Strathmore Cricket Union Handbook 2003

48 One popular belief within the club is that perhaps one of the best sides, if not the best, Strathie ever produced was that of 1947, the year they moved to their present home. That team, again under the captaincy of Bert Angus, were highly successful both on and off the field. Members of that side were Jimmy Howe, Chic Thompson Senior, Ian McNaughton, Chic Thompson Junior, Tom Binnie, Jack Clunas, Peter Bell, Jock Taylor, Tom Cunningham, Jackie Beatson and Pat Dalgarno. One example of the tremendous fun this team got out of the game was during a particularly tense match against Balhousie. Strathearn were batting and wee Peter Bell as he was called was facing big Dai Roberts, the fast bowler of the opposition. Dai let go a short one that zipped past Peter’s nose and during the ensuing banter back and forth the effervescent mighty atom announced that the next ball would be straight driven for six. The big fellow walked back to his mark and, looking over his shoulder, laughed at the prospect. He turned, ran in and bowled. Wee Peter, as good as his word, thumped it back over his head with the ball landing about 15 yards into the Mayfield pitch. The wee man nonchalantly leant on his bat as if it happened all the time and with a huge grin simply said, “I told you so”. The big fellow’s comments are not for printing! Just one example from perhaps countless numbers depicting the intense dedication put into the game while still managing to obtain the maximum amount of fun out of it. The fifties also had their crop of fine Strathearn players such as Reggie Gibbs , Davie Grassick, Ian and Alistair Machray, John Stewart, Willie Sinclair, Andy Peters, Tom Guthrie and Bobby Jamieson to name but a few. There were many high scoring matches at this time with lots of runs being made by many people. In terms of people participating in the game the fifties were certainly a boom time. The sixties also produced its share of fine players such as Ronnie Lusher, Ian Beatson, Alan Whyte, Angus Anderson and Malcolm Duncan. The competitive nature of Strathearn shown in the early days came to the fore again in 1962 when a few local clubs got together and played each other on a league basis. This experiment plus ever increasing cost in travelling throughout Fife, Angus and Perthshire with the occasional trip further afield culminated in the birth of what is now known as the Perthshire League. This competition started in 1963 and Strathearn were founder members. The League, as it has become affectionately known, was an