Cricket: Dumfries confident they will bounce back from Weirs reverse

TORRANCE House is no place today for the faint-hearted. It's crunch time for fancied hosts East Kilbride and much-touted Dumfries as both desperately seek to re-impose themselves immediately after last week's surprise losses.

A second successive defeat would seriously dent their SNCL Championship aspirations.

But Dumfries spokesman Davie Davidson remains bullishly adamant about his side's prospects. He said: "Yes, we were beaten by the better side (Weirs] last week, but with the return of pro Chad Breetzke and Jimmy Patterson we revert to our strongest line-up. Bevo (Scott Beveridge] is in fine form with three recent fifties, and Alan Maskrey is bowling with great accuracy and swing. We fear no one and we intend to bounce back this week." East Kilbride hope to be at full strength.

League leaders West Lothian are quietly confident of building on what skipper Andy Raven defined as "the perfect Saturday" after last week's nine-wicket trouncing of Stenhousemuir. "Confidence in the camp is very high," he said, "but we're not taking anything for granted in what will be a very tough test against Penicuik."

The unbeaten Linlithgow men, aiming to make it five successive wins, welcome back Merchiston Castle batsman Dougie Voas to replace injured Jimmy McOscar and look to further bowling heroics from last week's man of the match Clinton Dixon. The battle of the pros, Kruger van Wyk versus Ryan Nurse, could prove pivotal.

New SMRH skipper Mark Burgess, delighted by last week's surprise nine-wicket mauling of East Kilbride, travels west optimistically to face third-placed Poloc. The Inverleith outfit welcome back Kiwi pro George Worker, but Greg Bissett will be absent along with brother Chris and Alex Shaw, replaced by Andrew Davidson and Jonty Poward. James Blackburn returns for the 'Loc, replacing unavailable key batsman Dan Walton, scorer of a crucial 70 in last weekend's defeat of Edinburgh Accies.

Unchanged Renfrew have crept up into second slot and are confident that their all-round strength can notch an away win against a Kelburne side disappointed at failing to press home advantages in cup and league derbies at Ferguslie.

Weirs hero Russell Murray hopes to build on his chanceless maiden SNCL century as the vibrant Cathcart men host a useful Stenhousemuir side keen to make instant amends after an abject derby showing, but without veteran batsman Ian Philip, returned once more to Australia.

Freuchie, invigorated by last week's derby demolition of Falkland, test the fitness of the injured Birrell brothers for the visit of Stuart Kennedy-inspired Ferguslie, also emboldened by last week's resounding derby success.Elsewhere, bottom club Edinburgh Accies, finally at full strength and heartened by posting 241 in 46 overs last week, welcome to their splendid Newfield deck a RH Corstorphine side minus Gordon Allan, Kev Meier and injured Jamie Burton, but welcoming back opening bowler Azhar Abid, batsman David Ross and Ozy Malik.