Dumfries won their local friendly against Galloway on Saturday at Nunholm with James Little edging the award for JB Houston Dumfries Player of the Match.
The home side batted first and, after Pat Druce established again that he is not a bowler to be trifled with by taking an early wicket, Dumfries put together a century second wicket partnership between Scott Beveridge and young batter James Little.
Beveridge found his stride with ten boundaries as he rapidly reached a retiral fifty. Robert McBride also batted assertively as Little batted with assurance. McBride skied a catch for a score of 18 off Alex McMenemy and Chris Brockwell was the batting partner there to congratulate Little on his fifty as he finished on 53 not out. Brockwell contributed three fours and a six in his score of 25 not out and Dumfries totalled 184 at the end of the thirty overs.
Stuart Alexander contemplated finishing his season early taking a wicket bowled with the first ball of the Galloway innings. However Tommy McGrath and Pat Druce put together the substantial partnership until Alan Davidson trapped McGrath lbw for 23 and Sean Thornely bowled Druce for 26.
James Little added two run outs to his batting exploits and wickets fell with another to Sean, to Brockwell, and a hat-trick to golden arm Max Corbett-Byers with his first three deliveries.
With the match decided James Hobman got a deserved wicket and Alan Davidson hit some end of innings runs in the remaining overs, including the shot of the day punched over mid-on, or was it James Little’s straight drive for four?
After a questionable forecast it was good for both sides to get the game and with the current match scheduling difficulties.
Dumfries 184 for 2 (30 overs)
S Beveridge 53rtd, J Little 54 rtd, C Brockwell 25no, R McBride 18
Galloway 63 all out (18.5 overs)
M Corbett-Byers 3 for 2, Sean Thornely 2 for 8,
A Davidson 1 for 5, S Alexander 1 for 9, C Brockwell 1 for 15
Dumfries won by 121 runs
JB Houston Dumfries Player of the Match – James Little
Photo – Sean Thornely took two wickets in the Dumfries win
The morning also provided a first game experience for some of the Dumfries under-11s with Galloway visiting for a six-a-side soft ball game prior to the match in the morning. There, a good set of visitors were the stronger side. Nevertheless the game provided a very worthwhile game experience against opposition with debuts for all but one of the home team.
Junior Cricket: Cubbon takes three in the Cup
The Dumfries under-13s could be pleased with their performance in their County Cup match at Carlisle on Friday, although ultimately in an eighteen run defeat to the Edenside team.
Asked to field first the Dumfries bowlers bowled economically, despite the adjacent boundaries, and there were only four wides, plus the fielding was effective. Munro Cubbon took his three wickets cheaply. Joe Hall, on debut, was the other wicket-taker and was also miserly. Jacob Holden was the other stand-out, quickly learning from the boundary off his first ball, to concede only five runs from his next seventeen deliveries.
In reply to Carlisle’s 119 for 4 the Dumfries youngsters showed excellent concentration and no little skill against some challenging bowling. Bill Middlemiss retired with 31 not out and Harith Hassan scored 23 in their opening partnership of seventy.
It was the stronger batting of the Carlisle youngsters which proved the difference with Dumfries finishing on 101 for 3 after the 20 overs.
However Dumfries may well have provided the player of the match – Munro Cubbin for his bowling spell, and definitely the shot of the match – Harith’s glorious straight driven boundary – out of the text book and into the memory banks.
Carlisle U13s 119-4 (20 overs)
M Cubbon 3 for 9, J Hall 1 for 5
Dumfries U13s 101-3 (20 overs)
W Middlemiss 31rtd, H Hassan 23
Dumfries U13s lost to Carlisle U13s by 18 runs
