The 2025 cricket season opened for Dumfries Cricket Club on Sunday at home, in the sun at Nunholm, with a 32-run win in their friendly against Glasgow side Hillhead and which included a Nextgen Driving Player of the Match performance by Ben Plowman on his debut.

Dumfries were asked to bat first and successfully put together a century opening partnership between Chris Bellwood, who later retired on fifty, and Drew Dawson who hit 39. The middle order then contributed runs through Wahid Jabarkhil with 19, and Fergus Bainbridge with 34. Australian Ben Plowman steered the side past the two hundred with a maiden fifty before also retiring. Young all-rounder Billy Morgan then added not out runs in the closing overs as Vigilant Dumfries closed on 239 for 6 wickets off the 40 overs.

Hillhead started well with an opening stand of 74 with Patel contributing a rapid 39. However, the visitors ultimately fell short with 207 for 5. Robert McBride picked up two wickets as the Dumfries side shook off the rust in a valuable warm-up match.

To try some junior, senior and women's cricket at Nunholm this summer then the club can be contacted via dumfriescricketclub@gmail.com or see dumfriescricketclub.com.

After their promotion last season, Vigilant Dumfries begin their league campaign in Western Premiership One on Saturday the 3rd of May with further friendly fixtures at home this Saturday and Sunday.

Vigilant Dumfries 239-6 (C Bellwood 50no, B Plowman 52no) beat Hillhead 207-5 by 32 runs

Ed: And as they say, the top scorer for Hillhead by a significant margin was Extras! A valuable warm-up match but also a costly one with a couple of injuries and most especially to junior Cory who now has his arm in plaster after a diving stop on the boundary when on a substitute fielder for the opposition! Lots of what-ifs there since he was also due to be training elsewhere with the Western Warriors at a session which was cancelled. Gutting to say the least. We wish him a speedy recovery.

Vigilant Dumfries beat Hillhead by 32 runs (Friendly)
Vigilant Dumfries 239-6 (40 overs)
C. Bellwood 50* rtd
B Plowman 52* rtd
A Dawson 39
F Bainbridge 34
W Jabarkhil 19
B Morgan 14*
K Patel 2-21, J Bartlett 2-33, S Ita 2-49

Hillhead 207-5 (40 0vers)
J Lindey-Dawe 41, K Patel 39
R McBride 8 overs 2-19
W Mann 8 overs 1-31
A Davidson 8 overs 1-25
B Plowman 4 overs 1-32

Online scorecard and highlights
dumfriescc.play-cricket.com/website/results/7099509

Link to Youtube match video