In the final Western Premier match of the league season, Stafforce Dumfries were involved in an exciting finish at Nunholm against Ayr.
Dumfries made a good start having Ayr at 43 for 3 with Josh Geary taking two of those wickets dismissing both openers Smith and the league’s top scorer New Zealander Papps. Both were caught behind by stand-in keeper Davie Davidson and he took another catch for the third wicket, caught in McCutcheon’s second over. Then a near one fifty run fourth wicket partnership between Khan and Crawshaw was crucial and revitalised the innings and took the visitors up towards two hundred. Khan top scored with 83 before being caught off Niall Alexander by Alan Davidson. Chris McCutcheon dismissed Crawshaw for 65, caught by Geary, for the second of his five wickets in the innings, and Ayr finished on a substantial score of 242 for the loss of 8 wickets.
After an early wicket, opener Davie Davidson gave Dumfries a start with his score of 35 in partnership with Robert McBride to take the score up to seventy Then Dumfries were well placed at 139 for 2 with just under twenty overs left and McBride and Josh Geary batting well after a seventy run partnership. However skipper McBride was run out after an excellent commanding innings of 75 to set back the Dumfries response.
Three further wickets fell cheaply over the next ten overs but Geary took the game to the final over with the help of partnerships with Marcus Richardson and Niall Alexander. However fifteen runs were still needed off that last over, and after a run out, a six was required off the last ball for a tie. That did not materialise and Dumfries fell short on 237 for 8 for a five run win to Ayr.
Josh Geary finished on 75 not out after almost steering his side home and was awarded the Annandale Insurance Dumfries Man of the Match for that and his two wickets and a catch. The Denis Erne Champagne Moment went to a McBride blow which dispatched one loose first ball delivery from Papps behind square for a towering six, with the ball lost and never to be found.
Match Scoreboard: Western Premier League
Stafforce Dumfries lost to Ayr by 5 runs.
Home at the Galloway Industrial Nunholm ground
Match sponsor: Annandale Insurance
Ayr 242 for 8 (50 overs)
S Khan 83, M Crawshaw 65; C McCutcheon 5 for 35, J Geary 2 for 36
Stafforce Dumfries 237 for 8 (50 overs)
R McBride 75, J Geary 75no, D Davidson 35; A McElnea 2 for 43
Annandale Insurance Dumfries Man of the Match: J Geary
In the Western Premier Reserve League, the John Walker and Sons Dumfries Man of the Match, Cameron Telfer, also played a Captain’s innings of 50 not out to help Nunholm reach 187 for 8 at Cambusdoon. That was after James Cox, with 24, and runs from Patrick Corkery and Adam Malik had helped to side to 70 for 2 at the half way mark.
Coming in at number six Telfer partnered Cox, and then Andy Reed, to take the score past one fifty and in a final flourish was able to scamper a two of the last ball to reach a deserved fifty and a competitive total.
Nunholm then removed both openers in the teens but a big third wicket partnership proceeded to take the game away from the visitors. Gordon and Mitchell both scored fifties to effectively settle the contest but not before a good high catch by Malik removed Gordon off Alexander’s bowling. The Cumberland Building Society Champagne Moment yet remained with an lbw of the last ball of Adam Elliott’s only over before the impending win for the Ayr 2nd XI side, and by six wickets. Cox and Reed took the other wickets.
Match Scoreboard: Western Union Premier Reserve League
Nunholm lost to Cambusdoon by 6 wkts. Away.
Match ball sponsors: John Walker and Sons, Cumberland Building Society
Nunholm 187 for 8 (50ovs)
C Telfer 50 no, J Cox 24
Cambusdoon 190 for 4 (36.1ovs)
R Mitchell 63no, C Gordon 52; A Elliott 1 over 1 for 1
John Walker and Sons Dumfries Man of the Match: C Telfer
The Club can be contacted about Senior, Women’s, and Junior cricket on [email protected], or 07799 856094. See www.dumfriescricketclub.co.uk, or find the Club on social media, Facebook(/dumfriescricketclub), or Twitter(@dumfriescricket).
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Main Photo: Josh Geary was the Annandale Insurance Man of the Match for Dumfries
