Strathmore Cricket Union: the first 90 years a history 1928-2018

107 CHAPTER SEVEN THE BLAIRGOWRIE INTERLUDE OF 1965 It does occasionally happen in all sports that the totally unexpected happens. In recent years, for example, Leicester City won the English League in 2016, and closer to the timewe are talking about, in 1962 Dundee won the Scottish League, something that was matched by Ipswich Town winning the English League in the same season. Blairgowrie’s triumph in 1965 can be compared to these phenomena, as Blairgowrie twice beat the apparently invincible Strathmore. Sadly for Blair, it was a one-season wonder as well. CEC (Charlie) MacPherson was the main man in Blairgowrie’s success. He played as their professional and took an astonishing number of 92 wickets at 4.35 in 18 matches. Blairgowrie’s key games were obviously those against Strathmore. On May 8 they defeated them at Davie Park with MacPherson laying down an early marker with a 5 for 37 – a result that raised a few eyebrows – but for sheer tension, nothing could beat the return match at Lochside on Sunday 1st August before a large holiday crowd in beautiful weather. Strathmore, weakened by holidays, had no answer to MacPherson who took 7 for 16 as the home side were dismissed for 42. MacPherson made early inroads, including the vital wicket of Hazel, and the Forfar men never registered a single boundary. But Blairgowrie then took over 31 Overs to get the apparently undemanding total as Strathmore, without Neil Prophet but with David Pattullo bowling superbly, gave nothing away. Hardly a bad ball was bowled as Blairgowrie, backed by the car horns of their numerous supporters, edged towards the total and were greatly indebted to Tom Findlay with his 16 not out (most of them singles). In all his years with Aberdeenshire and Blairgowrie, the veteran never played a more valuable innings than this. It was probably one of the tensest games ever in the Strathmore Union. Charlie MacPherson of Blairgowrie