Youth and experience defy the weather

Sep 11 2009 by Susan Bryden, Dumfries Standard Friday

THE 2009 season is drawing to a close and the first and second elevens are awaiting the outcomes of play-offs to decide their destinations for 2010.

The APD team have their fate within their own control but the JMS XI are awaiting what happens elsewhere.

Meanwhile cricket at a less rarefied level took place at Nunholm at the weekend with mixed teams of the proverbial youth and experience taking on Longtown and Hillhead.

On Saturday, Longtown were the visitors; Dumfries batted first and relied on a couple of lameters to post a total of 168 for seven in 40 overs – a decent but not, as it turned out, insurmountable target.

Despite, by comparison, a slightly more athletic Dumfries bowling attack, the visitors – thanks to a dropped catch or two, with D Booker and in particular D Steele – eased their way to victory with five wickets and two overs to spare.

Thirteen-year-old Niall Alexander will feel particularly aggrieved at the result having bowled with pace, movement and control to claim just two wickets for what should perhaps have been a match winning performance but which justified his selection this winter into the Western Cricket Academy.

Sunday

On Sunday at Nunholm, Dumfries and Hillhead agreed to fit in a 25-over match before the seemingly inevitable rains reappeared. This time a different blend of youth and experience took the field. Beveridge bludgeoned 54, Geary smote 45, Marcus Richardson scored an impressive 40 and Douglas Brotherstone hit hard as the side hustled to 184.

It was left to effectively the Dumfries Colts attack to restrict the reply and this they did with Chris Edgar and Niall Alexander taking early wickets.

They were backed up by Andrew Kyle taking three wickets, Douglas Brotherston one and Owen Thompson enticing two victims to their doom.

Bygrave and Boyd resisted with 26 each. However the score was 71 runs short when the final ball was bowled as a smirr enveloped the ground and the sides congratulated each other on actually playing some cricket.

Scoreboards: Dumfries lost to Longtown by 5 wickets, match ball sponsored by H Hollis Engineering, Dickie's Bar.

Dumfries 168/7 (D Davidson 64, T Williams 50, C Telfer 13, O Thompson 12; N Jackson 2-49 from 10, M Booker 2-19 from 7)

Longtown 169/5 (D Booker 44, D Steele 61, M Jackson 30; N Alexander 2/19 from 8, P Johnstone 1/32 from 8).

Dumfries beat Hillhead by 71 runs, match ball sponsored by Maxwelltown Playcare, Phones 4u, B B Body Repairs.

Dumfries XI 184/4 (25 overs, S Beveridge 54ret, M Richardson 40, J Geary 45, D Brotherston 17no).

Hillhead XI 113/9 (25 overs, R Boyd 26no, D Bygrave 26, A Kyle 3 for 19, O Thomson 2 for 24, D Brotherston 1 for 18, N Alexander 1 for 20).