Issue 74

1st XI Batting CHRIS MCBRIDE 1st XI Bowling LEWIS O’DONNELL 1st XI Fielding ARUN PILLAI Women’s 1st XI Batting ABBI AITKEN-DRUMMOND Women’s 1st XI Bowling CHARIS SCOTT Women’s 1st XI Fielding CHARIS SCOTT 2nd XI Batting BEN THURMAN 2nd XI Bowling CHARLES STRONACH 2nd XI Fielding JAMES STRONACH Women’s 2nd XI Batting SARAH BEITH Women’s 2nd XI Bowling AGNES FOLEY Women’s 2nd XI Fielding AMELIA BEATTIE Most Improved Woman Player - DIANE BLOOD 3rd XI Batting SHREYAS TEKALE 3rd XI Bowling BRAD MCKAY 3rd XI Fielding HECTOR MURRAY 4th XI Batting CHRIS SALE 4th XI Bowling AADI KHADSE 4th XI Fielding ALAN MURRAY 5th XI Batting KEITH MURRAY 5th XI Bowling ALAN ANSELL 5th XI Fielding BENJI RISI Wicket Keeping Trophy TOM DWECK Club Fielder of the Year ARUN PILLAI Six Hitting Trophy CHRIS MCBRIDE Best Individual Performance CHRIS MCBRIDE Best Introduction to Senior Cricket TOM SWEET Young Player of the Year RORY LEDINGHAM Men Players’ Player of the Year LEWIS O’DONNELL Women Players’ Player of the Year SAM HAGGO Jappy Trophy MARTIN FIRTH TROPHY WINNERS 2024

JAPPY TROPHY 2024 MARTIN FIRTH The Jappy Trophy is Carlton’s highest accolade. It is named after Jimmy Jappy who, over a 33 year association with Carlton up to his death in 1980, worked tirelessly on the club's behalf. He served many years on Council, including 5 years as President, and performed just about every essential task around Grange Loan. Since 1981 the Jappy Trophy has been awarded to the person deemed to have made an outstanding contribution to the running of Carlton. A person can only be awarded it once. The full roll of honour can be seen on the club website. Martin’s involvement with Carlton began when he brought his son Dougie to the Wednesday junior sessions. It is unlikely that when he first offered to help with a small bit of admin for KwikCricket, he thought that his contribution to the club would become so significant. He rapidly became, and remains, an integral part of the club. As a member of the Junior Committee he undertook a variety of roles, including junior membership secretary. As a key member of the Management Committee, where amongst other things he has implemented and assisted the implementation of Pitchero throughout the club. He has ensured the system works seamlessly for everyone and the club has benefitted hugely from the work that Martin has done to bed the system in. Despite Dougie long having graduated from Kwik Cricket, Martin continues to support junior events - indeed he set the template for the KwikCricket Festivals. As if that was not enough, he has established another highlight of the junior calendar in the form of the hugely enjoyed Carlton Junior Sixes. Martin has also taken on an important role with ESCA where he has been instrumental in organizing the extensive junior game schedule, (benefitting Carlton enormously by limiting the number of away games and reducing the number of times that we have had to hire the Inch!) He has also managed to make Carlton a full family affair by encouraging Mary to be the Club CWPO in recent years so I think it is fair to say that the Club has actually benefited hugely from the whole Firth family. But Martin can also be a real "pitch-hero". He makes occasional appearances for both the 5th team and the Over 50s where he has contributed to a number of match-winning performances. “A recent cricketing highlight for avid followers of 5th XI cricket was a defiant match-high stand of 27 with Robbie Murray in the rain on a typically placid Meadows surface - Martin’s 18 on that pitch was worth a half century anywhere else.” Martin’s extraordinary commitment and contribution to Carlton CC are deeply appreciated by all. He is a worthy winner of the Jappy Trophy.

Sam Haggo - Women’s Player of the Year Below L to R Hector Murray (3rd XI Fielder); Benji Risi (5th XI Fielder); Diane blood (Most Improved) Shreyas Tekale (3rd XI Batter); Ben Thurman 2nd XI Batter; Aadi Khadse (4th XI Bowler )

In 65 first team matches for Carlton between 1986 and 1989, Bob Marsden scored 1797 runs at a average of 34.56. He scored one century - 130* in the 1988 cup tie against Northern Counties CC. He averaged 24.57 in the Masterton with a top score of 78. He was Best Bat in 1987, 88 and 89. Bob is now based in Buxton in Derbyshire where he still plays. He is currently Chair of Buxton CC and played last season for the Derbyshire over 60s select. Bob shares some of his memories of happy years at Grange Loan. Bob Marsden I have so many happy memories of Carlton and it holds a very special place in my cricket affections. My introduction to the club was through the Authentics, Oxford University’s second team, who for many years had an end of term tour of Scotland. In 1979 this amazingly involved fourteen fixtures, lengthened by the Tics representing Oxford in the British Universities competition, organised by Carlton’s John Hiley. A two week tour shows a different era with no student debt, long holidays and cheap petrol! Apart from Edinburgh clubs and schools we played Greenock, Stenhousemuir, Clackmannan and Cupar. My Oxford contemporaries only recently were remembering a very late night at the Tryst. Older Carlton members will perhaps find it hard to believe that Morrison Zuill could be such a good host! The highlight of the tour was the game at Grange Loan, sponsored and hosted by Mrs Masterton, a very special day for the Tics and the club. It was always a very competitive game with a magnificent, long lunch with speeches and celebrations long into the night. This was my first encounter with the never to be forgotten Alun Davies and George Innes!

In 1985 I moved north to teach History at Loretto School. Most Tics arriving in Edinburgh head to Grange. But I’ve always loved walled town grounds and to step through the gate at Grange Loan was always a thrill, a wonderful ground with its unique slope and lovely views of Arthur’s Seat. In addition Carlton did not have a professional in those days and I admired that commitment. Most importantly, it was a friendly and welcoming club with great characters who loved the game and had high standards. The East League was tough and competitive with lots of local derbies and some strong professionals. I remember a game at Kirkcaldy when the West Indian Test player Gus Logie beat us singlehanded! In addition there were memorable Scottish cup matches away at Kelso, Clydesdale, Aberdeen and Broughty Ferry. English cricketers find it hard to believe that one of the bounciest and quickest wickets I have ever played on was at Brechin! For many years Carlton had been the bridesmaid in the East League, never having won the title but having got close many times. In 1988 under the calm, experienced captaincy of Hugh Parker, a well balanced side achieved great success. Reading about that year’s Masterton Cup final victory v Heriots in the recent Arrow I remembered that I took visiting friends to play golf at Gullane during the day. It was not the best preparation for an evening cup final. By 6pm I had sun stroke, a terrible migraine and was very tired. My performance reflected that. But good bowling and a smart run out by Andy Macpherson (but why did he bowl so many no balls?) and then hard hitting by the incomparable David Ponniah saw us to victory. In the league we arrived at the last match needing victory over Kirkcaldy to win the title. I redeemed myself with 58 runs, only to be brilliantly caught by Indian Test player Raman at point. Thankfully the wily George Innes slipped one past Raman’s defences and the soon to be a professional Jimmy Govan proved too good and the title was ours. Another great night followed! (Photo below).

It was at Grange Loan that I learnt groundsmanship. All players were in grounds teams and had to help prepare the wicket. I was more than happy to sit on the roller for half an hour rather than bowl in the nets! And the phrase “Cut, Water, Roll” has stayed with me at Buxton as I prepare wickets. In 1995 I returned to Edinburgh as Chaplain at Fettes College. Running the cricket meant few opportunities at Grange Loan and Scottish cricket was changing with the introduction of the national league, more travelling, earlier start times and long warm ups! In 1999 I moved to Buxton in Derbyshire. From a distance it has been great to see Carlton grow and flourish with more senior XIs, juniors, girls and women. I have regularly bumped into Richard Swan at Lord’s test matches. What a great batter and captain he was and talking cricket with him is always interesting. Then it was a delight to meet Ali Evans, who played with my son Johnny in the Derbyshire 2nd XI for a couple of seasons. In 1999 at the age of 40, I thought I had retired from club cricket. But Buxton were short of players and inevitably I started playing again. (Photo right) We are famous (or perhaps infamous) for being the ground where snow stopped play on 2 June 1975 in the game between Derbyshire and Lancashire. Our magnificent ground, the Park, is at 1000 feet! I have been Chairman for the last eight years. It has been a privilege and a lot of hard work to see Buxton grow in much the same way that Carlton has. We now have five Women’s teams, thriving juniors and in 2025 we plan to start a 5th Saturday Men’s team. Long may Carlton thrive and prosper, it’s a very special club! (And Andy, yes, I still have your Deacon Blue tape which you left in my car … I became a fan but as music systems have moved on you won’t be wanting it back.)

While the Oxford University Authentics had toured Scotland for many years since the 1890s, with regular fixtures against Grange, Cupar and Perthshire amongst others, they did not visit Grange Loan until 1968. Fixtures were then annual until 1989 - at first 2 day, 4 innings matches reverting after 1974 to one day formats. The two day match in 1969 was notable for the contribution of one D J S Currie. Currie was a dual member of Carlton and Heriots. In The Authentics first innings he took 3-61 in 23 overs. In the Carlton innings, and with the consent of the visitors, he retired on 5 - whereupon he took himself off to Goldenacre and scored 37*for Heriot’s against Trinity Acads. He returned to Grange Loan the next day to complete his innings - finishing 7*. In the evening he assisted Heriot’s win the final of the Masterton against Stenhousemuir. There is no mention of Currie in Carlton player stats, which suggests his primary allegiance was to Heriot’s. From the Carlton point of view the early fixtures with the ‘Tics were dominated by all-rounder Chris Smith who scored 104 in the 1969 fixture and topped 50 in each of the next 3 years. Smith is the only Carlton player to score 100 in the fixture, although John Hiley scored 93* in 1973. In 1972 he took 5-41 - the only Carlton 5-fer in the fixture. In 1988, while internationalist Jim Govan took 4-52, Alasdair McLeod performed his magic at the other end to return 3-40. Bob Marsden’s first outing at Grange Loan was in 1980 when, opening the batting, he scored 30 before being bowled by Alun Davies. The match was drawn. The following year in another draw he scored 38, dismissed again by Davies, this time caught behind by R Young. His final visit in 1982 was less successful - he was caught behind by Brian Forrester off the first ball of the match. A duck was a rare occurrence for Bob - in 67 League Cup and T20 innings for Carlton he failed to get off the mark on only 3 occasions. As a Carlton player Bob faced the Authentics twice - in the 1988 match referred to above, he skippered Carlton to victory scoring 32 before being run out. In 1989, in what turned out to be the Authentics’ final visit, he scored 49 in a drawn encounter. CARLTON V OXFORD UNIVERSITY AUTHENTICS

A partridge in a pear tree Dearest True Love, How lovely - what a wonderful gift. I will plant the pear tree by the cricket club pavilion and in years to come while waiting to bat, I will sit in its cool shade and be reminded of you. I am talking to our doughty groundsman about the possible uses of the partridge as part of our environmentally sustainable approach to ground management. Nothing has come up yet, but it’s early days. Love you always FB 2 Turtle Doves Dearest True Love, Thankyou so much for the lovely birds. Maybe you misheard my voicemail – I’m sure I said Gray Nicoll gloves. But these little birds are very sweet and last season’s gloves will do another year. I am talking with our doughty groundsman to see if there is room for the doves in the mower shed alongside the partridge. Love you always FB 3 French Hens Dearest True Love, This is a very special present and as always I am touched by your thoughtfulness. The French are not noted for their interest in cricket, but I am sure that these birds will prove the exception. I am having to buy large drinks for our doughty groundsman but am confident that he will eventually find a place for the hens in the mower shed. But we are getting tight for space in there, so if you could take this into account I would love you all the more. Thinking of you tonight FB THE TWELVE DAYS OF CRICKMAS Many Christmas tides ago Fantasy Bob’s true love showered him with gifts in a sterling attempt to distract him from his cricketing obsessions. Although her generosity presented him some practical problems, FB was ever polite and punctilious in thanking her. Here are his thankyou letters.

7 Maids A Milking You are joking aren’t you? I am very grateful that you seem to have given up the birds, and I know I kept saying last year how the skipper never remembered to bring the milk for the tea, but don’t you think this is a bit of an over-correction? Our doughty groundsman is finding things increasingly difficult and one of the geese has already perished under the heavy roller. Please answer the phone when I ring FB 8 Swans A Swimming For Goodness Sake! What the **** is it with you and birds? Our doughty groundsman is now well in the huff since he thinks this is some kind of comment on his inability to drain the area down at fine leg following the rain last June. Please be a little more considerate. FB 9 Ladies Dancing You can’t be serious! Alright, it was very clever of you to remember the cheerleaders from when we watched the T20 together, but East League games don’t quite run to gyrating popsies yet. We are getting a bit cramped but our doughty groundsman has a smile on his face and has suddenly found room for them in his mower shed. But I don’t know where all the birds are going to go. He says that’s my ******* problem. FB 4 Calling Birds Dearest True Love Please don’t think that I don’t appreciate these little charmers, but I wonder if you could have a rethink on the birds theme. Our doughty groundsman has told me that the French hens have eaten all his grass seed, and the turtle doves have crapped in his kettle and the partridge tries to mate with the scarifier. Our doughty groundsman is developing an allergy to feathers. He is greatly concerned that another four birds in the mower shed could make things unmanageable. Thanks FB 5 Gold Rings Dearest True Love Now that’s more like it. Thanks so much for not being offended by yesterday’s not so subtle hint. Love and more FB 6 Geese A Laying Now listen, Back on the birds! I know I told you that egg mayonnaise was the team’s favourite sandwich at tea but this number of eggs might just be a bit too many. We need to talk. I will ring you tonight. FB

10 Lords A Leaping Listen cloth ears, I said Tickets for Lords would get me jumping. I see no use for these old bufties in the club. Our doughty groundsman tried to get them to pull the light roller but they just kept hopping about in their ermine gowns. Completely useless. FB 11 Pipers Piping Dear Ms True Love, I am instructed by our client Mr Fantasy Bob to advise you that his cricket club has now received notice from the Council listing at length the neighbours’ complaints about the incessant bagpiping coming from the ground. Our client says that 11 pipers piping goes beyond his initial request to you for a nice bit of quiet Scottish music to put on his iPod. The neighbours say that the piping might not be so bad but when it is combined with the noise of what appears to be a menagerie located somewhere near the mower shed they lose the will to live. The neighbours are also objecting to the application for the 9 Ladies lap dancing licence. Closure of the club is a distinct possibility. Our client is at present visiting the doughty groundsman in his place of temporary refuge in the City’s mental hospital. I must ask you to refrain from additional gifts until further notice. Yours faithfully I L Suem, WS 12 Drummos Drummo-ing My dearest, dearest True Love, The best present the cricket club could ever have. How did you guess – it is just what we always wanted. Miss you. Love you more than ever, please come back to me, FB Drummo Gordon Drummond 106 matches for Carlton 2067 runs @ 30.85, 3 centuries, HS 168 118 wkts @19.96 24 T20 matches 623 runs @ 47.92 (Carlton’s all time highest T20 average) HS 78* 20 wkts @18.45 This piece of nonsense first appeared in Fantasy Bob’s blog at Christmas 2010. It is reproduced here by popular request (well one person asked about it)

The Grandest Christmas Tree in Europe Can now be Seen Free of Charge This advertisement from the Scotsman of 25 December 1863, the year of Carlton’s founding, shows the seasonal delights that the initial members of the club could have enjoyed. It reads: Every Lady and Gentleman Boy and Girl should VISIT THE GRAND CHRISTMAS TREE which is the Greatest, Most Splendid and Interesting Sight in the City. ROYALTY IN OUR MIDST, and our Far Famed Modern Athens teeming with RANK, WEALTH, BEAUTY, and FASHION, it has behoved THOMAS STEVENSON to Prepare and Finish, on the most Gigantic and Elaborate Scale, the Grandest, Most Gorgeous and Magnificent CHRISTMAS TREE which has ever been exhibited in Christendom. EVERY CAPITAL of NOTE in Europe has been Explored for Decided Novelties that are both Rich and Rare and these have been secured; FOREIGN and BRITISH ARTISTES of the Greatest Eminence and most Consummate Skill have been Engaged Regardless of Expense, and the result is the Production of a Right ROYAL CHRISTMAS TREE Worthy of Royalty, Worthy of the City which has given it birth, and Worthy of the Fame of the House in which it stands. GREAT WAS THE SENSATION created last year, and unanimous in the Newspaper Press and the public in proclaiming ‘THE KING OF CHRISTMAS TREES’ unrivalled, still, by an extraordinary effort, and by dint of the most recent scientific appliances, it has been completely eclipsed by ‘THE TREE’ of 1863. Something of a successor to Stevenson’s Grandest Christmas Tree might have been found at Jenners whose splendid tree dominated its central atrium each year until the store closed in 2020. Nevertheless there are still some impressive trees around - for example in the Dome. https://andycatlin.myportfolio.com/chri stmas-trees-of-edinburgh-1 This wonder of the modern age was on view at Thomas Stevenson’s Foreign and British Bazaar, 76-77 Princes Street (Corner of Hanover Street.) Why is this worthy of mention in The Arrow? Several years after the exhibition of this phenomenon, in November 1875, Thomas Stevenson became a proud father for the second time. His new born son was christened Norman Lang Stevenson and would in the course of his long life do so much to ensure Carlton’s place at the heart of Scottish cricket.

WHO ARE HIDING BEHIND THE CHRISTMAS TREES? TAKE THE INITIAL OF THEIR CHRISTIAN NAME AND RE-ORDER TO FIND A FAMILIAR SEASONAL PHRASE

Many at Carlton refuse to believe that Fantasy Bob was ever young. But here is a picture which confounds their scepticism. It is of young FB - he is the one at the front, by the way - at an important meeting in his early childhood. You might wonder why there is not a look of enchanted and excited wonder on the young FB's features. For he had entered Santa's Grotto in one of Aberdeen's more prestigious stores with an appropriate level of excitement and had sat on Santa's knee with that excitement still high. 'Have you been a good boy all year,' Santa asked. 'Yes Santa.' FB answered with his usual complete honesty. 'And do you know what you want from Santa?' 'Yes. A Gray Nicolls Scoop.' ''Dinna be daft, loon - it hisnae been invinted yet fitiver it is.' Santa's accent slipped nearer the Aberdonian belying his claim to be from the frozen north. 'Ye funcy ony thin’ else?' ‘A guide to how to play leg spin bowling.....' said FB on the verge of tears. 'Nae chance - it'd be wasted on you onywye. Hae a couple o' tin sodjers playing bagpipes...an' mak sure an' smile for the phottie.' Does the look on FB' face signify a dream broken - an illusion shattered? For even at that young age the threat of leg spin bowling hung heavy over him. His scepticism about the truth of Santa's existence may have begun on that day. These deepened shortly afterwards when an older child told him 'Santa - he's really your Dad.' FB looked wide eyed at this world shattering revelation. He should have been proud, of course, but he could not understand how his Dad could deliver presents to all the children in the world. He only had an Austin 7. ONE CHRISTMAS LONG LONG AGO

If you hold a cricket ball in one hand and a cricket ball in your other hand, what will you have? A very angry cricket! Woman: Have you seen the dog bowl? Man: I didn’t even know he played cricket! Why did the scarecrow become a cricketer? Because he was outstanding in the field! What did the conductor say to the bus full of cricketers? Wickets, please! Why is the retired cricket umpire so lazy? He just doesn’t lift a finger any more! I kept wondering why the cricket ball kept getting bigger and bigger… …and then it hit me! What do a groundsman and a car salesman have in common? They both make a good pitch. A boy throws 6 cricket balls at his girlfriend. Girl: What was that? Boy: It’s over. Why is Cinderella such a good batter? Because she knows when to leave the ball! Why are bad fielders so healthy? Because they never catch anything! YOUR FAVOURITE CRICKET CRACKER JOKES

Statistics suggest that fewer babies are born on Christmas Day than any other day in the year. Carlton’s population bears this out - as far as can be discerned, there is no present Carlton player whose birthday is on Christmas Day - there is a solitary junior member who came into the world on Boxing Day but that is as near as we get. However despite this fact, and although no player capped by Scotland has a Christmas birthday, a number of prominent cricketers were born on Christmas Day itself - or the adjacent days. As you will see from the following pages, these cricketing Christmas babies form a pretty handy team. Strangely enough as far as cricketing goes, New Years Day is a significantly less favourable day to be born if you aspire to be a cricketer and the Hogmany XI failed to raise a team. A Musical Christmas Who are the musicians below born on Christmas Day?

Alastair Cook (25-12-1984) - 161 Tests, 12,472 runs @ 45.35. Until overtaken recently by non-Christmas Baby Joe Root, England's record run scorer and century maker. Marcus Trescothick (25-12-1975) - 76 Tests, 5825 runs @ 43.79. A tragic victim of mental illness which cut short his Test career. Now happily part of the England coaching set-up. Simon Jones (25-12-1978) - only 18 Tests, 59 wickets @ 28.23, as a series of injuries prevented him becoming one of the greats. Made an unforgettable contribution to the 2005 Ashes triumph with his mastery of reverse swing. Hedley Howarth (25-12-1943) - 30 Tests, 86 wickets @ 36.95, New Zealand's leading slow bowler of the time was often used in long spells to stem the flow of runs. At Lord's in 1973, he sent down 70 overs in the second innings, finishing with 4 for 144. Clarrie Grimmet (25-12-1891) - 37 Tests, 216 wickets @ 24.21, didn't play Test cricket till he was 33, but went on to become the first bowler to take 200 Test wickets. His leg spin partnership with Bill O'Reilly is reckoned among the greatest bowling partnerships of all time. Colin Cowdrey (24-12-1932) - 114 Tests, 7624 runs @ 44.06, everyone knows how he came out to face the W Indies quickies with his arm in plaster. The first player to appear in 100 Tests, which he marked with a century against Australia at Edgbaston in 1968. Cowdrey marked his 30th birthday by scoring 307 for MCC against S Australia. THE CHRISTMAS BABY XI Rohan Kanhai (26-12-1935) - 79 Tests, 6227 runs @ 47.53, honorary Aberdonian the West Indian great made 55 in his first one-day international and the same score in his last, at the age of 39, when he helped to win the first ever World Cup final, at Lord's in 1975. Geoff Allott (24-12-1971) - 10 Tests, 19 wickets @ 58.47, New Zealand seamer who once batted for 101 minutes without scoring - the longest duck in Test history which helped New Zealand to a draw against South Africa at Auckland in 1998-99. Barry Wood (26-12-1942) 12 Tests, 454 runs @ 21.61. He played his 12 Tests spread over seven seasons, making 90 on debut against Australia in 1972, but he never played more than three in a row. A gutsy opener he delivered consistently for Lancashire for whom he scored over 17,000 runs. Matthew Wade (26-12-1987) 12 Tests, 623 runs @ 34.61, 36 dismissals. At 16, he was diagnosed with testicular cancer requiring two cycles of chemotherapy to defeat the illness. His big break arrived when Brad Haddin was forced to miss the 2012 Test series in the West Indies due to personal reasons and Wade grabbed the chance with a 106 in the third Test. An ankle injury cost him his Test spot in India a year later and a run of poor form meant he was axed from the one-day side too. Mark Lathwell (26-12-1971) - 2 Tests, 78 runs. Potential unfulfilled - at the end of 1993 he was named the Cricket Writers' Young Player Of The Year. Hyped as England's great batting hope he played 2 Tests against Australia in 1993 and failed through nerves. His form collapsed and he drifted out of the game before he was 30. A Christmas Scorer? The team need a scorer - Carlton’s own Ken Nisbet does not qualify, for he is a March baby. Failing him there can be no one better to count the balls and runs than Isaac Newton whose laws of motion explain much that happens in cricket, even though he probably had no direct experience of the game. He was born on Christmas Day 1642.

A CHRISTMAS BABY XI The Christmas Baby XI - from left to right, top to bottom Hedley Howarth, Matthew Wade, Barry Wood, Alastair Cook, Colin Copwdrey,Mark Trescothick, Rohan Khanhai, Chris Allot, Mark Lathwell, Simon Jones, Clarrie Grimmet

Raise money for Carlton through EASYFUNDRAISING website or app Many Congratulations to Gabriella Fontenla and Maisie Maceira on their selection for Scotland in the forthcoming Women’s u19 World Cup in Malaysia. They open their campaign against Australia on 18 January. And to the following young Carlton cricketers who have been invited to join the Eastern Knights Winter Training Squads U15 Sonia Amin, Keira Ansell, Abby Caton, Agnes Foley, Elsie Fraser, Amy Yang U18 Zoe Campbell, Gabriella Fontenla, Libby Wallace U15 Lewis Broster, Hamish Foley, Tom Hathorn, Atreya Subr U17 Hector Murray, Oli Stones, James Stronach, Shreyas Tekale And to Abbi, Maisie and Charis who are part of the Scotland Squad competing in the Women’s European Cricket Championship in Spain from 15-19 December.

Best wishes to former Carlton player/coach Toby Bailey who has recently left his position as Performance Director at Cricket Scotland in search of fresh challenges. Carlton brought Toby to Scotland in the 2012 season and he took up his position with Cricket Scotland the following year. During his season at Grange Loan, Toby was part of Carlton’s Murgitroyd National T20 winning squad. GOOD LUCK TOBY!

CARLTON CC ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 7.00 PM FRIDAY 7 FEBRUARY 2025 GRANGE LOAN Your chance to hear about further plans for the Club and to vote in the election of office bearers, including a successor to Kerry Simpson as President. WHY NOT USE GRANGE LOAN FOR YOUR PARTY, CORPORATE EVENT OR SPECIAL OCCASION? Contact Kerry_david_simpson@hotmail.com)

First Team Shirt Sponsor First Team Sleeve Sponsors Cala Homes Umair Mohammed Cosmetic & Sports Dentist Junior Cricket Shirt Sponsor Junior Shirt Sleeve Sponsor PizzaGeeks Women’s Shirt Sponsor Player Sponsors The Free Company, The Opticians in Marchmont, Ardnamurchan Distillery, Mitchell Glass, Wright Johnson and Mackenzie LLP, McBride Farms, Haldi, BodySmart, Board Sponsors Chambers Tutoring, Littlejohns, Womens and Mens 10K, Wright Johnson and Mackenzie LLP Match Sponsors Archie Gray, Angus & Ann Mair, Paul Bailey Carlton could not have achieved its successes without the support of its sponsors. Thank you for helping us to realise our ambitions. Interested in a sponsorship package? Please contact sponsorship@carltoncc.co.uk