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

60 and keenly contested final of them all. It was played at Guthrie Park, Brechin on the fine night of Thursday 7th July 1949 and watched by a crowd of well over 1,000 with buses and trains disgorging spectators from both Forfar and Aberdeen. The meticulously kept accounts tell us that £48 19 shillings and 6 pence were collected at the gate. It was a tale of two bowlers – George Youngson of Gordonians and JD Henderson of Strathmore, but the Strathie total of 85 never quite looked enough and Youngson’s 5 for 28 just had the edge over Henderson’s 4 for 29. Tom Findlay of Gordonians had an unfortunate dismissal, being given out Hit Wicket when he jumped to hook a short ball from Young and knocked over his own wicket, injuring himself in the process. Fittingly it was Youngson himself who hit the winning run in fading light as Gordonians were beginning to run out of wickets. An interesting comment on the “austerity” of the times comes at the AGM when it was decided that both Perthshire XI and Mannofield XI would be allowed a flag to fly at their ground “provided that they agreed to pay £3 5 shillings” for it, whereas Strathmore who already had a flag would be allowed to inscribe 1949 on it alongside 1946 and 1947. Strathmore’s 2nd XI continued to do well, winning all 8 games that they played in the 2nd XI Championship to win that Division. The Averages this year were topped by T B Manley of Mannofield XI with 42.30 in the Batting while the best Bowler was Len Halstead, that “soldier of fortune” playing this year for Meigle. Halstead was of course a professional and ineligible to win the award which went to DB Robb of Forthill XI. The AGM heard once again the cry for neutral Umpires. It was, of course, generally agreed that it would be a good thing, that clubs probably could afford to pay for them and that a “school for Umpires” could be set up, but there would still be a difficulty recruiting enough men to do the job. It was generally agreed however that the tea interval was taking up too much time, while there was a general lackadaisical attitude about starting games on time. We are intrigued to read about a complaint from Perthshire XI concerning their game at Blairgowrie on 11th September. No such game took place, and Perthshire XI say that they are content to let the matter rest but President Mr Hovell of Strathmore reminds everyone of their responsibilities under Law 46 – dealing with, among other things, Fair and Unfair Play. What