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

9 cricket. The “emergency committee” of the Chairman R W Sievwright, the Vice Chairman J H Melville of Strathmore and the Secretary W Eddie of Brechin would meet, if necessary during the season, but 1929 would be the first season of the Strathmore Union with the founding members of Strathmore, Brechin, Arbroath, Montrose, Meigle and Blairgowrie all to play each other home and away. It was a particularly significant moment in the history of Montrose Cricket Club, for 1929 saw their resurrection. They had been in abeyance since 1914, unable to raise sufficient local interest for a team, and finding it appallingly difficult to get young men in sufficient quantity to compensate for thosewho had been lost in the carnage. There had been a Lads Clubwho played a few games at Union Park, but Montrose Cricket Club as such had been a concept that seemed to have died. But now under more energetic management, the game seemed to be reviving and the arrival of the Union provided the perfect stimulus for the reappearance of Montrose. They would however lag behind Arbroath, Brechin and Strathmore for some time. In global terms, cricket had wintered well in 1928/29, for England, under the guidance of an amiable eccentric who was not nearly as daft as he appeared, had retained the Ashes. This was APF “Percy” Chapman. The Ashes had been won in England in 1926, and now in Australia as well. England were now gearing themselves for the visit of South Africa in the summer, and cricket was much talked about, even in Scotland. Role models abounded in Jack Hobbs, Herbert Sutcliffe, Maurice Tate and many others, but just in case England were getting too full of themselves, they had to be reminded now and again that Scotland were still better at football, an Alec Cheyne goal direct from a corner kick having done the trick at Hampden in April just as the cricket season (and the Strathmore Union), was about to begin.