Dumfries Sports Club

On Saturday the Western Premier match at Benfield Park Nunholm had to be abandoned due to rain after 12 overs of the Stirling innings with the visitors on 36 for 3 and frustratingly eight overs short of a result. That was after APD Dumfries ended up on 189 for 4 with their innings reduced to 40 overs after a prolonged interruption when 35 overs had already gone. The last five overs after the resumption were bludgeoned for 66 as Dumfries went for runs. Scott Beveridge blasted four sixes in his 53 not out for the Farries, Kirk & McVean Man of the Match award and Josh Geary also finished not out on 53. Chris McCutcheon then took two wickets before the abandonment. The side remain in second place and are at home against Ayr on Saturday.

In the Western Premier Reserve League CWE Nunholm lost top spot after a defeat at Williamfield by five wickets. The Nunholm side reached 169 for 9 with Andy Reed hitting 47 not out and youngsters Dean Brotherston and Chris McBride each scoring 37. The John Walker & Son Man of the Match, Reed, and Brotherston put on a vital eighty eight run partnership for the Dumfries side to recover from 81 for 7. However the Stirling side reached their target with just over two overs left for the loss of five wickets. Nunholm play at Cambusdoon on Saturday and at home against Glasgow Accies in the Western Cup on Sunday.

On Sunday morning Dumfries lost their Murgitroyd Borders Twenty20 final to Kelso, at the sudden death stage, in a bowl out at a flooded Shedden Park.

The U19 World Cup in Australia starts in earnest for Dumfries’s Tom McBride on Sunday when Scotland play New Zealand and then Pakistan on Monday. This week the U19 side have been playing Australia and Bangladesh in warm-up matches and this week, in a first for the Nunholm club, four players are away on Scotland duty with Niall Alexander also featuring for Scotland 17s versus Herefordshire and Cumbria and Rachel Howard and Rosy Ryan for Scotland Womens U17s against Ireland U17s.

Club junior coaching sessions continue over the holidays on Mondays from 6:15-8 at Dumfries Sports Club, Nunholm Road. Beginners are very welcome. For details contact dumfriescricketclub@gmail.com, or Trefor Williams on 01387 256455 or see www.dumfriescricketclub.co.uk .

On Saturday leaders APD Dumfries lost a close encounter away at second placed Clydesdale in the Western Premier League. Dumfries set a target of 200 for 8 in their 50 overs with number three Drew Dawson top scoring with 51, 40 from Joe Clarke and important contributions from Alan Davidson (19) and Robert McBride (21 no) to boost the total up to the two hundred from 153 for 7 with just seven overs left .

However Clydesdale passed that total in the penultimate over for the loss of seven wickets. That was, despite three wickets from Chris Bellwood and two from Jerry Goodin, the Dumfries Tool Room Man of the Match, who bowled a tight ten over spell of leg spin.

Dumfries were in a promising position with Clydesdale on 110 for 6 but an eighty run seventh wicket partnership between Butt (46) and Hill (34 not out) was crucial. The result means that the two sides swap places at the top of the league. APD Dumfries face Stirling at Benfield Park Nunholm on Saturday hoping that a win will move them to top spot for the third time.

In the Western Premier Reserve League the game at Benfield Park Nunholm between first, CWE Nunholm, and second, Titwood, was abandoned due to rain after 16 overs with Titwood on 48 for 3. Niall Alexander took two of the wickets to fall and this week has been with Scotland U17s in Jersey in a series of matches against their U17 side.

On Sunday the Western Cup Quarter-Final at Nunholm against Glasgow Accies was postponed due to conditions but also that day the Sunday XI, Brammer Dumfries, utilised a combination of experience and youth to tie with Glasgow Accies in WDCU Sunday Division 2. Dumfries’s 112 all out was matched by Accies’ second innings of 112 for 9. G S Plumbing Man of the Match Trefor Williams took four wickets and young Fraser Strachan two for an exciting finish.

Club junior coaching sessions continue over the holidays on Mondays from 6:15- 8 at Dumfries Sports Club, Nunholm Road. Beginners are very welcome. For details contact dumfriescricketclub@gmail.com, or Trefor Williams on 01387 256455, or visit www.dumfriescricketclub.co.uk .

APD Dumfries returned to the top of the Western Premier on Saturday with a five wicket win over Greenock at Benfield Park Nunholm after leaders West of Scotland lost against Ayr.

Tom McBride in action for Scotland U19s last week © David M Potter

CWE Nunholm also moved to the top of their Western Premier Reserve League with a solid win at Glenpark. Glenpark were dismissed for 85 with four bowlers each taking two wickets including the Scott Beveridge Plumbing Man of the Match, Niall Alexander, and the winning boundary was hit with one wicket down after 17 overs with Farries and Richardson not out on 47 and 21 respectively.

On Sunday, APD Dumfries travelled to play the Cricket Scotland Trophy Quarter-Final against undefeated Eastern Premier leaders, Grange. Grange scored 257 for 6 with Scotland international Simon Smith top scoring with 51 not out. Dumfries were on 43 for 4 when Beveridge came in and launched a 28 ball 42, including four consecutive sixes in one over before he was out caught.

Tom McBride was the other batsman to figure and he and Richardson shared a fifty partnership, however Dumfries were all out for 168 with ten overs left. McBride top scored with 67 not out in his last innings for the club before leaving this week with Scotland for the U19 World Cup in Australia.

After a successful summer camp last week, club junior coaching sessions continue over the holidays on Mondays from 6:15- 8 at Dumfries Sports Club, Nunholm. Beginners are very welcome. For details contact dumfriescricketclub@gmail.com, or Trefor Williams on 01387 256455.

This Saturday, APD Dumfries play a important match at second placed Clydesdale as do CWE Nunholm at home against second placed Clydesdale 2nds and they also play Glasgow Accies at Nunholm in the Western Cup quarter-final on Sunday.

Davie hits a smashing six

On Sunday, Brammer Dumfries, completed a dramatic win in the league over Hillhead that went to a last ball finish.

Dumfries batted first and after losing a couple of wickets early a seventy run partnership between Adam Lawrie and thirteen year old Chris McBride restored fortunes. McBride was out caught for a fine senior fifty with eight overs left. Dave Strachan and Davie Davidson then provided the necessary acceleration in the remaining overs scoring at eight an over to reach 163 for 5 off 35 overs. Dodd&Co Man of the Match Davidson finished on 42 not out, including one smashing six that disappeared into the clubhouse through a non open window.

McBride top scored with fifty

Hillhead looked set to pass that with ease as their openers Fergus and Frohlich, with several sixes, cruised past sixty in the first ten overs. However Davidson made another breakthrough having Frohlich caught for 45 in his first over. When Kyle also dismissed Fergus for 35 that run chase was in doubt. Hillhead responded and eleven runs were needed off the final over, then four off the last ball, but they finished three short on 161 for 7.

For juniors, a Cricket Summer Camp for boys and girls takes place next week at Dumfries Sports Club, Nunholm (19th/20th) and coaching sessions continue over the summer holidays, Mondays from 6:15 to 8. Any beginners are very welcome. For more details contact dumfriescricketclub@gmail.com, or Trefor Williams on 01387 256455.

Both Saturday Cup matches for the Dumfries sides were victims of the weather. With one group match remaining APD Dumfries, in second place, play leaders Watsonians away on Saturday for a place in the Scottish Cup quarter final. CWE Nunholm play Shawholm at home in the Western Cup and, on Sunday, Scotland U15s play Lincolnshire at Benfield Park Nunholm in the ECB U15 Competition.

Scotland call-ups: The widespread heavy rain, disappointingly for the club’s Kirsty Strachan and Rachel Howard, resulted in the cancellation of the Scotland Women’s U17s matches in the south of England during the week without the side even leaving Scotland. Niall Alexander will be hoping for a different outcome having been selected for Scotland U17s who also travel next week to play 2-day games against Suffolk and Cambridgeshire in the ECB U17 County competition.

Barrie Men of the Match: Geary batting, Smith keeping

The JM Barrie Anniversary Match was played last week, perhaps with a sprinkling of pixie dust, since the Nunholm ground avoided the worst of the day’s rain. A Twenty20 match went ahead and the Dumfries Select posted a challenging total of 154 for 6 with Josh Geary contributing an undefeated 58 and Fraser Conn, of Galloway, a lively 24.

Scotland keeper Simon Smith opened for the JM Barrie XI and top scored with 46 but wickets kept falling at the other end. The final wicket fell on 99, and on the last ball of the innings, to Dean Brotherston who took the three of the last four wickets. However the match was ultimately a win for the supporters of the Barrie XI since it proved to be a successful day in aid of the Moat Brae Trust.

Druce top scored for Nunholm

On Saturday, in the Scottish Cup, the APD Dumfries match at Weirs was cancelled due to rain. However at home at Benfield Park Nunholm, the Dumfries seconds, CWE Nunholm, beat Whitehaugh by 83 runs in the Western Cup. Nunholm made 148 for 9 in their 40 overs with Pat Druce the top scorer with 45 not out to claim the Your Move Man of the Match award.

Opening bowler Allan Maskrey then took four wickets to help dismiss Whitehaugh for 65.This Saturday APD Dumfries are at home to Penicuik (Scottish Cup) and CWE Nunholm are away at Titwood (Western Cup).

On Sunday Brammer Dumfries travelled to Galloway. There the home side won the friendly chasing a target of 141 after Josh Geary and Dave Strachan produced the main stand of the Dumfries innings.

Niall took two wickets for Scotland U17s

Also on Sunday Tom McBride played for Regional Series winners Western Warriors in the final game of the series in a rain affected defeat at Caledonian Highlanders in Arbroath. Niall Alexander took two wickets for Scotland U17s against the Durham Academy side on Tuesday and Fraser Strachan, Chris McBride and Robbie Matthews played for D&G U14s in a loss to Clyde Sharks at Nunholm on Sunday. Next week Kirsty Strachan and Rachel Howard play down south again in the County competition with Scotland Women’s U17s.

Summer Cricket Camp: The Nunholm club’s Monday junior coaching sessions continue at Dumfries Sports Club over the summer holidays, from 6:15 to 8, with a Summer Camp on Thu/Fri, 19/20 July. These are open to non-members, boys and girls. For more details on junior, senior, and women’s cricket contact Trefor Williams (01387 256455), dumfriescricketclub@gmail.com, or see www.dumfriescricketclub.co.uk.

Tom off to U19 World Cup

Tom McBride, of Dumfries Cricket Club, has been named in the Scotland squad heading for the U19 World Cup which takes place in Australia in August.

The side which came through two qualifying stages are drawn in a group with Pakistan, New Zealand and Afghanistan and have warm-up matches against New Zealand and PNG. This week he has been turning out for Scottish Students in Dublin against Irish Universities in the Celtic Student Cricket Series scoring thirty opening in their win in the first match.

The team leave on the 24th July for an intensive period of preparation prior to their first match in the competition against New Zealand on the 12th August on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland.

Also this week Dumfries’s Kirsty Strachan and Rachel Howard have been part of the Scotland Women’s U17s squad playing in the ECB County Championship with fixtures against Leicestershire, Staffordshire and Nottinghamshire. Strachan won her first cap in the side’s 28 run win over Leicestershire U17s on Monday.

On Saturday the top of the table encounter between first and second in the Western Premier League, West of Scotland and APD Dumfries, was a victim of the rain. An encouraging start in the league with four consecutive wins means Dumfries are one bonus point behind West and as Captain Stuart Corbett-Byers noted “In a new league at a higher standard, I would have taken that start back at the beginning of the season”.

That marks the completion of the first half of the league season and a resumption of the Scottish Cup with APD Dumfries playing away at Weirs on Saturday. Dumfries beat Weirs in their first group game and lie second to Watsonians. The group winners progress to the Scottish Cup quarter-finals and the second placed side to the SCU Trophy.

The same rainy fate affected CWE Nunholm, with their home match against Partick in the Reserve league cancelled and they also restart their cup competition with a Western Cup game against Whitehaugh at Benfield Park Nunholm on Saturday. The Dumfries seconds mirror the firsts, second in the league and second in their cup group table.

Holiday junior cricket: The Nunholm club’s Monday junior coaching sessions continue at Dumfries Sports Club over the summer holidays, from 6:15 to 8, with a Summer Camp on Thu/Fri, 19/20 July. These are open to non-members, boys and girls. For more details on junior, senior, and women’s cricket contact Trefor Williams (01387 256455), dumfriescricketclub@gmail.com, or see www.dumfriescricketclub.co.uk.