Strathmore Cricket Union Handbook 2004

2 INTRODUCTION It seems that every year for the last five years, I have begun by introducing readers to a season of significant changes to the Union. This year is no exception and the change recorded is even more momentous than any that has gone before. We welcome the amalgamation with the Perthshire Cricket League which leads us into a new era for cricket in the North and East of Scotland. With four divisions and twenty eight clubs, the Union is able to look forward with some hope to a sustainable future. Even good news can be tinged with sadness and it is regretable that Blairgowrie’s return to competitive cricket has stalled for the meantime. Hopefully this will only be temporary. 2004 is the 75 th anniversary of the foundation of the Strathmore Union and having it as the first year of the almalgamated Strathmore and Perthshire Union seems highly approriate. After last season’s milestones for Rossie Priory at 175 years, this season it is the turn of Strathearn and Huntly. Strathearn at 125 years are overshaddowed by Huntly who celebrate their 150 th anniversary with a series of events throughout the season including a match against a Union Select. For anyone interested in uncovering more of the story, I can recommend the series of boolets which the club has produced over the years. I had hoped to be able to produce more material of a histoic nature to mark the 75 th anniversary but lack of contributions and pressure on space have put paid to that. Thanks go to TomMcLeod for the photograph of his 1948 Mannofield XI side. As always, we are all indebted to Ian Chisholm whose recording of the Union’s statistics every year is an immensely valuable source of material. Thanks are also due to the advertisers and sponsors who contibute so much support for our activities.