Strathmore and Perthshire Cricket Union Handbook 2011

4 the cause is different now; a shortage of players is more relevant than a straightforward desire to boost results but the impact is the same. It has been suggested that the presence in the Third Division of players of such high calibre is a large part of the demise of Kirriemuir, a club which was an original member of the old Second Division when it was formed in 1930. The truth may well be that Kirrie was on shaky ground already but the prospect of being on the receiving end of thrashings at the hands of players of SNCL standard was certainly a factor in some of their members deciding they had better ways of spending a Sunday afternoon. Hopefully their continued presence in the mpower Trophy means their return to league play will not be long delayed. I would like to thank our sponsors and advertisers for all the support they have given us over the years. After eighteen years, Dukes decided that it could no longer sponsor the Union’s league competitions but they continue to support us through their advertisement in the Handbook. Their decision allowed us to renew our relationship with Clubsport, probably the best cricket retailer in the country. Clubsport were the main sponsors of the Union between 1986 and 1992 and have been waiting patiently to reclaim their rightful position ever since. We are very grateful, too, to Monitor MCS as the sponsors of the Cup competitions. Without their contributions, the Union would be a very different and poorer organisation. I also pay tribute to David Bridges for all his work as Secretary and to the Committee members for their efforts. In particular, I would like to thank William Ferguson for his dynamism in getting the Union on-line. A fully functioning web site is a must in today’s digital era and thanks to William, we are right there at www.spcu.co.uk and www.spcu.org.uk . Finally, this booklet would not appear without the efforts of Ian Chisholm who for well over 30 years has been compiling the Union’s statistics. The volume and the quality of his work is amazing and we are very lucky indeed to enjoy his services. Richard Miller Just as we went to press, news came through that Cupar CC has decided to withdraw from the league for 2011. I hope this will prove to be but a short hiatus in their membership of the Union.