This week Dumfries Cricket Club hosted two Scotland age-group representative matches at Nunholm.
On Monday, it was a first for Scottish seniors’ cricket when Scotland Over-60s played the Australian Over-60s team which is touring the United Kingdom. The teams were led onto the pitch to the playing of bagpipes before the sides lined up for their national anthems. In the match a talented Australian side overcame a competitive Scotland team, including local Galloway player Stevie Carr, by 92 runs in what was a successful first encounter. Australia hit 274 for 5 wickets and Scotland scored 182 for 8 in reply. Both sides enjoyed their day of cricket in Dumfries before the Australians travelled back south to next play England in the third match in their ‘Grey Ashes’ contest. On Wednesday, it was the other end of the age spectrum at Nunholm with Scotland Under-15s playing Durham Under-16s in the ECB County Cup.
Meanwhile on Sunday, Dumfries opening bowler James Hobman contributed figures of 2 wickets for 8 runs as Scotland U19s beat Durham by six wickets.
In the Saturday leagues, Dumfries 2nd XI lost in an exciting finish, by just one wicket, to Drumpellier 2nds, Langloan, in Western Championship One with top run scorer Sibo Sithole the S&R Roofing Player of the Match.
Langloan put the Nunholm side in on what proved to be a difficult wicket to bat on. Despite that the openers Sithole and Vaughn Staples put together what was the highest partnership of the fixture. They had put Nunholm in a strong position with an opening stand of 77 before Sithole was run out, shy of his fifty, for 44. Staples followed soon afterwards for 23 and the remainder of the batting order found things difficult with a succession of wickets falling. Bainbridge reached double figures and Tommy McGrath was the sixth wicket out for 18 at 127 for 6 before Nunholm were rapidly all out for 130 in only thirty overs after not batting long enough.
McGrath struck early with two Langloan wickets and Hyder Hussain also took a wicket bowled in an excellent spell. On debut, junior Billy Morgan bowled well in tandem with Trevor Newport whose control was not rewarded with a wicket. Langloan had reached 72 when youngster Abdullah Naseri, also on his debut, took two wickets in his first over to give Nunholm a chance. He then followed that up with a third and then McGrath took two more. Staples bowled the number nine to reduce the home side to 112 for 9 but the Dumfries side just failed to break the final partnership as they won in a tense finish in the 41st over with no Langloan batter passing twenty.
In Western Premiership One the Dumfries 1st XI fixture against Stirling County at Nunholm was cancelled due to wet conditions.
Junior Cricket: Dumfries Cricket Club’s Summer Camps are underway on Tuesdays and Thursdays for ages 5 up to 13. Contact the Club on [email protected] or find the club online at www.dumfriescricketclub.com.
