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

65 Matches in their own homes. 1952 was the year of Strathmore’s clean sweep. They captured both the 1st XI and the 2nd XI Championship, and the Three Counties Cup. Their professional Tom Lowe took an astonishing total of 90 wickets, beating the previous record set by Len Tyson of Brechin, but tellingly perhaps, Strathmore’s best batsman Morris Chapman was only ninth in the Union Batting Averages – something that hints at strength in depth in the Strathmore batting, in that, although they had no outstanding batsmen, all of the side were capable of a good score. A look at some of the names in the Strathie side will show how the team, with consistently impressive performances, carried all before them – Henderson, McLean, Langlands, Chapman, Young – all fine players and with a little spice added by a top class professional in Tommy Lowe, there was no stopping them. Forfar being Forfar (Farfar, in fact!) however where its inhabitants must change a vowel even when there was no need, the professional was called “Tammy Lauw” (rhymingwith “now”). Strathiewon the League with an Average of 155.50, having played 20 games, and only lost 2 to bad weather. The trophy was duly presented to them by the Earl of Southesk at the end of the season AGM. The two reserve County sides of Perthshire XI and Mannofield XI came second and third respectively, but the other county side Forthill XI were last. Montrose had one of their best ever seasons, coming fourth, ahead of both Arbroath and Brechin. The Three Counties Cup was won by Strathie once again in thrilling circumstances, off the third last ball of the game when school teacher Adam Sturrock, batting with the help of a runner, hit a scratchy single to take his team’s score to 105 for 7 and thus they got the better of Aberdeen Grammar School’s 104. The game was played on the agreeably early night of 3rd July at Guthrie Park, Brechin where there was no problem with the light. It was, as usual, well attended by many supporters of both sides. Sadly at the AGM, Harris Academy FP had to be asked to resign from the 2nd Division. A combination of failures to fulfil fixtures or to send weakened sides (on one occasion they turned up at Strathmore with only 7 men) and an inability to send in adequate returns meant that the Union had little option. Those who were alive at the time of the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953 will remember the day itself (2nd June) as a miserable cold day,