League showdown looms

Aug 28 2009 by Our Correspondent, Dumfries Standard Friday

IN NATIONAL League Division 2, the last game of the season takes place this Saturday at Nunholm against RH Corstorphine.

In arguably the club’s biggest ever league game it means a showdown between third placed Dumfries and the side in second place with the winner claiming that second spot.

The winning side plays in the promotion play-off for Division 1.

So a victory on Saturday would give the Dumfries side the opportunity to be promoted to the highest league they have played in during their 156 years.

Club supporters and spectators are encouraged to come down to Nunholm for what should be an exciting day’s cricket.

In the previous encounter in Edinburgh, Dumfries disappointingly lost a low scoring and overs reduced match by 22 runs and Corstorphine can be expected to bring their strongest team down to Nunholm.

With Scotland A players, all-rounders McClaren and Mommsen, Scotland U19’s bowler Sadler, Kiwi overseas amateur spinner Holstein all figuring highly in the league statistics and former Saltire Rob More in their ranks, Dumfries will have their hands full.

Dumfries are at full strength with top run scorers Geary and Corbett-Byers and top wicket takers Beveridge and Goodin in the side. For skipper Beveridge “these are the games you play amateur cricket to be involved in.”

For the second week the now familiar August rains washed out the National League Division 2 fixture last Saturday.

The game away at Prestwick was cancelled as was the Murgitroyd Scottish Twenty20 Finals Day on Sunday in Glasgow.

APD Dumfries now compete for the Scottish title with Greenock, Dunfermline and Corstorphine on the rescheduled date of September 13.

In Western Union Division 2, JMS Nunholm travel to Motherwell on Saturday, in also their last league encounter, still needing just a few points to definitely play Division 2 cricket next season and finish in seventh place.

Last Monday saw the last junior cricket night at Dumfries for the season. An excellent turnout on a sunny evening saw the youngsters run off that ‘back to school’ feeling. Thanks go to the club’s junior sponsors Annandale Insurance and Coatbridge Cold Store Construction for their support in 2009 and to the team of coaches who gave of their time consistently throughout the summer.