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

78 to be played at Guthrie Park, but that did not help Brechin in the slightest for they were beaten by 7 wickets with 3 Overs and a bit to spare by a very competent Aberdeen Grammar School FP. Stuart Wilson, Brechin’s fast bowler, was not playing, for he was away playing for Scotland against India at Paisley, but that hardly excuses a low total of 91 on a good pitch, and then some abysmal bowling and fielding to allow the Aberdeen men to run away with the game. Nigel Hazel appeared with some Strathmore players to watch the game, and suddenly found himself being given a white coat and asked to Umpire, as one of the Umpires had not turned up! It was a role he performed with relish and competence. But 1959 is well known for two famous quotes from the then Prime Minister Harold McMillan. One was “we’ve never had it so good” and the other was “the winds of change are blowing”. Both of these quotes, (obviously delivered in some other context!) were appropriate to cricket in the Strathmore Union. The game had never been more popular, but on the other hand, sociological change would mean that, from now on, cricket would have to fight a little harder to maintain its supporters. It would not always succeed. The problem was, paradoxically, that of prosperity. “The affluent society” was much talked about, and it was certainly true that thanks to the National Health Service, people were far healthier. Housing too was much improved, and although it would be some time before the last house with an outdoor toilet was removed from the landscape, the proliferation of housing schemes meant that indoor toilets, modern conveniences and, particularly, running water were now the order of the day. There was less and less excuse for lack of hygiene (or being “clorty” as they put it locally), and aspirations were high for education and achievement from this new generation. Unfortunately for cricket, although things like bats and “whites” were now more and more within the financial compass of working class families, so too were the blandishments of other sports, notably golf, and, perniciously for cricket, foreign holidays to a non-cricket playing country notably Spain, where the dictatorship of General Franco now began to relax its prickly attitude to the rest of the world and saw the potential of their reliably hot climate in the summer months for the now affluent countries of Great Britain and Germany. This was not good news for cricket.