Your Move Dumfries played their penultimate match of the Western Premier League season at Stirling on Saturday. There they were on the wrong end of a century by the league’s second top run scorer, Stirling’s McMullen.
Stirling County opted to bat and bank on their top order batting strength. Jesse Smit succeeded in blunting that by dismissing opener Dunford lbw but only after he had hit six boundaries. Then followed a near one hundred and forty run partnership between Amir Shahzad and Western Warriors’ Brandon McMullen. Shahzad survived an early drop to go on and score 72 and help set up the home side for big total as they set a run rate of six an over. He was caught sweeping off the bowling of Robert McBride and a deflected run out at the bowler’s end removed the prolific Sahare.
However McMullen was set for a big score and he got an excellent century and more. He was eventually out for 127 caught off a skied catch off the bowling of Alan Davidson as Stirling headed for three hundred. Tommy McGrath claimed two wickets in the closing overs for Dumfries as Stirling finished on an imposing 305 for 6.
A perfect start was needed by Dumfries and they did not achieve that losing three wickets before reaching thirty. Robert McBride responded with an aggressive innings, supported by Adam Malik, as together they neared a century partnership. However McBride was caught at long-on for a run a ball 67 for the HSBC Dumfries Player of the Match Award. That was off McMullen and he also took a wicket next ball and finished with three wickets. Adam Malik remained and with a succession of partners got the side up towards two hundred, including four 4s in five balls which brought him past his fifty. When the last wicket fell on 196 he was on his top score for this Premier season with 64 not out.
The win gives Stirling the opportunity to avoid relegation in their final game. Despite defeats in the second half of the season Dumfries remain in seventh place and are assured of remaining in the Premier next season. On Saturday they play bottom side Kelburne and with the chance to move up past Ayr and finish sixth.
West Premier League
Stirling County 305 for 6 (50 overs)
B McMullen 127, A Shazad 72; T McGrath 2-34, A Davidson 1-54, J Smit 1-38, R McBride 1-30
Dumfries 196 all out (46.4 overs)
R McBride 67, A Malik 64no; M Sahare 3-25, B McMullen 3-19
HSBC Dumfries Player of the Match: Robert McBride
Representative Cricket: In the final game of the U17 Celtic Cup last week in Northern Ireland, Scotland U17s levelled the series 2-2 against Ireland with a convincing 94 run victory in the final 50 over-a-side fixture. Wallace Hall pupil James Hobman played in all of the four games and contributed in this final win with a tight opening spell and returned to apply that pressure in the later stages as Scotland closed in on their win.
Summer Programme: The Dumfries Club’s free summer schools holiday programme finished this week to complete the five weeks of the programme. The twenty sessions provided a variety of boys and girls aged 5 to 13 with a free first experience of cricket. The Club’s evening junior sessions are continuing and with a Winter Programme in prospect. Contact the club through www.dumfriescricketclub.com, via [email protected] or on social media @dumfriescricket to find out more.
