on Saturday, former league rivals Falkland.

Skipper Stuart Corbett-Byers said “We want to get off to a good start in the new league. We will need the same team spirit and attitude that the players had last year and for the more experienced players to play to their ability on Saturday”.

Dumfries can expect to face returning Sri Lankan professional, Cooray, who was, by a long way, Falkland’s top run scorer with 768 runs last season and was their second top wicket taker with his off-spin.

Also on Saturday, the Dumfries 2nd XI, Site Electrical Nunholm, will try to commence their league season with a home match against Whitehaugh after their first match in the West SNCL Reserve league against Langloan last Saturday was washed out when the only rain of recent weeks duly arrived at Nunholm.

On Sunday Brammer Dumfries play Glasgow Accies at Nunholm in West Sunday Division 2 and Dumfries U13s play Gala in a Scottish Cup match in the morning.

The club welcomes new senior and junior players. Senior training takes place on Tuesdays and Fridays and junior coaching is on Monday evenings. For details contact Trefor Williams on 01387 256455 or see www.dumfriescricketclub.co.uk .