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

42 when travelling, one would have thought, would have been a lot more difficult! By the time that cricket started again in April 1939, it was not a question of “if” there would be a war, but “when”. Hitler had now helped himself to all of Czechoslovakia, not content with what he had received at Munich the previous autumn, and was already making designs on Poland, a country whichGreat Britain and France had pledged to help, if attacked. Thewonder was that Hitler held off until September before he did the inevitable. Still, the Strathmore Union began with, this year, an experimental decree from the SCU that all Overs should contain 8 rather than 6 balls. This was an Australian idea, and the idea was that it would speed things up in that there would be fewer changes of the field between Overs. The outbreak of War on Sunday 3rd September 1939 saw a hysterical over-reaction on the part of everyone from the Government downwards who closed everything down – schools, cinema, theatres etc. in imminent expectation of aerial attacks. In such circumstances, it was hardly surprising that the Strathmore Union did likewise, leaving the First Division incomplete. Montrose XI however, had already won the Second Division, and Gordonians, whom everyone had been reluctant to admit to the League, proved a point by winning the Three Counties Cup. The abandonment of the 1st Division competition wasashame.Mannofield XI were leading with 18 points from 12 games and Brechin were hot on their heels with 16 from 11. The Mannofield men had been lucky to get their game finished against Montrose on 26th August, for thunderstorms had washed out play elsewhere, the weather perhaps echoing the mood of the country which was now plunged into the deepest pessimism. The future was now not so much uncertain as ominous and inevitable, for the Germans had signed a non-aggression pact with the Soviet Union. Any games scheduled for later in the season were not played, The final published League Table for 1939 before the abandonment of the Competition