Issue 44

Congratulations to Tom Simpson who takes over from Ali Evans as First XI skipper, the youngest ever in the club’s history. Tom has been Vice-captain for the last 3 seasons and has stepped in regularly on Ali Evan’s international absences. His captaincy experience also includes Carlton junior sides and the University of St Andrews CC. Like Ali Evans before him, Tom has come through Carlton’s junior set up to reach the top of the club. His first senior match for Carlton was for the 4th XI in April 2012. Commenting on his appointment, Tom said, ‘I am incredibly excited to take on the role of First XI captain for the 2022 season and continue the success the team has had under the leadership of Ali Evans. With an encouraging mix of youth and experience throughout our squad, we have more than enough quality to compete for trophies across every format and every competition this season. ‘The opportunity guys had in Spain to experience a whole new style of cricket has helped act as a fantastic preseason, further strengthening the skills and mentality of the squad, and should hold us in good stead for the start of the season. ‘I hope to see a lot of familiar faces down at Grange Loan over the next few weeks and months and wish everyone across the club the best for the new season! ‘ Good luck Tom! THE KING IS DEAD - LONG LIVE THE KING

HERE COMES CRICKET 2022! From Fraser Watts, Director of Cricket: I wish all playing members very good luck for the coming season. In many ways, the season started back in February when the first team competed in the European Champions League, representing both the club and Scotland in such tremendous fashion. For the rest of us the fun begins now! There’s lots of new things to get excited about this year so let’s have a great season: full of runs, wickets, catches, milestones, stories, empire biscuits, firsts, lasts, wins, maybe the odd loss, but most of all lots of laughs and enjoyment! Good luck everyone! There is nothing more certain than that, after one of the mildest and sunniest Marches on record, the temperatures would plummet, and the rain would cascade as Carlton’s outdoor net sessions got underway. But folk legend suggests that summer weather is on its way. CARLTON CC Season 2022 Captains and Vice-captains Coaching Team 1s Tom Simpson (v/c Shujaa Khan) Women 1 Annette Aitken-Drummond (v/c Charis Scott) 2s Ben D’Ulisse (v/c Harry Simpson & Charles Stronach) Women 2 Sarah Beith (v/c Amelia Beattie) 3s Brad McKay (v/c Paul Kentish) 4s Al Murray (v/c Joe Griffin) 5s Keith Murray (v/c John Beattie & Euan Murray) Dev XI Bob Irvine Stevie Gilmour, Pete Steindl, Dewald Nel, Neville Madziva

Carlton is excited to preview the new 2022 playing shirt which will be worn in all First XI and Junior matches; and to welcome our shirt sponsors. All Carlton Playing and Leisure Kit is available from Bruntsfield Sports Online We are also delighted that CALA Homes have renewed their invaluable support for Junior Cricket at Carlton for another 3 years. They have been a fantastic supporter of Carlton’s junior cricketers since 2018 and we are grateful for their continuing commitment. The junior shirt will carry the CALA logo. The First Team Shirt will feature the PizzaGeeks’ logo. We are delighted to welcome this young local business as first team sponsor for the next 3 years. As a former player Fin Clarkson, the co-founder of PizzaGeeks, has strong links to Carlton. It will be a pleasure to work with Fin and his team. PizzaGeeks will be hosting a Friday Family pizza night at Grange Loan in June and another event on a Saturday night in July - look out for details of these exciting events! The next newsletter will feature more about PizzaGeeks and their excellent initiative Pizzas For People. Carlton Juniors First XI

Carlton thanks all its sponsors for their continuing support. GRANGE LOAN BEER GARDEN The tables and chairs are coming out of storage; the bar is being restocked; and the pies are being ordered. So it must be time to open up the world-famous Carlton Beer Garden. The first opening is Friday 6 May and then every Friday after that. SPONSOR A PLAYER Following its successful introduction last season, our Sponsor-a-Player scheme is running again this year. So, if you or your business would like to be involved, contact sponsorship@carltoncc.co.uk to make sure of your first choice of player. £100 per player - what a bargain !! Further information on all other sponsorship opportunities at Carlton can be found on the club website or through the email address above. CRICKET TEAS ARE BACK We are delighted that Leo’s Beanery (Howe Street, Edinburgh) will supply teas every Saturday at Grange Loan throughout the season. We have seen the selection of dishes and cakes and are sure everyone will be more than happy with what will appear on the table. MORE TO LOOK FORWARD TO

Exciting new developments for Season 2022 Live from Grange Loan! Carlton fans enjoyed last season’s Live Streams of the victories in the Men’s T20 and the Women’s Cup. The good news is that more is coming! Carlton is delighted to announce that matches at Grange Loan will be streamed through the FrogBox LiveStream system. This exciting development, encouraged by CricketScotland, will give Carlton supporters far and wide the opportunity to watch Carlton matches. The live streaming will be via a camera situated at the top of the ground and is powered by the electronic scoring app. There are enhanced functions available for graphics and capturing of highlights which we hope to develop the use of in due course. The broadcast will be via YouTube, so has the potential to reach large numbers of cricket supporters, which will open up greater sponsorship opportunities on club clothing, advertising boards at the ground inline with the camera position and potentially on the live screen itself. Anyone interested in finding out more about these opportunities should contact Kerry at sponsorship@carltoncc.co.uk for more information. We are sure all Carlton fans will enjoy this new development which will help them keep in touch with the club when they are not able to get along to watch the teams in person. Andy MacPherson

Exciting new developments for Season 2022 Carlton Cubs An introduction to cricket for 5 and 6 year old girls and boys Carlton Women 2nd XI ‘Over the past few years,’ says Sam Haggo, ‘Carlton women’s committee have had the dream of fielding a 2nd XI but felt we hadn’t quite had the consistent numbers to do this. However, the double victory last year has led us to reflect on the collective effort involved to get us there. We had women training week in, week out and driving the collective standards higher, but missing out on selection which was incredibly tough. So we are delighted to bring the dream to life and introduce our 2nd XI for the 2022 season.’ The new team will be skippered by Sarah Beith, who says: ‘I’m delighted and so excited to be asked to Captain the Women's 2nd Xl. Starting a 2nd Xl is another indicator of just how far the Women's Section at Carlton has come over such a short period . Participation is growing across all ages, so it’s never too early or too late to get involved in Cricket.’ Carlton Cubs will train at Grange Loan from 5:00 to 5:45pm on Friday evenings between 6 May and 24 June. The Cubs will be led by enthusiastic members of the coaching staff, all 1st and 2nd-team players, many of whom have been members of Carlton since they themselves were juniors. If you have younger children who are itching to follow their older siblings into cricket, this will be an ideal introduction. If you have any friends with 5-year old budding cricketers, please let them know. To sign up for Carlton Cubs, please contact Martin at juniormembers@carltoncc.co.uk Membership will be £40, which covers all the sessions. Cubs will receive a Carlton T-shirt plus a bat and ball. The Cubs age-range overlaps with our younger players. We want to give priority to new players, so it is unlikely that you can sign up for both full-season training and Cubs. If you would prefer to switch a younger child to Cubs, please contact Martin. Sarah’s appointment was warmly endorsed by a knowledgeable family member

It is 2 years since the first issue of this Newsletter appeared (above). It was planned as a temporary response, as the nation’s cricketers got to grips with the unhappy thought that there would be no early cricketing action that season. Initial optimism - the possible start of fixture on 6 June as mentioned above - proved to be a pipe dream as the lockdown carried on…and on. The Newsletter too has gone on and on! Many thanks to all those who have contributed over the 2 years. There are many more stories to tell as the club embarks on its 160th year. Suggestions for articles, any personal news, any questions on the club’s history or achievement or any other material or contributions would be most welcome. Newsletter@carltoncc.co.uk ENDURANCE Recent news of the discovery of the wreck of Sir Ernest Shackleton’s ill-fated ship in the Weddell Sea, where it sank crushed by ice in 1915, reminded many of Carlton’s link with that voyage. Robert Clark, ‘a beautiful bat, using his wrists to full advantage in making a panoply of classic strokes’ played for the club between 1911 and 25 an winning 4 Scottish caps. Clark served as biologist to Shackleton’s expedition, and was among those left on Elephant Island to await rescue as Shackleton and others set off in an open boat to cross the Southern Ocean to South Georgia, about 800 miles away. His full story can be found on the Club’s website Robert Clark: a True Carlton Hero.

Paul Smith Newsletter 10 told the tragic story of Alan L Smith, who in 1933, visited Grange Loan as the skipper of Stocksfield CC. Alan collapsed and died as the match reached its conclusion. Contemporary newspaper reports suggest that the intense heat at Grange Loan that day may have contributed to the tragedy. Alan’s grandson Paul Smith played 221 First Class matched for Warwickshire between 1982 and 1996 - a period of spectacular success in the county’s history. He scored over 8000 runs and took nearly 300 wickets. Above - Paul Smith with Skipper Dermot Reeve following Warwickshire’s victory in the 1994 Benson and Hedges Cup in which Paul was awarded Man of the Match. Below - Paul speaking at the Cricket Society. Paul was a recent guest at the Cricket Society of Scotland where he spoke about his career - among those he played alongside at Edgbaston were Bob Willis, Alan Donald,Brian Lara, Dermot Reeve and Gladstone Small, all under the masterful coaching of Bob Woolmer. After his professional career Paul moved to the US for some years where he played a big part in an initiative to use cricket to counter the gang culture in Los Angeles. Paul asked whether he could visit the ground where his grandfather died. Hugh Parker and Andy MacPherson were only too happy to oblige. @cricketsocscot

Alison Cowie A Celebration Alison’s life will be celebrated at Grange Loan on Saturday 21 May, 6.30pm on. Food will be available and the bar will be open. All who knew Alison are welcome. If you wish to remember this special lady who, among much else, made such a great contribution to Carlton, please let David know on this address: dmain@blueyonder.co.uk Earlier that afternoon there will be afternoon tea at Marchmont St Giles, 1a Kilgraston Road, Edinburgh, EH9 2DW (3pm to 6.30/7pm) with music and a chance to speak about Alison publicly. Similarly, please let David know if you wish to attend that event.

ALL ROUNDER Searching for the best all-rounder in Carlton’s history. This handsome trophy, which resides in the Grange Loan Trophy Cabinet is engraved: Presented by the Carlton Cricket Club to C. S. Paterson in appreciation of his record in season 1921 1000 runs & 100 wickets It is impossible to imagine Charles Strathearn Paterson’s 1921 season being repeated in modern times. Players play fewer matches (Paterson had 27 innings in 1921) and in different formats from those in the past. So was Paterson Carlton’s best ever all rounder? Paterson was a long time Carlton servant first appearing in 1904 (when he would have been 21). He captained the club in 1927, the year he won the last of his 11 Scottish caps when he led the side to victory in Ireland. NL Stevenson describes him as follows: ‘Paterson will be best remembered as a sound opening bat and for his splendid medium-paced bowling, particularly from 1920 onwards. In not a few of our matches he was ‘unplayable’. Paterson’s batting was always safe and correct, and he was one of those players who, once they are set never look like getting out.’ Paterson scored only 2 centuries for Carlton with a top score of 138* in 1921. He got another 100 wicket haul in 1923, his best bowling analysis was 6-2 in 1926 (a year in which he was best bowler). He was best bowler and batter in 1913 and best batter in 2 other seasons. Edinburgh-born he pursued a career in insurance and died in 1973.

Even though it was deemed at the time exceptional enough to be marked by the award of a trophy, Paterson’s double was not unique. It had been matched on two previous occasions in the club’s history by G. W. Jupp, in 1908 and 1910. George Jupp actually headed the batting averages in Paterson’s golden year of 1921. G. W. Jupp, was born in Somerset but came to Edinburgh in 1894 as a civil servant. Later he was to play for Somerset on a number of occasions. He was Carlton’s best batter in 11 seasons, and best bowler in 3, winning both in 1910 (711 runs; 67 wkts). In 1900 he scored over 1500 runs for the club. In all, Jupp scored 21 centuries for Carlton, with a top score of 202* in 1908 (both still club records). He represented Scotland on 11 occasions including 3 appearances against the Australians. He died in Longniddry in 1938. An obituary in the Scotsman describes him as one of the most popular cricketers who ever played in Scotland. Jupp’s career overlapped not only with Paterson’s, but with another contender for Carlton’s best ever all-rounder - T. R. (Tom) Crosskey. Like Jupp he was born south of the border, in Sussex, and came to Carlton as professional in 1930. He was the club’s best batter in 7 of the 8 years he was professional. He returned after WW2 as an amateur (changing his appearance in scorecards and press reports from Crosskey to T. R. Crosskey), during which he won the best bat award on a further 5 seasons and was also best bowler in 3 of those seasons (itself a club record). Crosskey was an all-rounder in another sense - he was also a professional footballer playing in goal for Hearts among others. In that capacity he organised a charity match between Carlton and Hearts in 1936. A second fixture was played 81 years later in 2017. Crosskey played for Scotland on 7 occasions including in 1948 against Australia in Aberdeen - Bradman’s last international appearance. Unfortunately Crosskey’s off field behaviour did not match his on field quality and he left Carlton in 1950 under a very dark cloud. He continued to play in Northumberland until 1957 and died in 1971 in Devon. Next month - a look at more recent all rounders. With thanks to Scottish Cricket Past Present and Future@ScottyCricket for additional research material. Jupp (left) and Crosskey. Right - press report of ‘Crosskey’s match’ - runout for 97 and 5 wkts in victory over Grange.

I found myself standing at the pavilion end, looking down the infamous Carlton as we were being corralled by Cheeky into something that resembled a football formation. Murray Whitaker was there. “Shouldn’t he be trying to steal an extra biscuit from one of Stevie Gilmour’s summer camps?” I asked myself. It was then that it struck me - I looked from side-to-side at my teammates for the morning’s warm up. Arun. Ali Evans. I was even in the same team as Omar. Realisation dawned. I was playing for the oldies side. Ask any retired cricketer and they’ll be able to tell you of the exact moment they realised it was time to call it a day. For me, having to endure Omar’s obstinate refusal to pass the ball in the warm-up was the straw that broke the camel’s back. I hung the gloves up, set fire to my inners out of respect for those that would use the changing room after me and, in true Carlton fashion, left my kit in the sibcas to be ransacked by the juniors and Rory McCann. I swapped Stoneywood Dyce Away for an ascent of Buachaille Etive Mor, and I’ve not looked back since. As I spent an increasing amount of time in the mountains of Scotland and became bored with just walking up them, I decided that taking up rock climbing would be a good idea. Despite what my mother thinks, it’s still not as dangerous as standing up to Cedric English on a green one. For the first time ever, my calendar was full of free weekends and I made the most of them by searching for adventure in the Scottish mountains or further afield. As those who have watched me bat will attest, I have a short attention span. Consequently, after teaching PE for eight years, I decided to swap Boroughmuir for Borneo and my wife and I accepted teaching positions at Jerudong International School in Brunei. Most people have only heard of Brunei as the answer to a Fantasy Bob quiz question but it’s one of the few places in the world that has relatively untouched primary rainforest. We flew straight into a lockdown here, after boasting to anyone who would listen that Brunei had been covid-free for the last twelve months, but restrictions are now easing and we’ve spent a lot of time in the jungle looking for waterfalls and wildlife. The monsoon period is also close to ending which heralds the start of the scuba diving season. Despite being kicked out of the ICC, cricket in Brunei is very popular amongst the expat population with a thirty-over league running regularly. I’ll have to get over my disdain for artificial decks but I fully intend to get the reverse sweep out of the locker when the opportunity arises! Wherever I am in the world, I’ll never be too far away from Carlton. I still follow all of the matches and enjoy seeing photos of McCann and Arun using my bats, Tom using my keeping gloves and, judging from the smile on his face, Cheeky wearing my box. I’m very fortunate to have left Carlton with amazing memories of sporting success but it’s the people of Carlton that stick with me the most; Andy Macpherson’s words of wisdom, Alasdair’s gruff yet affectionate welcome as I walked through the gate and the disappointment of my father as I ran myself out. Again. I hope there are lots of juniors out there who will go on to enjoy their time at the club as much as I did. And hopefully with a better average at the end of it! Fraser Boyd 104 dismissals in 75 First XI matches, the best victim ratio of Carlton’s keepers. Fraser recounts life after his years behind the stumps at Carlton

Jean Calder Carlton is very sorry to note the recent passing of Jean Calder at the age of 92. Jean’s first experience of Grange Loan was playing hockey for George Watson’s Ladies College. There was a hockey pitch on the east side of the ground which was used by St Hilary’s School until it merged with St Margarets in 1983. Jean was subsequently capped 25 times for Scotland as a member of the Watsonians Club. For many years Jean was a dog-walking member at Grange Loan. She was great supporter and regular donor to the club. A full obituary can be found on the this link. The first ever ESCA Women's Cricket Festival is happening at Inch Park on Sunday 24th April! Carlton will be represented by Diane, Amy, Amelia, Sarah and Ajitha For full details on how to get involved see this link.

While the seniors have hidden themselves way through the depths of winter dreaming of the summer months, Carlton's juniors have been enjoying an intense programme of indoor action. Teams across all ages - U10, 12 and 14 involving nearly 50 boys and girls - took part in multi-team events throughout Edinburgh and its surrounds. There have been many close run matches, many solid victories and a few disappointments. But lots of fun and lots of great cricketing skills on display. Many thanks to all who took part and to all those who provided transport, hydration and encouragement and to the coaching team including Anish Amin, Euan Sweet, Joe Griffin, Euan Murray, Richard Charman, Rahul Khadse, Doug Vick. All masterminded by Charles Stronach. Carlton u14s with opponents from Livingston and Linlithgow during a tense 3-way tussle in Bathgate in March. By careful scoring the result was declared a 3 way draw, but everyone really won! CARLTON JUNIORS EXCEL INDOORS More Fixture News Carlton Women 1st XI get the defence of their League title underway with a home match against West Of Scotland on Sunday 22 May. Carlton will play Greenock CC at Grange Loan on Sunday 15 May in the First Round of the Scottish Cup. The winner has a home tie against either Poloc or Heriots on 5 June. Carlton’s defence of the u16 Scottish Cup begins away against Stew-Mel or Watsonians (date tbc in June). Defence of the u13 Vitality Cup starts with an away tie against MDAFS (date tbc) in May. Carlton play Grange at GL in the first round of the u15 Vitality Cup, and Gala at home in the first round of the u14 Scottish Cup. (Dates tbc) Keep in touch with Carlton’s season through Pitchero, the club website and Twitter. Photo Livingston CC