Stenny welcomed Dumfries to a sun-kissed Tryst and the hopes of a win to keep their Championship challenge alive – a loss today and that challenge would become difficult to realise. For Dumfries, an away day trip loss could take them into the dangerous territory of playing skirmish cricket for the rest of the season and battling against those around them in the table to remain a Premier Division club for 2026.
Dumfries, with a few changes to their team, decided to bat first and although losing Al Davidson (7) in the 2nd over, looked particularly well set to post a largish total with Wahid Jabarkhil and Adam Malik at the crease. Malik (24) was caught behind by Valli off Nick Lister in the 20th over and Dumfries were 76-2. A couple of bowling changes were made at either end before Wahid Jabarkhil (43) was out to Callum Grant in the 27th over. Jabarkhil, who normally plays 2nd team cricket, did not look out of place as an opener for the 1st team and I hope he gets retained for the future games. His departure left Dumfries 95-3 with 23 overs to bat and a likelihood of a 200+ total was on the cards.
But the Dumfries innings stumbled with the remaining 7 wickets falling for 36 runs over 17 overs to end up 131 all out in the 44th over. To be fair though, the taking of 3 wickets in 4 balls in the 31st over by Callum Grant effectively smothered any Dumfries hopes of posting a sizeable total.
Nick Lister again bowled his allotted overs with frugality for 2-24 while Callum Grant took 4-21 and Zander Smith finished with 2-9.
The Dumfries bowling was going to have to be good right from the start if they were to defend their total. Stenny’s Yaseen Valli had already scored 585 league runs from 8 innings with a batting average of 83.57 before facing a ball today so the focus had to be on those around him. Peter Hamilton (32) was the only Stenny wicket to fall when he was caught by Hobman off Chris Brockwell in the 13th over and the total was 55. Asad Izaz (23 no) joined Valli (67 no) as Stenhousemuir passed the required total in the 27th over.
Another win for Stenhousemuir as the season, like today’s weather, heats up and Yaseen Valli now marches on with 652 runs from 9 innings and an average of 93.14. Stenny maintain their 3rd place and the chase for the title but Dumfries have now got themselves into difficulty and need results as their next July opponents are Ferguslie (away) and Prestwick at home and every match has become a skirmish in a season long campaign to see who wins the league and who gets relegated.
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Joel Garner is coming to the Tryst.
The Number 1 ranked ODI fast bowler EVER will deliver a talk and answer your questions in the Clubhouse. There will be a photo opportunity and time to chat with the great man at the bar after the event.
There will be a complimentary Rum Punch as you arrive and a Caribbean Buffet served mid way. The cost of this once in a lifetime event is £40.00.
LOC Hire Stenhousemuir Cricket Club members will get first dibs on tickets – but only until 17th July when they will be available to the general public. Contact Tom Dickson tom@tdickson.co.uk for tickets — your email should have the subject Joel Garner Ticket.
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A perfect example of skirmish cricket at play was the encounter at Whitehaugh between Kelburne and Prestwick – today’s result would have significant bearing on both clubs and current positions in the 2025 table and their respective possible divisional status for the 2026 season – neither side could afford to lose.
Prestwick batted first with Indy Singh and the recalled Fraser MacDonald opening up for the visitors. The 1st wicket fell in the 14th over when MacDonald (29) was caught behind by Northend off Ross MacLean and the score was 55. MacDonald was visibly disappointed by his dismissal as he was looking in good form with the bat, a quality that his team-mates have struggled with in recent weeks. And the following few overs continued that recent pattern, much to the disdain of the sizeable Prestwick support that had made their way to Whitehaugh – Declan Botes (2) was bowled by MacLean in the 16th, Calum Rodger (4) was bowled by Zain Mohammad in the 19th and when a clearly struggling Sachin Chaudhary (0) was LBW to Joseph Silvin in the 24th, Prestwick were 75-4 and perhaps, not for the first time either this season, staring down the stark possibility of all done for under a ton and only themselves to blame.
But captain Tom Fleet was having none of that today as he and Indy Singh carefully navigated the troubled waters of the next 15 overs until Singh (53) was bowled by Lucas Farndale in the 39th over and Prestwick had got to 122-5. Fleet (30) was sunk in the 44th over when bowled by MacLean and hats off to the remaining Prestwick batters who somehow eeked a further 50 runs to the total for the loss of 2 wickets and finished 191-8. Contributions from Euan McBeth (18) and Gurupreet Singh (28 no) helped the Prestwick cause.
Kelburne’s bowlers of note were Ross MacLean 3-50 and Lucas Farndale 3-47.
Although the Kelburne reply lost Cameron MacLean (5) LBW to Gurupreet Singh in the 2nd over, Zain Mohammad and Lucas Farndale batted patiently and without any flamboyance for the next 20 overs putting runs on the board. There was a stutter in the 23rd and 24th overs when Mohammad (15) was bowled by Ronan Alexander and then Farndale (28) fell LBW to Indy Singh. At 72-3 off 24 overs, I thought Kelburne had enough batting in the tank with the likes of Fouche, Northend, Kamran, Cook and Roghani all more than capable of seeing them home, but I obviously misread the Prestwick escape committee’s script for today.
The 4th Kelburne wicket fell in the 31st over when Evan Fouche (16) was LBW to Sachin Chaudhary and four balls later, Mo Kamran (0) was also LBW to Chaudhary. Now 98-5, Kelburne were still in the game but just needed to bat sensibly and patiently to get the 90 runs required for victory off the last 17 overs. Kyle Northend (13) suddenly decided to have an unnecessary cleave at Chaudhary and was caught on the deep mid-wicket boundary to leave Kelburne 101-6. It only took a further 7 overs for the Kelburne innings to finish – the guile of Chaudhary combined with the pace of the returning Kuhn accounted for the final 4 wickets with Kelburne 120 all out in the 40th over.
Prestwick’s bowling reply came on the back of Sachin Chaudhary’s 4-24 wirh Tiann Kuhn mopping up with 3-20 at the death, but this was a team performance on the field giving this club hope and possibly guiding them towards safety and a light in the black that has befallen their cricket this season.
Kelburne lost by 71 runs but they had today won if they had batted patiently – the runs needed would have come by simply occupying the crease, having partnerships and creating stands to build the necessary platforms – I’ve repeated that mantra all season now for different sides and various matches and situations and it still rings true. Kelburne are a good side with decent players throughout but they now need to get dirty to get out of the hole they’ve fallen into.
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Uddingston, after their derby win two week’s past, will have been desperate to get on the pitch and get another result in the bag – and likewise, a win today for Ferguslie could see them narrowing the distance between themselves and Clydesdale.
Ferguslie won the toss and batted first and the run machine that is Ferguslie made Uddingston endure an uncomfortable afternoon in the sweltering sunshine fetching leather. There is a relentless brutality about the Ferguslie batting line-up when it is in full swing and as a bowler myself, I’m glad I’ve retired from playing and don’t have to bowl to it. Although Muhammed Mayet (28) was the first wicket to fall at 75, David Stafford (72) kept the pace going with him out in 31st over and Ferguslie 136-3. But the bludgeoning of the Uddingston bowling didn’t stop there – Uzair Ahmad (27), Taimoor Ahmad (65) and Saif Sajjad (54 no) got the final total to 285-7 off their 50 overs.
Credit to Ross Lyons who bowled his ten overs 2-37 and Keerat Singh with his 2-41.
The Uddingston reply never really got going with Mo Awais (0) falling LBW first ball of the innings to Muhammed Mayet. Although Amaan Ramzan (39) top scored for the Villagers, the rest of the batting fell victim to the controlled bowling of Taimoor Ahmad (2-34) and Haroon Tahir (4-6) and Uddingston were 105 all out in 32 overs, 180 runs light of their target.
Another win for Ferguslie as they continue to chase down Clydesdale but for Uddingston, another Saturday of disappointment.
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Ayr welcomed GHK to New Cambusdoon with a degree of wariness about their guests. The reverse fixture at the start of the season had seen the match end in a tie, and Ayr would be acutely aware of the bowling threat that GHK possess.
With a team very different to previous ones, probably due to availability issues, holibags and other commitments, it was surprising that Ayr chose to bat first but then again Michael English continues to surprise with his captaincy decisions.
With Marcel Marconi (7), Michael English (24), Ollie Jones (25) and Michael Maxwell (0) all back in the pavilion and Ayr 80-4 after 20 overs, the pressure was on what was still to come to stay at the crease and post a collective total – and they did.
Two successive partnerships with Neil Flack as the main batter gave Ayr the platforms to build a respectable total to defend. The first stand saw Flack and Gavin Murray compile a stand of 61 until Murray (26) was caught and bowled by Majeed in the 32nd over and Ayr were 141-5. The second stand featuring Flack and Brayden Riggs yielded 67 runs to the total and only ended in the 45th over when Flack (73) was caught off the bowling of Nasratullah Safi leaving Ayr 208-6. The final few overs saw the swish and although a further 3 wickets fell, the runs gathered by Riggs (26) and the tail would prove vital for the Ayr cause. The innings finished with Ayr 233-9 and the GHK bowling of Zain Ullah 2-37, Mohammad Nawid 2-45 and Muhammad Majeed 2-36.
Inspired captaincy, clever match selection or a measured gamble, Michael English opened the bowling himself with Robbie Walsh at the other end – and it quickly paid off. GHK found themselves 44-4 after 10 overs and their gun batters all dismissed by the seam of Walsh. An 80 run stand by Muhammad Majeed (42) and Nasratullah Safi (48) was broken by Walsh when he had Majeed caught and GHK were now 124-5 after 29 overs and Walsh had got himself a wee Michelle in the sun. Bowling changes brought about some tight overs that applied pressure on GHK for Ollie Jones to remove Safi in the 38th over leaving GHK 149-6 needing 84 to win off the last 12 overs. Neil Flack snuffled out the last four wickets and GHK were 200 all out.
Robbie Walsh bowled his 10 overs and took 5-40 and Neil Flack took 4-33. A good game of cricket to watch with the final outcome fluctuating throughout most of the match.
For Ayr, a vital win for their campaign that keeps them in 2nd place but also batting and bowling performances when needed. For GHK, a loss to their cause and an opportunity to reflect upon the consequences of bowling 23 wides, but they picked up points chasing a total that leapfrogs them over Drumpellier into 5th place in the table.
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The two senior clubs of the WDCU met at Titwood and although important cricket was the order of the day, the match was also another celebration of the 175 years worth of summer Saturday afternoon sporting contests both clubs have played between them.
For Clydesdale, a win would maintain their position at the top of the table with 100% record to date and for Drumpellier, a win would consolidate their 5th place spot but bring the championship to life for the three clubs immediately above them for the remainder of the season.
Drumpellier opted to bat first but the initial half of their innings was littered with wickets falling at intervals making it difficult to get a momentum going to post a total. When Chris Keltie was out in the 20th over, Drumpellier were a precarious 57-5, but spirited stands by Supeshala Jayathilake (65), Will Leslie (30), Darren Pryde (19 no) and Joshua Allison (11) combined to get Drumps up to 176-9 off their 50 overs.
The Clydesdale bowling was Mo Ghaffar 3-30, Isaac Rahman 2-37 and Zeeshan Bashir 2-21.
Drumpellier had Clydesdale 0-1 in the first over when Hafiz Murtaza (0) was trapped LBW second ball off Chathuranga Kumara but another 59 runs were added before the 2nd wicket in the 11th over when Ali Khan (24) was LBW to Mohsin Khan. A 3rd wicket fell in the 30th over when Joshua Allison had Sheryar Awan (37) caught by Supeshala Jayathilake but no more wickets were to fall thereafter. Sizwe Masondo (76 no) finished the innings with a 6 when the scores were tied but it wasn’t show-boating on his part – this is mid-July and Siswe hasn’t had a lot of league batting to date due to Clydesdale chasing lowish totals and not being required or having 3 games in a row washed out. He looked the part in the first match against Drumpellier and he did again today – a classical bat and one to be wary of.
Clydesdale maintain their 100% record while Drumpellier showed their resilience in adversity and posted a total for Clydesdale to chase, something that most clubs have struggled to do this season.
And this fixture between the two senior clubs of the WDCU brought home the depth of history that our cricket has and is responsible for. There were photographs earlier this week on other social media fora featuring Shawholm, the home of Poloc Cricket Club, and it highlighted how fragile our cricket really is – the recent loss of Poloc to the game still hurts but when you see the names of so many clubs from our geography that have gone in the last 40 years or so, we have to collectively wake up and protect, preserve and promote the ones that are left for future generations to enjoy.
Vale of Leven are facing difficulties, Hillhead have internal issues to resolve and many others have a varied number of negative factors impacting on them – they all need our support.
Drumpellier is currently celebrating its 175th anniversary this season and congratulations to the club.
Here’s to at least another 175 and I hope that the extant WDCU clubs will be there to celebrate with Shimla Cottage Drumpellier Cricket Club when they do.
Richard S Young