Full roundup of all the action from Dumfries cricket Club –
Women’s Cricket: Ashleigh Women debut in the Scotland Women’s Regional Series
Three players from the local Ashleigh Women’s side featured in the Cricket Scotland Women’s T20 Regional Series on Sunday at Forfar. That included two debuts for St. Joseph’s pupils Niamh Muir and Katy Anderson for the Scotland Stormers against the other regional side, the Eagles, representing the east.
They joined their team-mate from the Ashleigh Building Women’s side, Orla Montgomery, from Castle Douglas High School, in being selected for an eleven which included five Scotland players and in a match with around eleven Scots internationals involved.
The teams played two T20 games and it was the Stormers that proved convincing victors in both games. The first game was won by 8 wickets with the side from the east restricted to 88 for 8. Muir ran out the Eagles’ top scorer Watson with a smart pick up and throw from backward point and Anderson took a catch to settle any first match nerves. Again the Stormers were dominant in match two bowling out their opposition cheaply to defend a total of 97 for 9. Anderson took the final wicket for a fifty run win.
The local players will have benefitted greatly from the experience and the environment of playing with, and against, much more experienced players and continues their development.
Dumfries Women and Girls Cricket: One run margin wins Ashleigh Soft Ball Challenge
There was a good turnout for the Women and Girls soft ball cricket at Dumfries Cricket Club on Saturday afternoon as part of the club’s end of season Family Day. The emphasis was on some fun and participation for everyone of all ages who were there. The conclusion was a soft ball pairs match between two teams and the destination of the Ashleigh Soft Ball Challenge honours on the day was settled by a margin of just one run.
Amidst lots of twists and turns and boundary hitting, the post match interviews revealed the players’ view that the result turned on Daisy McFegan’s wicket, aided by Heather Dawson’s catch on the boundary of Orla Montgomery, which was destined to be another of her sixes until it was plucked out of the air by Heather.
There is more women and girls soft ball cricket at the Friday evening session at Nunholm at 6pm. Contact [email protected] if interested or in getting involved. Thanks to Ashleigh Building for their continued support for the development of women and girls cricket at the club.
(Delayed Midweek Cup Final for 2019)
Dumfries Cricket Club: Final Match goes to a Final Ball Finish in the Cup-Final
At Dumfries Cricket Club the final home match of a severely affected 2020 season went to a dramatic last ball finish. A final ball boundary was hit for Galloway’s Gatehouse midweek side to overcome James Hallam Youth in a Fosters Midweek T20 Cup Final carried over from last season. For the Dumfries CC side, Adam Malik was the Stevenson McConnel Player of the Match.
The Nunholm midweek team, James Hallam Youth, opted to bat first and got off to a rapid start thanks to openers Adam Malik and Drew Dawson. Malik in particular got into his stride after a tight opening spell from Pat Druce. He and Dawson successfully took the score past fifty and when he retired for 40, having hit seven boundaries, the score was 67 in the 12th over.
Fergus Bainbridge added a sweetly struck cover drive for four in making 17 and Dawson was able to open his shoulders to also end with seven boundaries in his retired score of 41. However the Gatehouse bowling stayed resolute and a two wickets in two balls added to the batters’ pressure to capitalise on the start and further extend the scoring rate. Tom McGrath claimed two wickets as the Nunholm side reached 121 for three dismissals at the end of the twenty overs.
Gatehouse also got off a good start with boundaries from Tom McGrath and Neil McGrath and were keeping up with the required run rate. The introduction of the spin of Vaughn Staples brought the first wicket when he bowled Tom McGrath in his first over. The other McGrath followed to another familial combination as Sam Thornely took a sensational hard-hit catch at extra cover off the bowling off son Sean. At half way, the 10 over mark, Gatehouse were 54 for 2.
However the innings which set up the opportunity to win followed for Gatehouse with Ross Lamb, batting at four, striking the ball well on his way to his retiral for 40 with the seeming default of seven boundaries.
That put the target within the well-known capabilites of finisher Pat Druce and the Youth bowlers were unable to apply just enough pressure. Sean Thornely took another wicket as did Callum Reynolds-Lewis but at the start of the last over eight runs were required to win. Then the scores were tied with one ball of the Nunholm season to go. A back foot four through extra cover from Druce emphatically sealed the victory for Gatehouse.
It was a suitably exciting game to finish a brief and restricted cricket season at Nunholm and many thanks to Galloway Cricket Club for providing the fixture.
The Stevenson McConnel Player of the Match for Dumfries was Adam Malik for his high strike rate in his retired score of 40 not out.
Fosters Midweek Cup Final (for 2019)
James Hallam Youth 121 for 5 (20 overs)
A Dawson 41 retd, A Malik 40 retd, F Bainbridge 17, Sam Thornely 12no
T McGrath 2 for 13, S Whalen 1 for 37
Gatehouse 125 for 5 (20 overs)
R Lamb 40 retd, P Druce 21no, N McGrath 16, T McGrath 14
Sean Thornely 2 for 15, V Staples 1 for 23, C Reynolds-Lewis 1 for 37
Galloway beat James Hallam Youth by 5 wickets
Stevenson McConnel Ltd Dumfries Player of the Match: A Malik
Dumfries Cricket Club: Dumfries Dynamos stand up to Galloway Giants
The Dumfries U11 Dynamos played a soft ball cricket fixture with the visiting Galloway Juniors at Nunholm on Saturday morning. A Dynamos side played the ‘Giants’ at the Clubhouse End and there was a second junior game on a Railway End pitch with mixed club teams.
In the club match the more experienced Dumfries juniors relished the chance to play a game and took the opportunity to showcase their developing skills. With most of the visiting juniors from Galloway starting out on their cricketing journey under the tutelage of Howard Bradley it was a welcome chance for them to enjoy a game and to develop their match experience.
For the Dumfries juniors, in the batting line-up, Lachlan Osmond showed some powerful boundary hitting; Nairn and Munro Cubbon hit successfully to both sides of the wicket; and Billy Morgan deployed the modern mystery that is the reverse sweep to good effect. Cory Dawson and Bill Middlemiss both shared the same best bowling figures of the day of 3 overs, 2 maidens, 3 wickets for 5 runs.
Many thanks to Howard Bradley and Phil McMenemy for organising the Galloway team and managing them on the day and to Drew Dawson and James Cox for organising the day and for running the two games.
Dumfries Cricket Club also thank The Holywood Trust for their continued support for the junior cricket development at the Club.
