Dollar Cricket Club vs Hillhead Cricket Club

Date: 17/07/22 | Location: Dollar | Conditions: Warm with cloudy intervals | Overs: 30

On Sunday we welcomed a host of new visitors to The Playing Fields as we entertained the Glaswegians of Hillhead CC. Spirits were high as we looked to get back on track after on-the-bounce losses to Crickockers and Hawick. Captain Sandy Cunningham won the toss and decided to have a bat. 

Cunningham took it on himself to open the batting and was joined by Adam Buchanan-Smith. The first 20 or so balls went by without incident, or many runs for that matter, but as both men became acquainted with the middle, the runs started to flow. Ones and twos were served up to start the innings as Buchanan-Smith made good use of his new aerodynamic chassis to keep up with Cunningham’s youthful exuberance. 

As the opening bowlers reached the end of their spells, Cunningham started to find the middle as he sweetly timed a couple of crisp 4s. Unfortunately this would be it for the skipper as Bartlett found a tickle of an outside edge and the ball darted straight to the gloves of the man behind the sticks, out for 13. Score, 26/1 after 8.2 overs.

The inform Jack Smart entered at 3 and immediately started taking it to Holland through confident sprints spurred on by his senior partner and a cracked 4. Buchanan-Smith was batting with authority as his score rolled through the teens, and the 2nd wicket stand started to build. 

Buchanan-Smith was validating the old adage of form being temporary and class maintaining its permanence as he swung the willow as well as he has all season. The partnership was rolling and both looked set for a big score. 

Sadly it was not quite to be for Buchanan-Smith as his innings was ended by the talented Bartlett as he was unable to fully get a hold of one and he was caught for a solid 28. This seasons leading run-scorer, Cameron Glasgow entered to form a partnership with Smart. 

Smart continued with his efforts of trying to remove the lacquer from the pill as he smashed a collection of 4s, all while Glasgow filled the early part of his innings with the sort of shots that have been synonymous with his play in 2022 and the two men showed typical urgency to get the score moving.

A moment of confusion would be the 3rd wicket stand’s undoing as Smart, who was feeling the effects of both the sun’s rays and his Saturday night refreshments, called ‘NO!’ but decided to set off anyway and predictably saw the stumps scattered before he could make his ground and was run out for well played 37- straight for a cold shower. Score, 101/3 from 15.

Bruce Harper entered at 5 and given his and Glasgow’s ability to get the ball singing off the bat the chances of accelerating the run-rate seemed high. Alas this hope fadedt and Harper was cleaned bowled by Love for 1. Tom Hall replaced him, but he too would fall into Bartlett’s trap and was bowled without troubling the scorers, quack, clearly saving his energy for the bowling effort… 

With a collapse looming, Glasgow took it upon himself to hog the strike and started to get the runs flowing down stream. Tim Dillon blocked away the menacing deliveries and took the runs on offer, but like many of his predecessors he too was flummoxed by Bartlett and was caught behind for 2. Score, 119/6 after 21.

Pete Matthews was tasked with salvaging the blushes of the middle order, and he too kept himself out of the early fire and allowed Glasgow to keep the score ticking. With a new bowler brought on and as Glasgow was one shot away from his half century, Blackwood backed him up as he looked to go long and given the amount at stake for his wicket a huge appeal went up and so did the finger, out for a stellar 44… slightly below par on the lofty standards he has set so far this season. Score, 150/7 after 25. 

Gregg Dunsire joined Matthews and the pair scampered between the sticks to add some valuable late runs. Matthews would be unable to see out the innings as he too was run out, gone for 5. With only a few balls left Richie Nicholson entered and quickly got off the mark, but would fail to finish with an asterisk by his name as he put team success before his average and was run out on the last ball of the innings. Dunsire would remain unbeaten on 3. Special mention to the ever reliable E. X. Tra for his valuable 30 not out. 

DCC 162 for 9 from 30 overs

Top scorers: Glasgow, 44 | Smart, 37 | Buchanan-Smith, 28 

Tim Dillon and Bruce Harper, who jointly occupy 2nd place in this season leading wicket taker standings, got the reply underway. In typical fashion Dillon came out of the blocks with his radar locked in as he offered up an opening maiden containing a couple that agonisingly missed the outside edge. Harper too found some early fizz and both bowlers kept the batsmen on their toes. 

The first reward would arrive in the 6th over as Harper sent the cherry down to Terbert, who failed to find the middle of the bat and the ball popped up to Richie Nicholson to take the catch. 

With the other opener, Kumar, beginning to play the role of the tricky customer it was important to not allow Minto to settle at the crease. Harper softened him up, and then in the 9th over Dillon got his reward as the ball went flying through his defence to rearrange the stumps and both men made it a three-way-tie atop the wicket taking chart. The pair finished off their spells and the score was at 52/2 after 11 overs. 

Adam Buchanan-Smith took over from Dillon, and Sandy Cunningham replaced his gaffer. Kumar and Blackwood were starting to cause headaches and answered all the early questions of ABS and the skipper. 

The partnership started to build from interesting to menacing, but just as it was on the cusp of 50 Buchanan-Smith sent down one of his trademark bouncing betties and the ball was familiarised with Kumar’s pads, gone for 29. 

Cunningham, who was forcing consistent half chances with his variety of pace, seam-movement, and swing, got his just reward halfway through his spell as he too got the ball to cannon into the batsmen’s pads and after an appeal full of decibels up went the finger and the troubling Blackwood was removed for 32, a momentum shifter of a scalp. Both men rounded off their spells and the score of 117/4 after 21 had the odds in the ‘weegie’s favour

Tom Hall, fresh after the incident against our Goan friends, replaced Cunningham and our nets intimidator Jack Smart subbed in for Buchanan-Smith. The pressure was high, but both men were clearly unmoved as Hall started off his spell with a tremendous wicket-maiden as Bartlett sent the first ball of his set straight to the welcoming hands of Pete Matthews. 

Smart’s electric pace was keeping the bats at bay, and the odds shifted back our way in Hall’s second as the skilful Holland was undone by Hall’s intense accuracy and could only play the ball to the hands of Nicholson for his superb second catch of the day. Holland gone for 22. Score, 127/6 from 25.

With momentum at our backs, Hall would keep his streak of a wicket in each over alive as he cleaned bowled Gullan with a ready to eat peach. After 2 overs packed with opportunities, Smart would get his first scalp of the season as Murphy was flummoxed by his pace and would be the third to walk off after a meeting between ball and his pads. 

With only a couple of overs left, our visitors had a mammoth task of scoring at 15 an over, and it was made only harder as Hall once again put a W in his column as he put Guy’s bails on the ground to round off what was arguably the spell of the season. 

Gregg Dunsire closed out the fantastic bowling effort and confirmed the once unlikely DCC victory. A special mention of course goes to ‘Commodore’ Nicholas Schellenberg, who despite not getting a bat or a bowl showed phenomenal enthusiasm in the field as he stopped valuable runs, and kept those on the boundary engrossed with his fascinating tales during the batting section of proceedings. 

Hillhead CC 137 for 9 from 30 overs

Best figures: Hall, 4 for 7 from 5 (!) | Smart, 1 for 10 from 3 | Dillon, 1 for 24 from 6

DOLLAR CRICKET CLUB VICTORY BY 25 RUNS

The BSB MOTM: Tom Hall

A phenomenal effort with the ball as Hall turned the tie back in our favour with his relentless accuracy. One of the best spells of the post-Covid era of DCC, and the odds-on favourite for the Bowling Performance of the Season DWAA.

Hall had this to say, 

“Thanks to the club and notably Rich for a superb catch off a flat pie which was the catalyst for another wonderful DCC memory for me!”

We offer thanks to our newest visitors and wish all their sides luck with the rest of 2022. Hopefully a trip along the M80 is on the cards in 2023. 

Thanks also goes to whoever scored this match. The handwriting was first rate and the partnership totals helped paint a fine picture of the game which made the life of this scribe, who was awol coaching kids on nags in Lanarkshire, much easier- cheers!

We are back in action on Sunday at 1pm as we welcome the East Lothian outfit of Bass Rock CC. Given the enjoyment we had on our visit to North Berwick last season, it would be great to see a host of spectators adorning the boundary edge. 

Season Record

Played 9 | Won 6 | Lost 3

Ohhh DCC