Dumfries Sports Club

In the Western Premier League on Saturday, Stafforce Dumfries registered a good five wicket win at Coatbridge side Drumpellier.

A fine effort in the field restricted Drumpellier to 129 all out with four wickets for twelve runs to D&G Fire Protection Man of the Match Chris McCutcheon and two to Niall Alexander and Chris Bellwood. Alan Davidson and Drew Dawson set up the win with a fifty opening partnership, each scoring 30, but it required Chris Bellwood to see the side home with a top score of 35 not out aided by a not out innings of 15 from Niall Alexander.

In the Western Premier Reserve League it was another close finish at Nunholm. Nunholm set a total of 224 for 4 against Langloan. Fifteen year old Chris McBride top scored with 73, the Solway Print Man of the Match Jerry Goodin scored fifty and Adam Elliott and Davie Davidson contributed thirties. Gurupal Singh then took three wickets, and Goodin two, as Langloan got close finishing seventeen runs short in the third last over when a direct hit from the boundary by Dave Strachan dramatically ran out the last man.

Dumfries’s Scott Beveridge finished off his matches for the Scotland Reivers in the North Sea Pro Series by contributing runs, two scores in the twenties, in his side’s two T20 matches against the Highlanders in Dundee. The latter’s two wins saw them win the ten match four team series which included two Dutch sides.

On Friday, Dumfries U13s won a close fought match at Galloway by just six runs. The Club’s Coaching for Juniors takes place at Dumfries Sports Club on Mondays, 6:15-8, suitable for boys and girls, P4 to S1. For details contact Trefor Williams (01387 256455), or the club on dumfriescricketclub@gmail.com, 07799 856094, or see www.dumfriescricketclub.co.uk, Facebook or Twitter.

On Saturday, Stafforce Dumfries play at West of Scotland in the Western Premier League and Nunholm play Partick at home.

On Saturday in the Western Premier league, at Nunholm, Stafforce Dumfries were just on the wrong side of a one wicket loss in a very tense finish against Paisley side Ferguslie.

Dumfries set a total of 190 for 6 with all of the batsmen contributing and with scores in the thirties from Alan Davidson, Stuart Corbett-Byers and Josh Forsyth. Young Ferguslie spinner Hamza Tahir, on a helpful surface, slowed the scoring and importantly also removed the top four batsmen.

Dumfries had a good start when Ferguslie batted when Niall Alexander took a wicket LBW first ball and promptly had the other opener well caught in the slips. Ferguslie recovered thanks to a partnership between Michael English and David Stafford. However both were removed, English for 64, with just under fifty runs needed and seven wickets down.

Nevertheless the remaining batsmen proved equal to the task, aided by opportunities not being taken by Dumfries. The closing overs were eventful. In the second last over a diving one handed catch just failed to stick, and one run was called short, but the last pair for Ferguslie hit the winning runs with just three balls left after putting on sixteen for the last wicket.

That result was despite five wickets taken by the Cumberland Building Society Dumfries Man of the Match, opening bowler Niall Alexander, and also three from Scott Beveridge. In the Western Premier Reserve League the Dumfries 2nd XI fixture at Meikleriggs was cancelled due to rain.

On Sunday at Nunholm, in the second round of the Scottish Cup, a depleted Dumfries team was well beaten by a strong Arbroath side. Only the Park Gate Ltd. Dumfries Man of the Match Robert McBride was in the runs with the top score of twenty seven in a total of 82. Opener Brendon Ford then smashed 58 in short order to settle an eight wicket win with only the catch of the season by Alan Davidson as consolation for Dumfries.

On Saturday, Stafforce Dumfries play at Drumpellier in the Western Premier League and Nunholm play Langloan at home.

Club Coaching for Juniors takes place at Dumfries Sports Club on Mondays, 6:15-8, suitable for boys and girls, P4 to S1. For details contact Trefor Williams on 01387 256455, or the club on dumfriescricketclub@gmail.com, 07799 856094, or see www.dumfriescricketclub.co.uk. Or follow the club on Facebook.

Read about how Dumfries Sports Club and Dumfries Squash Club came into being.

Ghosts in White Flannels –The History of Dumfries Cricket Club

On Friday the 29th May, Dumfries Cricket Club will be launching the first ever book about the Club. The book describes the history of the Club, since its inception in 1853 as the Dumfries Cricket and Bowling Club, across 184 fully illustrated A4 pages.

This will take place at 7pm in the Farries Suite of the Clubhouse at the Club ground at Nunholm, Dumfries Sports Club. Editions of the Book will be available for purchase on the night for £12 or for £15 by post.

The book describes the different eras of the Club and tells the story of cricket as part of the sporting and social history of Dumfries, and of Dumfries and Galloway.

The topics covered in the book range from the first Club ground at Milldamhead in Dumfries before the Club, and its pavilion, moved to its second, and current home, at Nunholm, to the Club’s greatest achievement of winning the Western Premier League for the first time in 2012.

The present day multi-sport nature of Dumfries Sports Club is reflected in the Cricket Club’s association through the years with a range of sports including the beginnings of Queen of the South, Scotland’s first ever lacrosse match, and the Dumfries Annual Games.

The history of Cricket itself is also touched upon with the exploits of Club Captain A.G. Steel whose name is on the Ashes Urn that will be fought for this summer by England and Australia.

However the book also describes the many individuals, players, and characters, who have sustained the Club beyond 160 years with many now long gone, the “Ghosts in White Flannels”.

After the launch of the book, copies can be obtained from the Clubhouse, Nunholm, Bacci’s Newsagents, Whitesands, Dumfries and from Mac Creedon at Solway Print, 11 Catherinefield Industrial Estate, Dumfries DG1 3PQ (01387 262 960, info@solwayprint.co.uk ).

Local rivals Stafforce Dumfries and St Michaels engaged in pre-season battle for the first time in many years on Saturday. Stafforce Dumfries took advantage of the winning the toss and put themselves into bat for the 50 over match.

Youngster Chris McBride and stalwart Stuart Corbett-Byers opened the innings strongly putting on 67 runs, before McBride was bowled for 39 by Chris Brockwell. Corbett-Byers was joined at the wicket by Chris Bellwood and together they put on an additional 60 runs which saw Corbett-Byers reach 50 before he was also bowled by Brockwell.

The partnerships continued with Australian amateur Josh Forsyth coming to the crease and batting through the rest of the innings. He finished with 104 not from just 65 balls leaving St Michaels with a challenging chase and the final total of 337 for 6 wickets.

The second innings was also challenging for St Michaels with the first 6 wickets falling for 32 runs with 4 wickets to Alan Davidson and 2 to Patrick Druce. St Michaels newcomer Australian Adam Cooper then arrived at the crease and dug in with an impressive 46 runs as wickets fell around him.

St Michaels were eventually bowled out for 105 after 30 overs. There was plenty of local support with the Dumfries Second XI Nunholm Team in attendance as match day sponsors and a great night was had by all.

Next week sees the start of the Western District Premiership Division with Stafforce Dumfries at home to Tunnocks Uddingston and Nunholm away to Bothwell.

There’s a great vibe within the club with plenty of returning and new players to the game.

If you are passionate about cricket and keen to get involved with one of Scotland’s premier teams and play on a beautiful ground with excellent training facilities we have all standards available from junior and midweek teams to Saturday and Sunday XI’s.

We are also on the lookout for a crucial member to our team and have a paid position available for team scorer. Contact us via Facebook (Dumfries Cricket Club) or call fixtures manager Mark Irwin on 07868772953.

Match Scorecard: Friendly
Stafforce Dumfries beat St Michaels by 232 runs. Home at Nunholm
Stafforce Dumfries 337/6 (50 overs)
J Forsyth 104no, S Corbett-Byers 50, C McBride 39
St Michaels 105 all out (30 overs)
A Davidson 4 wickets, P Druce 2 wickets, S Corbett-Byers 2 wickets
Dumfries Man of the Match: J Forsyth

Stafforce Dumfries began the season with a confident performance against a highly regarded Penrith side defeating them by 1 run on Saturday. Chris Bellwood shone with the bat in the 40 over match finishing on 99 not out and was supported by a solid performance from Alan Davidson with 47.

After finishing with 213, Penrith were put into bat and were tied down for the first 12 overs by Niall Alexander and Alan Davidson who each took a wicket to leave Penrith at 2 for 28 after 10.

The remaining Penrith wickets were shared between Chris McBride,Scott Beveridge and Aussie Josh Forsyth. Penrith battled through but lost wickets at regular intervals and were all out after scoring 22 from the final over to fall short of the target by just 1 run.

Dumfries nearly snatched defeat from the jaws of victory but overall a deserved win for the Nunholm outfit.

Match Scoreboard: Friendly
Stafforce Dumfries 213 for 6 (40 overs) C Bellwood 99no, A Davidson 47
Penrith 212 all out (40 overs)
Dumfries Man of the Match : C Bellwood

This weekend action returns to Nunholm Cricket ground with consecutive matches against Penrith Cricket Club’s First and Second teams.

Saturday sees Stafforce Dumfries travelling to Penrith to face their first team in a pre-season game. Sunday sees Nunholm play at home for the reciprocal match with Penrith second team as they prepare for the Western District Cricket Union’s Premier Reserve Grade.

There’s a great vibe within the club with plenty of returning and new players to the game. If you are passionate about cricket and keen to get involved with one of Scotland’s premier teams and play on a beautiful ground with excellent training facilities we have all standards available from junior and midweek teams to Saturday and Sunday XI’s.

We are also on the lookout for a crucial member to our team and have a paid position Facebook (Dumfries Cricket Club) or call Fixtures Manager Mark Irwin on 07868772953.

The season is coming to a close too early for Dumfries ’s Sunday XI. Gatehouse were the visitors on a perfect cricket day; the sun shining on an immaculate Nunholm.

Batting first Dumfries had to be careful against tidy bowling but made steady progress with the top order all getting starts but failing to go on. Skipper Irwin then upped the tempo with some good strikes through the off side to reach 35, and when he departed Peter Johnstone, with 33 not out, kept rotating the strike to allow top scorer Chris McBride to make an unfussy fifty and newcomer Jack Austin to show off his brand of batting at the end.

A target of 184 to win in the forty overs was, one felt, dependant on Fraser Conn and Howard Bradley making significant contributions and they did not let their team down. Conn was unluckily bowled off his foot from one going down the leg side for 42 and Bradley made his first mistake when victory was in sight with a top score of 56.

The Dumfries bowling was variable. The old heads of Stuart Alexander and Dave Strachan provided the control but no wickets and the young pretenders came up with the wicket-taking deliveries but also some run-making opportunities.

In the end Dumfries were the winners by 7 runs in a game which could have gone either way.

The Roger Lever Photography Dumfries Man of the Match award went to Dave Strachan; not only for his miserly 7-over spell conceding just 12 runs but for his magnificent slip catch which had the batsman still shaking his head many an over later.

In their Murgitroyd T20 Semi-Final on Saturday at Clydesdale, Dumfries were struck with Twenty20 fever as they lost two batsman run out inside eight balls and then were four down in the fourth over. With the top four gone the innings never recovered to post any sort of target and Clydesdale cruised to a win. Then in the final Clydesdale were unable to chase a challenging target of 177 set by the eventual winners Grange.