Western Junior Academy win against Cumbria U14s

Western Academy Junior XI won convincingly over their U14 counterparts from the Cumbria Districts XI. The visitors from south of the border won the toss and elected to bowl first on a very good Nunholm track.

Western Academy's Andy Galloway perished early on to a quick ball from the opener Chubley, and his opening partner Darroch was well caught behind, though the decision was marginal, which left the score at 13 for 2 after 5 overs. Baum was run out by a bad call from his partner Main, and then Sabri added to the batting woes by getting out to a poorly-judged rash shot. Jasim Begg chipped in with 18 as the pick of the Cumbrian bowlers, Shillito, piled on the pressure with an excellent display of 3 for 18.

However, the game was to turn on its head when the score went from 43 for 6 to 126 for 7, as Ayr's Luke Speirs produced a captain's knock to support Scott Turnbull on his way to a marvellous 61. The Junior Academy were all out in the final over of the 45, having accumulated 167.

The Western Academy came out all guns blazing, with only a mid-wicket on the leg side, as pacemen Main and Turnbull bowled a good line outside off stump. Uddingston's Main got a breakthrough in the first over and was backed up by the outstanding Baum, taking the first of four catches and two stumpings, as he took a great take of the quickest ball of the day off Scott Turnbull. Baum was a late call-up from the Senior Academy squad in the absence of Seb Stewart, who fractured a cheekbone in the Lloyds TSB Scotland Schools Cup West Regional Final on Wednesday.

Kilmarnock medium pacer Oliver Raine ripped through the Cumbrian middle order with his mixed bag of cutters and swinging deliveries, which saw him return a personal haul of 5 for 17. A wicket a piece for spinners McCrossan, captain Luke Speirs and also one for left-arm seamer Elliot Speirs, saw Cumbria bundled out in the 26th over for 109.

Junior Academy coach Josh Johnston said "It was a good win against well-organised English opposition, and the head coach and I are again pleased with the excellent fielding display. We look forward to the next game against an Aussie touring school at the end of June, and thank Trefor Williams and all at Dumfries Cricket Club for making us all so welcome."
 

scorecard