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

41 international situation. The 1938 Ashes series was a memorable one, for England at last had managed to dig up someone who was almost the equal of Don Bradman. This was Len Hutton of Pudsey in Yorkshire who managed to score 364 at the Oval in August as England amassed 903 for 7 to win the game and draw the series. It was a somewhat hollow victory in that both Bradman and Fingleton were injured (Bradman while bowling!), but the victory margin was a remarkable Innings and 579 runs! All this was followed with eager enthusiasm throughout the British Isles. TV was now theoretically with us but would not appear in Scotland until 1952, and the main medium of communication was the radio. Test Match Special with ball-by-ball commentaries would not start for another twenty years, but there were regular reports from a man called Howard Marshall, and of course there were the newspapers which always sold more copies when the Test Match was being played. Mannofield XI had the misfortune to lose the Three Counties Cup final on the last ball at Forfar on 14th July 1938. It was a remarkable game between the second XI sides of Aberdeenshire and Forfarshire. Mannofield XI had put on 82, andwhen the last Over of the Forthill XI started, the last pair were together with six runs required. Amon Hunt had taken 6 for 34 including a hat-trick but it wasMortimerwho bowled the final Over. Will and Ironswere the last two at the crease, and by dint of scrambling and nudging reached the final ball, having survived a strong lbw appeal, needed two to win. Will did the needful, hitting a three, and the game seemed to be finished. But then in circumstances of anti-climax, the Umpire who, clearly rattled by the lbw appeal, had miscounted and was also unaware, apparently, that the game was already won, ordered another ball, which the triumphant Forthill man hit for four. Curiously, in totally different circumstances, there would be a similar incident in next year’s Three Counties Cup final. At the end of the season AGM in 1938, the Union rather surprisingly and churlishly refused the application of Gordonians to join them. Naturally Mannofield supported their fellow Aberdonians in their application, but the proposal “failed to find favour” when Brechin and Meigle objected on the grounds of “travelling expenses”. Maybe it was bit of pique that Mannofield XI had won the League, and they resented the northwards movement of the focus of power. Illogically, however, Gordonians were allowed to compete in the Three Counties Cup. It made no sense, for the Three Counties Cup games were usually played on midweek evenings,