Sum of their parts adds up to league title for Dumfries

Sports Journalist

Tuesday 4 September 2012

There are two ways of looking at Dumfries's success in emerging as inaugural champions of the Western Premiership in the Cricket Scotland League.

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Neil Drysdale

Either the Nunholm club have taken not so much a bat as a battering ram to the established order and produced a shock of seismic proportions in the game, or their success exposes the decline in standards in the west of the country.

That argument was put forward by one former Saltires luminary, who said recently: "The second XI I used to play for in Glasgow would beat the first XI at the club at the moment."While there might be some truth in that assertion, it would be churlish to dismiss the exploits of the Dumfries club in a campaign during which their team displays have consistently been greater than the sum of their parts. It is a side without prima donnas and whose members have thrived on the unity at a club which decided not to hire an expensive overseas professional.To that extent, Stuart Corbett-Byers, who captained the club for the majority of the season, embodies the qualities which have steered the side to their title triumph; a Musketeers-style "one for all" philosophy, allied to a hard-working mentality, and the conviction that a 20 here and a two-wicket haul there can prove pivotal."We have heard the criticisms about the standard of the [Western Premier] league, and it does seem that the game is stronger in the east at the moment, but you can only beat the opponents who are put in front of you," said Corbett-Byers, who was replaced as captain by Australian Josh Geary as the campaign neared its end. "I used to play at Ferguslie and I believe too many teams in the west have grown overly reliant on one or two players, or on their overseas pros, and it can't be helpful in the long run. At Dumfries different boys have popped up with important contributions."There was the match against Uddingston a few weeks ago, where we were struggling all afternoon, our last pair, Patrick Druce and Alan Davidson, needed 13 off the last over, and we were thinking we might have to settle for the losing bonus points. But the guys got the job done with two balls to spare."And there was a game at Stirling, where we had to win it twice, because of a mix-up with the scoreboard. Even on Saturday, West of Scotland had us at 35 for three after 17 overs. But there were key partnerships when it mattered and we eventually got to 196 [and an ultimately comfortable success]."Towards the climax, the balcony at our ground was packed, the bar was full, there was a genuine buzz around the place, and it made up for the days where you are playing in front of two men and a dog. And the adventure hasn't finished yet; we face [Eastern Premier champions] Watsonians this weekend and that is being described as the biggest game in our history. Or, at least, the biggest game in our history since last Saturday."One detects parallels between Dumfries's heroics and what has happened at Ayr on the Scottish rugby circuit. In both instances, a relatively small, well-run, progressive organisation has prospered where larger – and more complacent – institutions in Glasgow appear to have presumed they had some divine right to flourish. While Corbett-Byers isn't so naive as to imagine that it will be a straightforward task preparing for the future, his attitude suggests there will be no down-scaling of ambitions during the winter."Perhaps we benefited from being an unknown quantity in the first half of the competition, but I would argue that we merited being champions, because we beat all our rivals and won more matches than anybody else. What else can you do?" he said. "I am confident the foundations have been laid for Dumfries to become a major cricketing force."

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Sum of their parts adds up to league title for Dumfries

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