Dumfries lost their second Premiership fixture on Saturday to Stenhousemuir at Nunholm. That was after a good performance in the field had kept the visitors in check with the Hole in the Wa’ Dumfries Player of the Match James Hobman leading the way with three wickets.
The visitors had to recover from two Hobman early wickets, one a fine catch by wicketkeeper Fergus Bainbridge off the first ball of the match, followed by two wickets to Scott Beveridge to make it 68 for 4. Then a significant sixty-four run partnership, the biggest of the match, between Izaz and Raza got Stenhousemuir back on track. Raza was Hobman’s third dismissal, lbw for 32. Izaz went on to score 43 and was one of Tommy McGrath two wickets in a good spell and Dumfries took the tenth wicket in the final over, bowled Chris McBride.
Dumfries needed 191 to win and again started well in the second innings with Chris Bellwood batting fluently, backed by Beveridge. However, two wickets fell in the forties, Bellwood caught behind for 26, followed similarly by Chris McBride to dent the response. The Stenhousemuir spinners applied pressure to slow the run rate and when Beveridge was bowled for 24, followed soon by two further wickets Dumfries were 82 for 5. Batting at five, Adam Malik had started well and he and McGrath took the side over the hundred with six an over now required. However, McGrath was caught at long-on and Malik mistimed a blow over the infield for 27 and Dumfries subsided to a disappointing 120 all out.
Unlike the firsts’ fixture, Dumfries 2nd XI, Nunholm, had a rain interrupted day at Kelburne in Championship One. Nunholm were asked to bat first, in a match which became thirty overs-a- side, but only three of the batsmen scored in the teens, Mark Abnett, Sean Thornely and Mackenzie Sharples, as Farrukh took four wickets. Despite that the side fielded well after their total of 75 and held two good catches for wickets to Thornely and Harith Hassan as the Whitehaugh side won by eight wickets.
The weekend win was for the Sunday Development XI against Appleby in the Sunday league.
Dumfries started well through the young opening bowlers, Cory Dawson and Harith Hassan. Spinner Hassan took a caught and bowled for his two wickets. Dawson took his first, and spin from Callum Reynolds-Lewis put him on a hat-trick. Dawson returned to bowl the last wicket with a beauty as a young and developing Appleby side reached 72. They then also started well removing four wickets for not very many. Jabarkhil was at his ball striking best until bowled for 18 and then the more experienced Max Corbett-Byers, with 25no, and Adam Malik with 29no avoided any further mishaps for a 6-wicket win.
To join in with junior, women’s, senior cricket this summer see www.dumfriescricketclub.com. On Saturday, Dumfries 2nds play at home for the first time against Langloan.
