Langholm suffered a third defeat in a row in the Eden Valley League when they lost by only nine runs to Appleby 2nds at the Castleholm in fine weather last Saturday.
Appleby were all out for 121 in the 38th of the allotted 40 overs with Duncan Elliott finishing with bowling figures of 5 for 22 for the home side.
Langholm struggled for runs but a late stirring innings from Jack Pool gave them a chance. Unfortunately he ran out of partners and Langholm were all out for 112 in 33 overs, with Pool on 29 not out.
The Langholm bowling attack got off to a great start when Beckwith (5) was dismissed by Stevie Johnstone with the Appleby score on 7. Brakewell joined Errington and the partnership took the score to 42 before Errington fell caught out deep by Davie Gordon off Duncan Elliott for 20. Mainly due to Brakewell the score reached 66 before a double strike by Elliott saw him get rid of Moore (1) caught and bowled, and Bellos lbw for a duck. Davidson (3) ably supported Brakewell to take the score to 92 before Elliott dismissed the former. Elliot soon secured his fifth wicket when John Reid took a great running catch to dismiss Hodder (2) and it was 100 for 6. Brakewell finally fell for 60 when lbw to Andrew Paisley. The visitors final three wickets added 15 runs with Johnstone taking two wickets and Paisley the other, and Appleby were all out for 121. In the Langholm bowling Elliott had superb figures of 5 for 22, Johnstone 3 for 14 and Paisley 2 for 21.
Langholm made a rather hesitant start and reached only 14 in 7 overs before Elliott (5) was given out lbw to Hodder and Johnstone (5) soon followed bowled by Davidson to leave Langholm in trouble at 14 for 2. Graham Park and Chris Stewart took the score up to 28 before Park was out to Hodder for 10. Stewart soon followed for a duck when giving an easy catch to Davidson off Bellos. This left Langholm on 35 for 4 and Jason Hall joined Gregor Masterton to take the score to 56, with Masterton looking good, but he eventual fell to Bellos for 21. Davie Gordon made a good start, hitting his first ball for four, but was soon out to Little for 7 and Langholm were on 63 for 7. Hall (6) fell with the score on 70 for 7 after 28 overs and 52 needed to win.
Jack Pool got off the mark with a two and then unleashed himself on Moore, taking 20 off the over to give Langholm a real chance. The score reached 104 before Gormley (7) fell to Hodder and another six from Pool saw Langholm needing 10 for victory, but Paisley was bowled by Little for a duck, then John Reid fell to Bellos the next over and Langholm were all out for 112, with Pool still at the wicket. In the visitors bowling Hodder had 3 for 19 and Bellos 3 for 22.
There is still a slight danger of relegation for Langholm so they will have to pick themselves up in the remaining matches.