Dumfries Cricket Club concluded their Saturday league season with both club sides finishing in top of the table places, including a top two promotion place for the 2nds, but with two defeats in their final two fixtures,

In Western Premiership 2, third placed Dumfries 1st XI, Vigilant Dumfries lost their match at home by nine wickets to be well beaten by visitors Hillhead to drop down to fourth. Dumfries were put in to bat and had to recover from the loss of early wickets, Wahid Jabarkhil with 44 and Max Corbett-Byers with 38 got the side past the hundred for the loss of four wickets, However, the loss of both required another revival. That was led by skipper Scott Beveridge who was out for 57 on the final ball of the innings as Dumfries reached 208 all out. He was the Andrew Dawson Horticultural Player of the Match for his innings and he was helped by lower order partnerships and Callum Reynolds-Lewis contributing a score of 21.

It soon became apparent that that total was not enough on a good batting track. The Hillhead openers batted well as Dumfries struggled to make inroads. Callum Reynolds-Lewis did remove opener James who was caught off a skier for 58 for 122 for 1. However, his opening partner, Hawley, carried on to be 86 not out as the visitors completed their win with overs to spare.

In Western Championship 2, Nunholm, Dumfries 2nd XI, who started in second spot in the league were also put into bat against home side Hillhead 2nds as both Dumfries matches followed a similar course. There, Nunholm were four down for fifty. A partnership of 86 then followed between number four Sultan Kamran and Captain Drew Dawson. However, Dawson was out lbw for 29 and then Kamran was caught for the day’s top score of 78 which included ten fours and two sixes. Nunholm eventually reached 173 all out with a handful of overs remaining.

Another century partnership by Hillhead openers then set the outcome of the match, The Dumfries bowlers did manage to take the game to the penultimate over with Lachlan Osmond, in particular, bowling an economical spell and dad Winston took two wickets. Cory Dawson claimed a late third wicket, stumped by Scott Muir, to leave fourteen runs needed off three overs but opener Lindley-Dawe continued on to 60 not out to help reach a seven wicket win. Kamran’s top score of the day earned him the Ashleigh Building Dumfries Player of the Match award.

Nevertheless, Nunholm’s persistence and competitiveness throughout the season did mean that the second place, and a promotion spot, was successfully held onto by the side at the league end.

This Sunday sees the final fixture for Dumfries in the Eden Valley Sunday League with a home fixture against Appleby-Eden.