There was a trepidation as we journeyed the long Scots miles to Dumfries that the heavy grey clouds and puddles could mean a wasted journey.  But the delightful Nunholm ground, while damp, was playable and we got started on time. 

With Brent triggered in the first over, George got an earlier walk than he expected and Craig and Ani had to dig in to keep a quality Dumfries attack at bay.  Runs were slow, but Ani eventually got more assertive and found the boundary on both sides of the wicket.  Craig worked hard but succumbed leg before, bringing Haris to the wicket in time for Dumfries’ former Australian overseas amateur to begin his spell.

Something of a theme here – this big man had come to Dumfries 2 years ago and stayed, just like the former Aussie pro who came 11 years ago and stayed – what hope for the current amateur?  I reckon they must be poetry lovers who once they discover the Burns heritage all around Dumfries just can’t bear to leave.

Anyway, to return to more mundane things -  Haris took one in the ribs from this Brett Lee impersonator but got bang in line to the next one and hooked the following one.  Good lad!  A good test of technique and resolve.

Ani was now going well and had just got to a well played 50 when the former pro got one to turn and he was smartly stumped.  Newly appointed 3s vice captain Grant now came to the wicket raising the proportion of Antipodeans to danger levels.  He looked good but was unlucky that his shots found the fielders more times than not.

Haris was eventually bowled round his legs and trudged off in search of biscuits.  This brought Amit to wicket on debut - and he delivered a sparkling innings of 34.  Once he learns to run he will surely score heavily.  But he obviously doesn’t like to waste effort - he put a fine straight 6 just 1 inch over rope.  Liam thought there was something in this economy of movement – he stood admiring a fine straight drive, confident it was boundary bound until a fielder swooped from miles away to stop it.  He could have walked 2.

We finished on 146 (by chance the same losing total that the Mumbai Indians got in the IPL that evening).

A rain shower prolonged tea during which Cheeky started his alternative career as a TV producer with Akeel’s camcorder.  The nets fund may stand to gain from sums extorted to make sure these grisly scenes do not make it to C-tube.

That was as good as it got.  Dumfries’ strong bowling attack was well matched by their batting and they proceeded to knock off the total with clinical ease.  The opening stand of 120 plus gave us little hope with Corbett-Byers retiring on 51 while his mate Dawson went on to an excellent 86*.  The Hoof went past the bat a few times and was unlucky not to get at least one tickle that carried. Cheeky had a good shout for lbw politely declined.  Our only triumph was when Haris bowled one of the Aussies off his gloves. 

All things considered, this was a bit of a mismatch – this can be corrected for next year -  Dumfries, probably expecting a sprinkling of Carlton first teamers rather than the stars of the past and the future who turned up, fielded pretty much their league team.  But thanks to them for working hard to get the ground ready and for a good game played in a good spirit.  They face Ferguslie in their first league game next Saturday - so we boosted their confidence for that!

Statistics have been suppressed to protect the innocent – not really, Akeel forgot to bring the scorebook and Dumfries use one of these new fangled computer things.

In penance for forgetting the score book and to compensate our bruised morale, Akeel generously dispensed fish and chips at the award winning TownHead Café in Biggar on the way home. UK’s best fish and chip shop - Times Online . 

A grand day out.

B Lockie 0

A Majumdar 51

A Everett 3

H Aslam 7

G Newman 11

Amit Bij 34

L Prescott 16*

C Hoefling 8

B Irvine 0

A Aslam 2*

C Gosain dnb

Extras 14

A Dawson 86*

S Corbett-Byers retired 51

J Goodin b Haris 0

D Brotherston 10*

Extras 3