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

84 of them. They were of disparate social backgrounds – company directors, farmers, compositors, students, factory workers - but there was absolutely no social snobbery, or what can be even more pernicious, inverted snobbery of the “cricket is not for the likes of us” variety. In addition there was a comparative absence of the narrow-mindedness, jealousy and sheer hate that has been known to permeate small towns! Good players abounded. There was of course the professional Nigel Hazel, not without cause called “Chopper” for his occasionally brutal batting although the true origin of the nickname is a little more prosaic. The gentle Bermudan was a well-known and well- loved character in the town, and deserves all the credit that he can get for the popularising of the game of cricket, and not least for what he did for the cause of racial tolerance at a time when race was an issue which a few unscrupulous politicians could exploit. One recalls an incident in a local hostelry round about Christmas 1969. A well-known local ignoramus was singing the praises of the loathsome Enoch Powell and sounding forth about the need for Great Britain to deport those of a different ethnic origin. “Does that include Nigel Hazel?” asked an idealistic student. A pause fell over the company, as heads turned to the bigot. The pause became prolonged until the man was compelled to say “Well, I would keep Nigel, but…” before the company dissolved in laughter, and the offensive topic was never raised again. Not the least of Hazel’s contributions to Strathmore Cricket Club was his coaching. It was his encouragement that produced so many of that fine side who dominated everything for that glorious decade. There were two excellent fast bowlers in George Myles and Neil Prophet. Fast bowlers tend to work in pairs – one thinks of Trueman and Statham for England in the 1950s and 1960s, and Lillee and Thomson for the Australians in 1974/75. Why neither Myles nor Prophet was capped for Scotland is question which only the selectors can answer. Myles was a captain’s dream with his impeccable line and length and his ability to draw a certain amount of pace off the wicket. Wilfred Rhodes of Yorkshire would say that the only two things in life that really mattered were line and length, and Glenn McGrath of Australia when asked for his secret, said that there was no secret. All that you had to do was bowl a good ball every time. Myles was reliable, not too fast – some say that when he tried to bowl too fast, he lost a little – and competitive, whereas Prophet, arguably a shade faster than Myles, relied, to an extent at least,