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

85 on away swing. But the pair worked in tandem, and earned wickets for each other. Some opponents thought that Brechin’s fast bowling duo of Stewart Wilson and Geoff Wilkins were a little more frightening in that they were both able to get more zip off the ground, but that was perhaps because Guthrie Park was traditionally a harder wicket whereas Lochside with its proximity to water (as the name suggests) was a little softer. There was also a difference in height with Wilson and Wilkins both being 6 feet 4 inches and Myles and Prophet a good six inches shorter. On the other hand, both Myles and Prophet were able to perform well in any conditions, and it remains a matter of regret that neither of them ever had the opportunity to do so for Scotland. One man who was capped however was Gavin McKiddie, the off spinner, as late as 1977 after almost 20 years of outstanding returns. It was Gavin’s misfortune to be bowling off-breaks in Scotland at the same time as firstly David Livingstone and then George Goddard. With Goddard’s ability to score international centuries as well as his captaincy, he was a hard man to displace once he supplanted Livingstone in the Scotland side in 1966. Other fine players included Ian Ogilvie, wicket keeper, captain (in the early years of the run) David Pattullo, Alan Guild, Alan Traill, Don Crighton, Graeme Ogilvie (commonly known for obscure reasons as “Mouse” who bowled “back of the hand” leg breaks and pretend googlies which were actually just off-breaks, sometimes giving the ball a prodigious amount of “air”) and the ever reliable opening batsman Johnny Callander. The only thing that they really lacked was a left arm spinner. A feature of the team (as with all good teams) was the fielding. Don Crighton excelled at short leg, David Pattullo at mid-on or in the gully and Ian Ogilvie was a superb wicket-keeper. Seldom were catches dropped, and the ground fielding was also something to be seen and approved of. In batting, there were seldom very many run-outs, one of the many things that they had learned from Hazel’s coaching and their own understanding of each other. It was hardly surprising that they all knew each other, for they were all Forfar men, and as everyone always said “Forfar is just a small place”. They seldom lost. 1965 was the only year between 1962 and 1972 that they lost the Championship, and they did so because they lost both home