Your Move Dumfries lost to Prestwick in their friendly on Saturday in a Nunholm match sponsored by GM Thomson.
This was after the first round of scheduled Western Union League fixtures had all been cancelled due to travel guidelines and which included both Dumfries first and second team fixtures being called off.
Prestwick batted first and Stuart Alexander again contemplated halting his season early as, instead of his first ball wicket last Saturday, this week the ball disappeared for six. Opener Singh typically adopted the pinch-hitter role and succeeded in finding the Nunholm boundary.
However Callum Reynolds-Lewis struck from the other end with a sharp catch taken by James Little at cover, followed by removing the visitors’ skipper McDonald LBW. It was first ball success for Alan Davidson as Singh tried a repeat but was well caught by Chris Brockwell in the deep for 35.
Prestwick were rattling along as the bowlers tried to shake off the rust and find a line and with the score past the hundred in the twentieth over it required the combined spin of Brockwell and Beveridge to exert some control.
A well judged catch on the boundary by Tommy McGrath gave Beveridge his first wicket and a terrific one handed catch by keeper Mat Williams standing up provided the second. Brockwell bowled a great spell from the other end for little runs and was unlucky not to be rewarded with a wicket or few.
Euan McBeth was the block as he compiled 62 not out and Prestwick accelerated in the closing overs with Gurupreet Singh smiting 2 sixes in his 24 before being caught on the boundary by Dawson to reach 203 for 7 in the 45 overs.
Opener Andrew Dawson was the mainstay of the Dumfries batting response as Prestwick succeeded in finding a consistent line and length and with a spin laden attack. Number five, Alan Davidson, and Dawson batted well with a fifty partnership to approach the hundred mark and provide some hope.
However Davidson top edged a sweep off Singh to be caught for 20 and Brockwell continued the chase with a sweetly struck six over long-on. However a repeated attempt did not find the gap and was caught for 15. Dawson also aimed to clear the boundary and he was caught for a well worked top score of 57 and the GM Thomson Player of the Match award.
Max Corbett-Byers batted well at the senior level as the pace bowlers returned and also set himself up for his representative age-group cricket the following day where he hit a second top score for the West Under-15s.
However Dumfries finished short with 157 for 8 but after some valuable Premier League level cricket for a side with a mix of experience and youth.
Prestwick 203 for 7 (45 overs)
E McBeth 62 not out, I Singh 35; C Reynolds-Lewis 2 for 19, A Davidson 2 for 27
S Beveridge 2 for 24, T McGrath 1 for 33
Your Move Dumfries 157 for 8 (45 overs)
A Dawson 57, A Davidson 20, C Brockwell 15, M Corbett-Byers 11;
S Chaudhary 1 for 11, A Ahbar1 for 20
Dumfries lost to Prestwick by 46 runs
GM Thomson Dumfries Player of the Match – A Dawson
Photo: Prestwick’s Mitchell Rao well caught by keeper Mat Williams off Beveridge
Sunday XI abandoned in Carlisle
The Dumfries Sunday XI travelled hopefully to Carlisle in the Eden Valley Sunday league in the face of a foreboding forecast. They lingered long enough for Mat Williams to score 39 and for a middle order rapid revival from James Cox with 48 which included 2 sixes and 5 fours. That set a total past three figures in a completed first innings. However only some ten overs of the Carlisle innings could be bowled before the gale and rain forced an abandonment of the game.
Close game for the U15s at Carlisle
A reduced Dumfries under-15s side completed their match against Carlisle Green under-15s on Monday. A good game resulted with the home side bowling first and the Dumfries select reaching 117 for 5. Max Corbett-Byers was the top scorer with 33 retired.
All the bowlers then contributed well. Niamh Muir took 2 wickets for seven runs and Katy Anderson got her wicket lbw. Harith Hassan, Cory Dawson and Aiden Goodin were all economical and set up the final over for Max to defend the thirteen runs left for a Carlisle win. He succeeded for the visitors to end up with a seven run victory in a competitive close game for all players.
Representative Cricket: On Sunday Max Corbett-Byers had another regional outing for the Western Warriors under-15s in their game with Caledonian Highlanders at Clydesdale CC . Opening for the West side he put on an opening stand of 66 for the first wicket before being dismissed for 23. However a first innings total of 187 for 7 was not enough to prevent an eight wicket win for the side from the North.
