Dumfries win through to Division 1 play-off

Sep 4 2009 by Susan Bryden, Dumfries Standard Friday

DESPITE the wettest August on record, APD Dumfries did play their league showdown against second placed RH Corstorphine in National League Division 2 at Nunholm on Saturday.

The prize for the winner was the place in the promotion play-off match for Division 1.

Dumfries won, and won convincingly by 87 runs, thanks to another match winning innings from Chris Bellwood. This time he scored 93 not out.

However there were a few doubters amongst the watchers pacing the boundary during the penultimate act of the Dumfries innings.

Dumfries chose to bat first but a leg-side stumping off the opener Allan had McBride walking back with the score at just eight.

Chris Bellwood came in to join Davie Davidson and together they proceeded to put together a partnership of just under a century.

Bellwood continued his recent excellent form and was the main scorer as the pair steadily pushed up the total.

Each took advantage of Corstorphine failing to take their chances and the century was reached in the 27th over.

Davidson was out caught shortly afterwards for 29 off Mommsen and was followed all too rapidly by Geary who was lbw to New Zealander Holstein.

Beveridge was run out pressing to take a single and, at 115 for four, three wickets had gone for 12 runs with 35 overs already bowled.

The squeeze had been applied by the spinners Holstein and Mommsen and in the 10 overs they bowled in tandem they conceded just 17 runs for the loss of those three wickets.

Already a rain interruption had reduced the match to 48 overs a side and when another came after 40 overs Dumfries were on 132 for four and were wondering just how many overs would be left.

Tea was taken during the break for rain and the eight overs still remained which Corbett-Byers and Bellwood managed to exploit.

Stuart Corbett-Byers went on to hit a crucial run-a-ball 37 including two sixes in carrying the attack to the bowlers.

He perished, bowled, to Mommsen with two overs left but ten still were scored off the final over to produce a much more testing total of 190 for five.

Bellwood finished on 93 not out (for the second time this season) having picked off runs and boundaries all round the wicket in another classy performance.

Dumfries wanted a good start against a Corstorphine batting line up which was capable of getting the runs and got it in Alan Davidson’s first over when the ball looped up to give him a seemingly slow motion caught and bowled.

Then opener Stuart Alexander applied the pressure a few overs later when the opposition’s top run scorer McClaren was out to fine catch in front of first slip by keeper Corbett-Byers.

The side were on a roll and Adams fell to Alexander to make it 24 for three off 10 overs.

Josh Geary then took a reaction catch close in off a full toss to give Jim Patterson the wicket of opener Holstein in his first over.

This brought the South African Mommsen to the crease later than normal due an injured hand. He joined the former Scotland player More with the expectation that this was the partnership to break.

And broken it was due a run-out mix up that had Mommsen stranded mid wicket. Corbett-Byers took no chances and ended up removing a stump, “just in case”.

More was playing watchfully but still pushed a caught and bowled back to Patterson and the score of 51 for six had the Nunholm “Greek chorus” making an appearance on the pavilion balcony. However Hancock had other ideas batting at number seven. He played his shots with assurance and hit two sixes and three fours.

His stay at the wicket produced 50 runs and was only ended for 37 with a Bellwood catch on the boundary off Goodin.

Two more wickets fell rapidly to his leg-spin and as those on the balcony held their breath, and their drinks, a leading edge by Fleming sent a catch spinning out to Drew Dawson for skipper Beveridge to claim the last wicket of the league campaign.

Corstorphine finished on 104 all out, 88 runs short of the rain revised Duckworth-Lewis target of 192 for a memorable Dumfries win. Stuart Alexander led the attack with two wickets for 22 runs in a opening ten over spell that set the tone for the innings and Jerry Goodin finished the job teasing out three wickets.

APD Dumfries now play Penicuik next Saturday in Stirling (12 start) to decide which of the two clubs plays National Division One cricket next season.

Scoreboard: National League Division 2, match ball sponsored by Thornwood Homes, Ian Gracie Specialist Contractors, Parkgate Ltd.

APD Dumfries beat RH Corstorphine by 88 runs at Nunholm,

APD Dumfries 190-5 (48 overs, C Bellwood 93*, S Corbett-Byers 37, D Davidson 29, P Mommsen 10 overs 2 for 25, M Holstein 10 overs 1 for 19).

RH Corstorphine 104 all out (33.4 overs, P Hancock 37, J Goodin 7 overs 3 for 21, S Alexander 10 overs 2 for 22, J Patterson 6 overs 2 for 24).

RH Corstorphine set a target of 192 in 48 overs.

Dumfries man of the match: Chris Bellwood, sponsored by Scott Beveridge Plumbing and Bathrooms.