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

164 points between Inverurie and Dundee High School FP but the title was awarded to Inverurie on the “direct match” principle, the idea that whoever won the most points in “head-to-heads” against each other would take the title and on that basis the title went north yet again. Dundee High School FP had given notice that they were to try their luck in the Scottish National Cricket League from 2001 onwards. It would have been nice for them to leave as Champions of the Strathmore Union, but it was not to be. Newcomers St Modans of Bannockburn won the First Division, narrowly getting the better of Forthill and thus entered the Premier Division where quite a lot of people felt that, given their record in the East of Scotland League, they should have been put in the first place. St Modans also won the League Cup, once again struggling against Forthill to win their section and narrowly getting the better of Stoneywood/Dyce in an enjoyable final at Mannofield. The Second Division, containing a large number of second XI teams who were struggling to find players, was won by Kinloch. Meigle had a good season as well, winning both the Three Counties and the Two Counties Cup and their youngsters won the Under 17 trophy, while the Under 15 and Under 13 competitions were won by Arbroath United. It was becoming increasingly difficult to keep track of the comings and goings of the clubs competing in the StrathmoreUnion. DundeeHigh School were not with us in 2001 (but they would be back in 2002). Inverurie, after a few spectacular years in the Strathmore Union, had a mediocre season in 2001 (winning only 6 games out of 17) and then very sadly decided to return to Grades Cricket succumbing according to the 2002 Handbook “to that most pervasive of diseases, player apathy”. In the case of Inverurie, there was the added problem of travel and distance, and a trip to Dundee, for example, for a cricket match usually resulted in a player being away from his home for more than a round of the clock – something that caused understandable disharmony in a household where there were young children to be looked after. On the other hand, at the end of the 2001 season came the news that Blairgowrie, champions in 1965, were tomake their welcome reappearance in 2002. But as far as the 2001 season was concerned, we had Meigle as champions after a period of comparative under-performance. They made no mistake this year, beating second placed St Modans with a percentage