Rain affected the course of the league matches on Saturday for Dumfries but also put paid to the Sunday Development XI and U11 fixtures before play resumed with an U15 win on Monday at Nunholm.
Saturday 1 June 2019
Dumfries deflated by Ayr
Croma Vigilant Dumfries 120 all out v Ayr 124 for 4
Croma Vigilant Dumfries lost the toss and were put in to bat by Ayr at Nunholm after a very damp week. Ayr made the favourable bowling conditions pay and the loss of early wickets put the home side on course for a first defeat in their WDCU First Division match on Saturday.
Ayr bowlers Kenroy Peters and Shuja Khan gradually reduced Dumfries to 16 for 4 with tight bowling. Dumfries revived with a near sixty run patient partnership from Scott Beveridge (34) and Alan Davidson (25). However after their removal it required the experience of Davie Davidson to nurse the side to what proved an insufficient total of 120 all out with an undefeated innings of 21.
Ayr also started slowly and the introduction of spin brought two wickets to Tapiwa Mufudza and one to Scott Beveridge. However Ayr skipper Andi McElnea then played the match winning innings with a score of 49 in partnership with Khan with 23 not out. Declan Brooks took the remaining wicket to fall with McElnea caught behind by Elliott before the winning total was reached in the 31st over.
The James Hallam Insurance Dumfries Player of the Match was Scott Beveridge for rebuilding the home side innings. On Saturday, Dumfries play away at Irvine who along with Ayr are now one of the two only unbeaten sides in the league.
Croma Vigilant Dumfries 120 all out (42.4 overs)
S Beveridge 34, A Davidson 25, D Davidson 21 not out; K Peters 10 overs 3/17
Ayr 123/4 (30.4 overs)
A McElnea 49; T Mufudza 10 overs 2/34, S Beveridge 1/39, D Brooks 1/22
Saturday 1 June 2019
Nunholm’s Young Guns Shot Down at Ferguslie
Meikleriggs 265 for 6 v Nunholm 156 all out
Nunholm (Dumfries 2s) took a young side to play Meikleriggs (Ferguslie 2s) in the Western District Premier Reserve League but were unable to chase down the total set.
Meikleriggs won the toss and chose to bat, and it was easy to see why as the two openers were able to build a substantial partnership which would prove the difference between the two sides. The early overs saw edges wide of the slips and very few chances as the score ticked along due to the opposition’s excellent running between the wickets. Nunholm rotated the bowlers in an effort to make a breakthrough, but there was no luck as what chances for wickets that did come were not taken.
Youngsters Katy Anderson on debut and Sean Thornely toiled away and had moments, but it was Callum Reynolds-Lewis who made the breakthrough with a direct hit run-out of former Dumfries player David Sturgeon for 53 with the score at 163. Stuart Alexander returned to the attack and the league’s leading wicket taker got two quick wickets including opener Mahaptra caught for 92. The other debutant James Hobman was given the responsibility of bowling at the death and he picked up two wickets. Meikleriggs finished their innings on 265 for 7.
In reply Nunholm got off to a good start racing to 50 without loss as the run rate was on for potentially a vital away win. It was counter attack batting from Gurupal Singh who was watchful on the good balls, but dismissed bad balls to the boundary. Nunholm, in an effort to remain up with the run rate, started to lose wickets and when Singh eventually fell for a well earned 54 the opportunity disappeared. The senior batsmen got in and then got themselves out and it was left to the junior players to edge the scoreboard along. Dumfries finished with 156.
The I Mac Repairs Nunholm player of the match was top scorer Gurupal Singh who provided a batting platform. Nunholm host Langloan on Saturday looking to secure a victory and work towards the season target of remaining in the division after promotion last year.Top of Form
Bottom of Form
Top of Form
Bottom of Form
Meikleriggs 265 for 6 (50 overs)
A Mahaptra 92, D Sturgeon 56, A Vejandla 50;
S Alexander 2/32, J Goodin 2/51, James Hobman 2 wickets
Nunholm 156 all out (48.5 overs)
G Singh 54, U Ahmad 2 for 32, S Ahmad 2 for 41
Monday 3 June 2019
Dumfries Under-15s back to winning ways
Lanercost U15s 105 for 8 v Dumfries U15s 106 for 3
The first home game of the season on Monday evening and a convincing 7 wicket win for Dumfries Under 15s over Lanercost Under 15s in the Cumbria Junior Cricket League put them top of the league.
The visitors won the toss and chose to bat. Straight away they looked to dominate Katy Anderson’s first over with 7 coming off it. Sean Thornely took the Railway End but immediately struck by taking out the opening bats in two successful balls, the first a good catch to Katy and the second a clean bowled, unfortunately the hat-trick ball was dropped in the slips.
The new batsmen, Jack Mitchelson, continued the aggression, though, and hit two sixes off Katy’s next over and a four off Sean’s. With the score quickly moving on to the thirties after four overs, a run-rate of 8 per over, the top order had obviously been watching Chris Gayle in the current Cricket World Cup.
But with the aggression came risks, Sean’s next over removed Mitchelson LBW after a close appeal the previous ball. The bowling change of James Hobman and Aiden Goodin brought more wickets in their first overs too, Hobman bowled the number 4 for 6 and Goodin bowled the number 6 for 4.
Another bowling change, this time Mathew McBurnie, also brought an instant wicket, Bradshaw caught Thornely for 4. The next over and a good run out took out the number 5 for a duck. Lanercost, after their blistering start were now teetering at 52 for 7 and it looked like they would be home a bit earlier than expected.
This all changed with a stalwart rear-guard action by the tail. Hannah Proud (15 not out) stuck like a limpet and allowed her partner Sharpe to hit a quick 16 with 3 boundaries, albeit with some sloppy fielding in the deep by Dumfries and more dropped catches. Mathew dealt with it his own way by clean bowling him. That brought Wood to the crease who added another 10 before the end of the innings. The three tail-enders doubled the total and the target for the home team was now a respectable 106 after the 20 overs.
James Little and Fergus Bainbridge got the Doonhamers off to a sensible but productive start against some fairly tight bowling. James opened up first and hit a lovely back foot forcing shot for four, usually a rare sight at this level. The partnership put on 35 runs in 7 overs before Little perished to a high full toss and was caught and bowled for 17.
Thornely and Bainbridge continued to bat carefully and put on another 20 runs in four overs before Bainbridge skied in the air to silly mid-off and went for a single, the catch was dropped but the opener was sent back and was easily run out trying to get back into his ground.
James Hobman and Thornely put on another 37 runs (many of them coming from wides), after a couple of drops. James was caught for 10 going for a lofted drive. At 95 for 3 it was left to Max Corbett-Byers and Sean to get the team over the line, with only 2 overs to go and 11 needed, the chase had got closer than anyone had anticipated but the pair were let off the hook when the next over went for 10, 5 from extras alone.
A much more exciting game resulted due to some great tail end batting by Lanercost, some mediocre Dumfries fielding and catching (in places) and a cautious run-chase. Certainly, the bowling was much more accurate (the Dumfries extras were down from previous matches) and the batting more focused. Dumfries now top the league but will probably have to win all their remaining matches to stay there. The next home game is Monday 17th June.
Dumfries Under 15s: 106 for 3 (19.3 overs) (10 points) Sean Thornely 21*, James Little 17, Fergus Bainbridge 12, James Hobman 10
Lanercost Under 15s: 105 for 8 (20 overs) (4 points) Sean Thornely 3 for 17, Mathew McBurnie 2 for 5, James Hobman 1 for 6, Aiden Goodin 1 for 20
