Dumfries were involved in a tense tied match on Saturday in their pre-league friendly against Ferguslie. In the first game of the season at Nunholm, the Your Move Player of the Match Adam Malik set up the Dumfries chase of Ferguslie’s 235 with the day’s top score of 73.
Ferguslie batted first and looked set for an even bigger total with Ahmad and Esakhiel aggressively putting together a hundred partnership after James Hobman had taken the first early wicket, caught behind. Chris Brockwell slowed progress by having Ahmad caught for 44 together with a stumping off his very next ball.
Callum Reynolds-Lewis delivered a beauty to bowl Esakhiel, out for a run-a-ball 64, with the visitors at 143 and nearing the half-way of 25 overs. Dumfries then did well to keep the runs down with Tommy McGrath taking a rapid caught and bowled to remove professional Pillay for 55 before Ferguslie were all out for 235 in the 45th over. McGrath finished with two wickets, as did Jabarkhil and Hobman, along with a much talked about run-out by Drew Dawson.
Dawson and Malik got Dumfries started in the chase with a sixty-run opening partnership. Johnathon Van Zyl replaced Dawson and helped take the score on to 153 in the 27th over. However, Malik lofted a drive to cover after a composed score of 73. Pillay struck, bowling Van Zyl for 57, and Tahir removed Chris Bellwood for 22 with a good ball for a score of 210 for 5 with 4-an-over required.
Ferguslie kept it tight as Dumfries struggled through losing wickets until finally two runs were required off the last ball with only one wicket left. Off his only delivery Jabarkhil managed the one run to tie the game to spare Dumfries blushes in a game that could have been won by the home side.
On Sunday, the Dumfries 2nd team, Nunholm, bowled first in another friendly at Langloan. The substantial partnership was for the third wicket between Zubar Mohammed (35) and Dilyot Sidhu (25), and worth nearly seventy runs. Nunholm kept picking off wickets with Your Move Player of the Match Trevor Newport spinning his way to figures of 4 for 10. Ajith took two wickets and Lamb, Cox, Malik and Reynolds-Lewis took one apiece to have Langloan all out for 189.
In the second innings it was a sixth wicket eighty-run partnership than won the match for Nunholm. After Jordan Maritz had hit a run-a- ball 32, Van Zyl and Malik combined again to take the score from 100 for 5 up to 184 when Van Zyl was stumped for 52. Malik ended on 40 not out for a four wicket win for the Dumfries visitors.
Also on Sunday, Dumfries U15s faced a strong Clydesdale side in the ECB U15 Vitality T20 Cup and after ten overs Clydesdale were on 71 for 1. Thereafter the local side worked hard to keep the runs down and succeeded in taking a further six wickets as the visitors totalled 146 for 7 with Kumar hitting a fifty. Billy Morgan and Haqmal Noori took two wickets, Jasmine McCulloch took the first wicket and Danny Allsop and Yazdan Ovais each claimed a run out.
Faced with a challenging target the youngsters were then also faced with the fastest bowling of the weekend for both senior and junior players. The balls which were full, straight, and distinctly rapid proved too much as Shinwari proceeded to take 6 for 10 as Dumfries reached 52 for 8 after ten overs. Billy Morgan was joined by Danny Allsop and after coping with a blow to the leg the latter managed 14 not out. A bowling change helped, and the side were all out for 87 after 19 overs. Morgan top scored with 26 in what was a battling performance by the Dumfries team.
Dumfries start their league season on Saturday at Glasgow Accies in WDCU Western Premiership Two and the 2nd team, Nunholm, are at home against Anniesland in Western Championship Two. Interested players can contact the club on [email protected].
Photo: Dumfries Player of the Match Adam Malik top scored with 73 against Ferguslie
