Dumfries Sports Club

With the National Leagues paused on Saturday APD Dumfries travelled to Ayr for a regional Murgitroyd Twenty/20 festival. In the first match against Premiership side Greenock events revolved around newly arrived Kiwi professional and Test player Tim McIntosh.

Dumfries reached 54 for none after six overs whereas Greenock were subsequently 10 for 1 at the same stage. Beveridge and Breetzke rattled along until Breetzke was bowled for 25 and Beveridge was lbw for 41 with the score on 81 at the half way point. However the remaining overs were less productive and Dumfries ended on 117 for 8.

Dumfries bowled tightly at the start of the Greenock innings Maskrey conceding just two runs in three overs. However one over, bowled by a late substitute from Ayr, went for thirty with McIntosh hitting four sixes and Dumfries were regretting dropping him early. Bellwood (39no) backed up McIntosh (70no) and they took Greenock to a nine wicket win.

In the second game against Ayr, Dumfries also batted first. Breetzke (34) and Beveridge (20no) again figured as wickets went steadily during the innings for a total of 81 for 8. Despite wickets falling to Maskrey and Telfer to make it 11 for 2 once Preece (34) and Borland (20no) came together for the third wicket Ayr they were on course for the win.

In their home league match against Titwood in damp conditions Site Electrical Nunholm reached just 110 with Davidson and Paterson the top scorers with 36 and 32. Nunholm were then unable the catches offered and, despite an excellent opening spell from Stuart and Niall Alexander, Titwood reached the target for the loss of four wickets.

The following day Niall Alexander achieved his first cap for Scotland U15s opening the bowling in their two wicket win over Cumbria on Sunday in the ECB Championship.

This Saturday APD Dumfries play Weirs at Nunholm in the Scottish Championship and are away at Hawick on Friday evening in the Border Murgitroyd Twenty/20 knockout. Site Electrical Nunholm play at home on Sunday against the Western Academy in the West SCNL Reserve League.

This Saturday APD Dumfries take a break from the Scottish Championship as all National league clubs take part in the new Scotland wide Murgitroyd Twenty/20 Festival. The new format involves nine regional groups in an afternoon of T20 matches. APD Dumfries face a tough task against two Premiership sides at Ayr with Greenock as the third team.

Meanwhile, after both Dumfries 1st XI and 2nd XI away matches against West Lothian and Moorcroft were washed out last weekend, the seconds, Site Electrical Nunholm, hope for a better fate with a home match against Titwood in the West SNCL Reserve League. The West Premiership match between Hillhead and Galloway which was to be hosted at Nunholm was also a victim of the weather.

The Sunday XI, Brammer Dumfries, have a home match against Hillhead in the West Sunday League. Dumfries’s Niall Alexander will not be available for the side with his selection for the Scotland U15 match that day against Cumbria in the ECB Championship.

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

On Saturday at Nunholm the Scottish Championship match between APD Dumfries and Stenhousemuir was abandoned without a ball being bowled due to rain. That was not the only game to suffer as only twelve overs were bowled across the whole of Scotland in the National leagues.

On Sunday Dumfries’s Niall Alexander successfully came through a Scotland trial match played at Ferguslie to be one of twelve picked for Scotland U15s. Also figuring in representative cricket was Tom McBride who played for the Western Warriors in two Twenty/20 games against the North and was also invited to turn out for the Durham Academy side against the Lancashire Academy this week.

In the West SNCL Reserve League, Site Electrical Nunholm lost a low scoring encounter at Glenpark by seven wickets on Saturday. In bowler friendly conditions Glenpark’s McIntosh took four wickets to dismiss Nunholm for just fifty eight. An opening burst from Niall Alexander reduced then to nine for two but there there were not enough runs and Glenpark finished comfortable winners.

On Sunday, Brammer Dumfries ended up the victors in a friendly at Galloway thanks largely to a century opening stand between Robert McBride and Davie Davidson. McBride retired on fifty and Davidson scored 83 ably assisted by youngster Todd Rafferty who scored 29 not out to reach 192 for five. Despite 35 from Druce and 36 by Hulatt Galloway finished their chase on 102 for 9 with two wickets each to Dave Strachan, Matt Williams and Rafferty.

This Saturday both Dumfries sides are away. APD Dumfries play at West Lothian in the Scottish Championship and Site Electrical Dumfries, the 2nd XI, are at Renfrew. However there is a match at Nunholm on Saturday with Hillhead playing Galloway in the West Premiership. The Hillhead ground is being redeveloped this season and they are playing their ‘home’ fixtures at neutral venues.

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

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APD Dumfries finally completed a home league match with a heavy nine wicket defeat of SMRH in the Scottish Championship on Saturday. The Edinburgh side could only muster a total of forty one after opening bowlers Allan Maskrey and Robert McBride cut through the batting line-up with four wickets each. Drew Dawson then took the Nunholm side to an easy win with twenty six not out.

Captain Corbett-Byers observed “I was lucky enough to win the toss and normally at Nunholm you’d have no hesitation in batting, but the wicket was a bit sticky and I decided to put them in. Our opening bowlers simply put the ball on a good line and length and we held our catches well.” Six catches were taken behind the wicket with Beveridge snaffling three of them.

The previous evening Dumfries has registered another nine wicket win at Selkirk in the Murgitroyd Twenty/20 Cup. There it was young opening bowler Niall Alexander that took four wickets. Stuart Corbett-Byers and Chad Breetzke were not out on 32 and 29 at the finish.

However after dismissing their league opponents for forty one on Saturday Dumfries understood that experience the following day at Nunholm. The side suffered from a poor batting performance against Renfrew in the Scottish Cup which saw them collapse to forty seven all out and an inevitable defeat in a game which Renfrew won by nine wickets.

This Saturday APD Dumfries are away at Penicuik in the Scottish Championship League and, after a cancelled match last Saturday, the seconds, Site Electrical Nunholm are at home against Shawholm in the West SNCL Reserve League and the Sunday XI play at Prestwick.

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

ADP Dumfries experienced their third “no result” in a row on Saturday when their Championship match against Edinburgh Accies at Nunholm was abandoned due to rain with Dumfries in a strong position of 208 for 1 after 35 overs. Davie Davidson was stranded twelve short of a century, on 88 not out, with Scott Beveridge close behind on 70 not out.

That left the Dumfries side’s young overseas player, Chad Breetzke, waiting as next man in for over twenty overs. May’s poor cricketing weather, unlike in April, have left him doubtful if it ever stops raining in Scotland since after arriving early in May he has yet to bat for the firsts or complete a senior game.

He comes fresh from a South African summer where he played first grade cricket and where he has represented Eastern Provinces as a batsman and keeper at each age group up to and including U19s. He worked as a cricket coach over their season and his knowledge as a South African Level 2 coach is proving an asset to the club’s development programme for juniors and seniors.

Another match abandoned, without a ball being bowled, was the Site Electrical Nunholm fixture at Partick in the West SNCL Reserve League, as was the Sunday fixture at Ayr.

This weekend APD Dumfries have two home matches, a Championship league match against SMRH on Saturday, a Scottish Cup match against Renfrew on Sunday and, weather permitting, a Murgitroyd Twenty/20 game at Selkirk on Friday evening. The seconds, Site Electrical Nunholm, travel on Saturday to play Shawholm in the West SNCL Reserve League.

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

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 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.

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.

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 .

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 .