Your Move Dumfries started the Western Premier league season in a solid fashion after they were put into bat by visitors Poloc on Saturday in a match sponsored by Barbours.
Andrew Dawson and Scott Beveridge opened successfully and took their side through to a fifty opening partnership and had reached 65 when Dawson fell victim to an lbw decision for 23. Beveridge continued by stroking seven boundaries but, on the cusp of the century total, there was not a meeting of minds between the two batsmen and that met with disaster and he was run out for 43.
A couple of wickets fell and now with rebuilding required Chris Brockwell and Alan Davidson set about constructing a defendable total. Davidson looked well set but with ten overs to go he top edged a sweep for a score of 23. Likewise Brockwell followed for 54, which included the one six of the innings, and with two hundred not yet reached.
As a consequence the closing overs did not accelerate the scoring rate, further wickets fell and Sajjad took advantage with four wickets, and Dumfries were all out on the final ball for a total of 220.
A youthful attack opened for Dumfries with James Hobman and Callum Reynolds-Lewis but it required an early entry of Beveridge to snare the first wicket. Number three Mallichan took the aggressive option with a number of boundaries and soon Poloc were rattling along at six an over.
Poloc were past ninety for just the single wicket when Alan Davidson produced two outstanding competitive interventions with two brilliant catches off his own bowling. Ali was dismissed for 28 and Mallichan was removed for 37.
Meanwhile with Brockwell on to bowl tightly from the other end the threat of former Scotland U19 all-rounder Sajjad was snuffed out when a sharply hit drive was well held by Hobman at extra cover, again off Davidson. Then an ill judged quick single, again off Davidson, resulted in a McCutcheon run out and across six overs Poloc had managed to lose four wickets rapidly and were now 107 for 5.
A squeeze was then applied with Brockwell aided by Tommy McGrath entering the attack. The former got a deserved wicket lbw and McGrath bowled well to remove the four remaining wickets for a final total of 150 all out.
In the end it was a convincing seventy run win but it required Davidson’s caught and bowled wickets to swing the match. Davidson was a candidate but the Barbours Dumfries Player of the Match went to Chris Brockwell for his top score of 54 and a controlling and influential spell of bowling.
Your Move Dumfries play at Clydesdale on Saturday and the 2nd XI play their seconds at home.
Your Move Dumfries 220 all out (50 overs)
C Brockwell 54, S Beveridge 43; K Sajjad 4/31
Poloc 150 all out (41.2 overs)
A Mallichan 37; T McGrath 4/19, A Davidson 3/31
Barbours Dumfries Player of the Match: Chris Brockwell
