Dumfries Cricket Club seconds, Nunholm, started their season with a tight pre-league contest at Gatehouse against Galloway on Sunday. For the second week in a row, Tommy McGrath was the Carlisle Refrigeration Dumfries Player of the Match for an innings of 84 not out that set the game up for the close finish to come.
Nunholm batted first and it was steady as you go for the top order but with Sean Thornely adding impetus with an innings of 29. However three wickets for Druce and ultimately two for Marsay had the Dumfries side at 80 for 6 at the half way point of 20 overs when McGrath started his innings. He had initial support from Thornely followed by Callum Reynolds-Lewis as McGrath set about the Galloway bowling. When Reynolds-Lewis was dismissed for 15, McGrath was on 42 and the score revived upwards to 148.
With only two wickets left, McGrath then punished the short ball and hit five sixes and two fours in the process to be the last man standing on 84 not out when Nunholm were all out for a challenging total of 192.
The Galloway innings took a similar course with Wahid Jabarkhil and Jamie Buchanan each taking two wickets. Katy Anderson, the most accurate and most used bowler for Nunholm, took another. However with five wickets down Akhil Sudhi came in, on debut, to join ‘Mr Reliable’ Pat Druce and with the Nunholm side leaking runs in extras.
Sean Thornely came back to bowl Druce for 33 and followed that with a run out. Jabarkhil bowled another to leave Galloway 25 to win with just two wickets left for an exciting finish. However new batter Alex McMenemy was equal to the task as Sudhi eased his side to a two wicket win at the other end. McMenemy finished 14 not out and Sudhi reached 54 not out, including 3 big sixes.
It was great warm-up up match for the side and with a warm welcome at Galloway. Nunholm start in the new West Championship One division at Renfrew and the West Premier League matches start with a home Your Move Dumfries match against Greenock on Saturday.
If interested in participating in some junior, women’s, senior cricket during this summer Dumfries Cricket Club can be contacted on [email protected] or find the club online at www.dumfriescricketclub.com.
Nunholm 192 all out (35.4 overs)
T McGrath 84 no, Sean Thornley 29, C Reynolds-Lewis 15
P Druce 3-32, A Marsay 2-27
Galloway 193 for 8 (33 overs)
A Sudhi 54no, P Druce 33, A McMenemy 14 no
W Jabarkhil 3-29, J Buchanan 2-24, K Anderson 1-30, Sean Thornley 1-36
Carlisle Refrigeration Dumfries Player of the Match: T McGrath
Photo: Tommy McGrath was the Player of the Match for Nunholm with 84 not out
