Issue 77

Wedding of the Year Back Story Sam and Ali had become a couple before Sam arrived at Carlton in 2016 - indeed Sam came to Carlton in order to join Ali (whose Carlton career had started many years before while he was still at school). As Sam tells it, they had first met in 2015 when Ali was in the Scotland World Cup Squad. As part of the promotion of the event, the ICC toured the trophy round the participating countries. On its visit to Scotland, CricketScotland arranged a photoshoot at Stirling to which they invited members of Scotland’s women’s squad. ‘I don’t know why,’ says Sam, ‘we never got in any of the photos.’ As the drizzle inevitably began, everyone took shelter in the clubhouse where Sam and Ali got talking and then got playing darts. They soon discovered that Ali would shortly be in Christchurch to begin preparations for the World Cup - and that Sam was about to go to Christchurch herself for a 6 month spell including playing for Canterbury Women. They hitched up in NZ and have never looked back. Who won the initial darts match is a closely guarded secret. Some Familiar Carlton Faces at the Wedding of the Year

Carlton Weddings Ali and Sam’s wedding is the latest in a small series of Carlton betrothals. An earlier Carlton wedding might be implied in the Scotsman notice of 24 December 1917 announcing the marriage of Dr J E Philips, and Miss Elspeth Currie, second daughter of James Currie. Currie was a significant Carlton name of the period, and indeed a James Currie went on to be President between 1945-57, but he cannot have been the father-of-the-bride here since he would have been only 31 at the time. The cricket season would have been irrelevant to the choice of date at Christmas-tide since cricket had been suspended during the war. The Scotsman of 27 April 1929 reported the marriage of Roy Gourlay, then a Carlton player, and eventually President of the club between 1958-68, to Dorothy Inez Stevenson, eldest daughter of NL Stevenson. It is hard to think that this was not a relationship forged on the Carlton boundary or in the tea room at GL. The date coincided with Carlton’s first match of the season - Stevenson was not skipper that year, otherwise an alternative date out of season might well have been mandated! Not that Carlton missed either Gourlay or Stevenson in the match. They beat Brunswick easily - scoring 199-2, with the Rev Harry Heath (not pressed into ecclesiastical duty for the nuptials) just missing out on a century being dismissed lbw for 93. Even without Stevenson to lead the attack, Carlton’s bowlers made short work of their opponents, dismissing Brunswick for 63 - with the slow bowler Stuart Cruikshank taking 6 wickets. NL Stevenson had 5 other daughters - as far as can be established none of them followed the example of their eldest sister and wed a Carlton name. Left - Gourlay in 1924; right - Phillips in 1920. No picture of Miss Stevenson or Miss Currie could be found.

There is more certainty that the marriage at Duddingston Kirk on 21 March 1984 was a Carlton wedding. On that date Lynne Davies walked down the aisle on the arm of her father Alun Davies. Waiting at the altar was Brian Forrester. Alun was Carlton vice captain that year and, presumably, played a role in ensuring the event took place out of season. Brian had come to the club in 1981 and he and Lynne got together when Lynne acted as scorer to Carlton’s 2nd XI, recording Brian’s many doughty knocks in her impeccably neat handwriting. She went on the score for the First XI and Scotland for many years before passing the scorebook to Ken Nisbet in 2015. On 3 June 2019 at Crail, Abbi Aitken and Annette Drummond became the Aitken-Drummonds. Having learned her cricket at Meigle, Annette first appeared for Carlton in 2014, and Abbi arrived the year after. They had met as members of the Scotland Women’s Squad and when Abbi finished at Robert Gordon Uni and came to Edinburgh, Annette made sure she had no other thought than to join her at Carlton. Timing of the wedding in the middle of the season deprived Carlton of their services for a number of matches. Carlton Weddings

Played over over 100 senior matches for Carlton? You can join Carlton Legends. Complimentary drink when watching cricket at Grange Loan, tailored news and updates throughout the season and recognition on the website and in the clubhouse and discounts on Square Cut Supper Clubs. This package is available for £100. For further information please contact president@carltoncricket.co.uk ALL CARLTON KIT IS NOW AVAILABLE DIRECT FROM GRAY NICOLLS Looking to take care of your health by boosting your strength and fitness, to transform your body shape and improve cricket performances? Inside Out could be your solution. Parents of junior cricketers are welcome too. Go to www.insideout-pt.co.uk for more info or email Coach Marc to book a free taster session: support@insideout-pt.co.uk.

PAVILIONED IN SPLENDOUR On 24 April 2005, the Masterton Pavilion at Grange Loan was opened with great fanfare and flourish. It was nearly 100 years to the day that the first pavilion had been opened on the ground in May 1905. It is the third pavilion building at the ground. A Long Hard Road The opening was the end of a long and difficult process which had taken over 6 years to complete. Hugh Parker, Carlton President throughout these anxious years and the driving force for the project, could breathe a sigh of relief as Tom Anderson, President of CricketScotland, cut the ribbon and formally declared the premises open. When planning for a much needed new pavilion began at the end of the 1990s, ambitions were high. An impressive two storey structure was contemplated with a viewing balcony facing the pitch and providing commodious accommodation - see architect’s drawing over. There were visions of this becoming a community hub, with additional facilities including a physiotherapist’s studio and meeting rooms. However this vision could not be fully realised.

PAVILIONED IN SPLENDOUR Funding Trauma -Plan A Abandoned In 2001, with planning permission finally secured and the development moving towards becoming a reality, unfavourable cost movements pushed the costs over £450,000 which proved to be beyond the bounds of affordability. While a lottery grant of £138,000 had been secured, it was significantly less than had been sought and, despite a widespread appeal for support, the funding gap could not be closed. The lottery deadline lapsed, the grant had to be returned and the project was abandoned. Funding Secured - Just! She had died in 1989 following many years of generous support for the club, and for cricket more widely in the East of Scotland. See Newsletter 23 for more about her remarkable support. The club also secured a grant from ENTRUST, a Landfill Tax grant from Viridor and benefited significantly from the generosity of members and neighbours. Even then it was a tight squeeze, and Committee members had to finance the payment of the final builders’ bills. This was nothing new at Grange Loan - when the ground was purchased in 1924 the purchase price was secured by a number of senior committee members and wider funding generated through a debenture scheme. Plan B Adopted After considerable agonising and reorienting, and many sleepless nights for Hugh Parker, a revised project of the now familiar single storey design developed. It was designed with the help of Alan Swan (pictured left) - who had been Carlton skipper in 1978, and between 1974 and 1987 had scored 3360 runs in 197 matches. The project, outturn cost (in the region of £250,000) was funded by the residue of the legacy from the club’s long-standing supporter Mrs Margaret Masterton (pictured below in 1988 with Hugh Parker then skipper and Alun Davies then President), after whom the Pavilion is appropriately named.

PAVILIONED IN SPLENDOUR Opening Match The opening of the Masterton Pavilion was celebrated by a challenge match between Carlton and the Scottish Saltires (as the Scotland team who competed in the national limited over tournaments were then known). The Saltires batted first and recovered from 54-3 with a 124 run partnership between skipper Ryan Watson (58) and Majid Haq (74) posted a total of 220-6 off their 55 overs. Carlton’s most successful bowler was Rob Thornton with 3-57. Carlton’s batting struggled against the international attack and could only muster 128ao, Rob Thornton showing his all round credentials by top scoring with 38. Charles Stronach is the only member of that day’s Carlton team still playing. He took 2-49 and he remembers very clearly his first wicket - he bowled to Heriot’s Steve Knox who slammed it straight back knocking umpire Martin Flynn (at that time Secretary of the club) to the ground. The ball ballooned up into the hands of Russell Martindale at mid-off and Knoxy trudged disconsolately off. The Masterton Pavilion design was tailored to accommodate the Grange Private Nursery which operated on the site until 2014. A nursery, joyously called the Potty Place, had also operated previously in the preceding tumbledown building. While the nursery provided much needed financial stability for the club, ultimately it was found that the respective needs of a cricket club and a children’s facility, facing ever increasing regulation, were not at all times wholly compatible. But many children spent happy years at Grange Loan - and a number eventually became players including Gabriella and Harrison Fontenla. When the nursery closed in 2014, the children's toilet area was converted into the present Physio/Umpire’s Room, and the premises are now rented by InsideOutPT. The kitchen was fully upgraded in 2025. The Masterton Pavilion goes from strength to strength and the Club’s Management Committee is working hard to ensure that the fullest possible use of it is made by club members and surrounding community. Children’s Nursery at Grange Loan

PAVILIONED IN SPLENDOUR By the 1990s the previous pavilion at Grange Loan, shown above towards the end of its life, had been in decline for a number of years and fell far short of the standard required. It had opened in 1963, the year of the club’s centenary, largely through the efforts of future President Fred Dall whose contacts in the construction sector managed to secure two redundant prefab buildings which were brought together to form a single structure. While at one stage the prospect of repeating an event such as the 1904 Fancy Fair which funded the first pavilion at Grange Loan was mooted, in the eventuality, fundraising relied on loans and the generosity of members. The Council minute of December 1962 records accepting tenders for the demolition of the existing building of £820, and for the supply erection of the new building of £160, together with an architect’s fee £50. £1000 in 1962 is equivalent to £22,000 in today’s money. Additional expenditures were incurred to fit out the interior; even so, it seems cheap at the price and we wouldn’t get much by way of a pavilion for that sum nowadays. At that stage the building was given projected life of 15 years, so by 1990 it was well past its sell-by date. The Stevenson Pavilion, as the Council determined to name it, was hanseled with a match between Carlton and the Scottish Cricket Union President’s XI. Hopes that this would provide a feast of entertaining cricket were disappointed. The weather dampened the celebratory mood and the start was delayed. When play became possible Carlton dismissed the select for 128, with CC Smith taking 5-46. However their batting failed to sparkle and Carlton could only muster 43, with only one player making it to double figures. The lack of festive sparkle can be inferred from the fact that Carlton’s innings took 27.1 overs. The 1963 structure had itself replaced the original pavilion which had been opened in 1905 shortly after Carlton’s arrival at Grange Loan (or Carlton Park as it was known then). The photo right shows a packed crowd in front of the familiar verandah at an exhibition match in 1924 - the tea room to the right was a later addition. That pavilion and associated improvements to the ground were largely funded through the Fancy Fairs of 1904 and 1912 (see the Arrow 55). The opening of the first pavilion was marked on 17 May 1905 by a match against West of Scotland, a midweek match played in ‘splendid weather’ which ended in victory to Carlton by ‘35 runs with two wickets to spare’ - as the reporting conventions of the time described the result.

In the pink The early season floral splendour at Grange Loan may lift the heart. But as a sight-screen against the pink ball it leaves something to be desired. AT THE NETS It’s not rocket science Dan demonstrates the new cricket ball launcher to some attentive students

On 25 April 2015 that Ken Nisbet scored his first competitive match for Carlton - a victory by 6 wickets at Arbroath, with Hamish Gardiner just missing out on a century, trapped on 98* as the winning total was passed. In the 10 years since then, Ken has scored approaching 180 Carlton First XI matches, and the occasional match played by lower teams. In all he reckons he has marked over 30,000 Carlton runs in the book. While there are a number of player overlaps between Carlton’s Championship winning side of 2016 and the Cup winning side of 2017 - 5 players played in both finals (Watts, Evans, Gosain, McCann and Pillai), another constant was Ken in the scorer’s hut. He scored both final matches making him Carlton’s talismanic and most successful scorer. Ken remembers those highlight matches of course but also a top memory for him is ‘a Sunday game for the 5s against Morton somethings at a sunny GL. Convivial scoring company and Sandy Scotland umpiring after many wines the night before. And everyone pals after the game.’ Proper cricket. 10 Years and Counting SQUARE CUT KITCHEN SUPPER CLUB FLAVOURS OF SOUTH EAST ASIA FRIDAY 13 JUNE £50 per person. welcome drink and canapés. 3 course meal Wine and other drinks can be bought from the bar. BOOK EARLY TO AVOID DISAPPOINTMENT squarecutkitchen@gmail.com

A Worthy Opponent Charlie Clark - Heriot’s scorer and archivist - has recently published a booklet* summarising the career of George More There can be no observer of Scottish cricket who is not aware that the name More is synonymous with Heriot’s. Over two generations Hamish, George and Robert have been driving forces at Goldenacre on and off the field. But there are fewer observers of Scottish cricket who will be aware that the first senior matches played by George and Hamish More were not for Heriot’s but for Carlton. Deemed too young to play for Heriot’s, they made appearances for Carlton as school-boys. George became Carlton First XI cap number 93 on 15 July 1961 when he played the first of 2 First XI matches in which he scored a total of 11 runs. He also played 4 second team matches scoring 66 runs. Later that season he played his first matches for the Heriot’s First XI in which he was to be prominent until his retirement in 1981. During his career he played 22 league and cup matches against Carlton scoring 315 runs at an average of 14.32 (relatively modest in relation to his career average). He had two half centuries. In 1964 he scored 55* in a 10 wicket thrashing of Carlton at Goldenacre - Carlton had scored 78ao in 47.1 over (who says cricket is not an exciting game?) At the other end in that undefeated partnership was brother Hamish. In 1977 George scored 50 at Grange Loan in a drawn match. Overall George made 307 appearances for Heriot’s scoring 77930 runs at an average of 28.97 and a top score of 148* George’s late brother Hamish played two matches for Carlton's 2nd XI in 1959 both at Grange Loan against Musselburgh and Penicuik He scored 0 and 19*. In 1960, he played one 1st XI friendly against Ferguslie at Meikleriggs; opening the innings he scored 12. Hamish was remembered as a revered opponent in the Arrow Issue 46, although those early appearances for Carlton were not mentioned. *Charlie’s booklet is available from heriotsarchive@gmail.com The Mores are not the only players to have turned out for Carlton as youngsters before going on to greater things elsewhere. Brian Adair, Carlton cap 31, played twice for Carlton at the age of 17 in 1952 before beginning his long association with Watsonians and subsequent term as President of the Scottish Cricket Union and President of the East League. Brian remained a true riend of Carlton and was a club Patron who gave a generous donation for the new pavilion. He died in 2021.

Above is a photo of the Heriot’s School First XI in 1960 featuring George More (front left) It also features Bruce Dixon (back left) and Alan Kemp (front right) - both of whom went on to long and distinguished careers as Carlton players. Bruce recalls those far off days, ‘George, Alan and I all played in Heriots 1st XI in 1960, 61, and 62, George as Captain in 62. I don’t have a lot of recollections unfortunately but I do remember George had his arm broken by David Fraser at Jock’s Lodge. Fraser was frighteningly quick for a schoolboy in these days. In 1962 Royal High bowled us out for 6 (six!). George (batting 1) and I (batting 10) got 1 each, Alan got 0, as did 6 other of our batsmen. Our last man got half our runs top scoring with 3.’ David Fraser who went on to gain 6 caps for Scotland and played for Royal High into the 1990s took 3 for 2. His son Paul briefly played for Carlton in 1999. More Than Just More

There’s always a lot to talk about when grass is involved, as Alasdair shares some insights from his 40 years behind the mower at Grange Loan with Regan, now in his second year with the club. Every conversation turns to speculation about the weather. Every year presents its weather challenges for ground staff - last year saw a very wet spring. By contrast the start to this year has been very dry. We all hope the weather gods will look kindly on cricketers this summer. However the long range forecast for May is not too encouraging - while the temperature will steadily rise an amount of rain is also expected. But forecasts beyond a couple of days are significantly unreliable, so we can still hope for unbroken sunshine! A Chat About Grass and Weather Voluntary effort is vital to the continued success of Carlton. Thanks to David Simpson for painting the picket fence (ably assisted by Euan Murray and not ably by the President) Brian Forrester for risking life and limb at the top of a ladder (rt) to repair some of the damage Carlton’s big hitters cause the nets.

Carlton travel to Stenhousemuir in the First Round of the Scottish Cup on Sunday 11 May. This is the first meeting between the clubs since 2006 when they met in both the Scottish Cup and the SNCL. Carlton and Stenhousemuir have met 8 times in the Scottish Cup, with the balance of wins firmly in Stenhousemuir’s favour - 5-3. The most recent cup meeting was in 2006. Carlton lost by 6 wickets despite posting a competitive total of 269-4, which featured an unbeaten century by Ben O’Connell (right) who finished undefeated on 140. Optimism that this total could be defended was dashed on the rocks of big innings by Australian Glenn Rogers (108*) and S African Jonathan Beukes (105). These 3 centuries are the only centuries scored in cup ties between the clubs. Carlton v Stenhousemuir

Pictured above is The Tryst, home to Stenhousemuir CC. The ground is so named because from the mid 1700s the area was the site of the largest cattle and livestock market in Scotland (the Falkirk Tryst). Beasts were driven from Highland areas on the drove roads many of which are still visible today. Tryst days were marked with rowdy celebrations and all the fun of the fair. However with the development of rail transport the cattle market became less significant during the latter part of the 19th Century and the area was made over to the cricket and golf clubs. Circling the cricket ground is the Falkirk Tryst Golf Club, founded 1885. Stenhousemuir CC was founded in 1876, although there are reports of cricket having been played at the Tryst a number of years previously. The Falkirk Herald of 20 June 1867 contains the report below suggesting cricket was played there four years previously - 1863 - the year of Carlton’s founding. By 1896 the Herald was able to report that the club had 148 members, 47 of whom were considered playing members. (Carlton’s own membership had also grown in the period, so much so that in 1894 they had fielded a Fourth XI for 5 matches.) A pavilion was erected in 1901, marking the club’s semi-jubilee ie its 25th anniversary. The original timber and corrugated iron structure has subsequently been replaced and extended. Carlton v Stenhousemuir

The Falkirk Herald reported in 1886 that the Stenhousemuir Cricket Club had had its most successful season with 7 wins out of 16 matches. Its opposition was largely locally based teams and the 2nd XI’s of larger clubs such as Drumpellier and Clydesdale. Gradually the club became more competitive and its fixture card began to include more challenging opposition. However it was not until August of 1920 that the first recorded match with Carlton took place - Stenhousemuir going down to a 5 wicket defeat at Grange Loan. Having batted first their total of 109 didn’t look particularly challenging, but their bowlers soon had the home side in a bit of trouble at 24-4. A stand of 77 between CS Paterson and GD Cunningham saved the home team’s blushes. In the Stenhousemuir innings AE Sellars (below left) took 5-57 - that year he lead Carlton’s bowling averages with 119 wickets at 7.17. He was also capped for Scotland (at 44 years of age) and took 5-22 and 2-53 in that year’s match against Ireland. The clubs’ 2nd XIs met on the same day at the Tryst with home side proving too strong for the visitors. Matches became more regular in the 1930s with a series of Carlton wins. During this period the fixture was dominated by Carlton’s professional Tom Crosskey (above right) who took 5 wickets on no fewer than 5 occasions as well as scoring two half centuries. A celebrated product of Stenhousemuir Carlton v Stenhousemuir In the 1950s, Stenhousemuir entered the East of Scotland league structure alongside Carlton and were soon one of the dominant clubs. They won the league for the first time in 1955 and repeated the feat on 8 subsequent occasions, the last being in 1986. The 1980s represented Stenhousemuir’s high point. When the SNCL began in 1996, Carlton and Stenhousemuir found themselves in different division and it was not until 2006, when Stenhousemuir rose to the Premier Division that they crossed swords with Carlton again. They lost on both league meetings, Ben O’Connell going big on both occasions, as he did in that year’s cup tie. Stenhousemuir’s stay in the top division was regrettably brief as they were relegated after that solitary season. Following the demise of the SNCL Stenhousemuir threw their lot in with WDCU and now play in West Premiership Div 1 where they finished 4th in 2024. Nevertheless the overall balance of advantage in the history of league matches between the clubs lies in Stenhousemuir’s favour. In 55 league matches they won 18 times and lost 11. They won the Scottish Cup twice, in 1973 and 1980 and the Masterton Trophy on 6 occasions, the last in 1987. In 1973 they beat Carlton in the semi-final before dispatching Perthshire in the Final; and 1980, overcoming West of Scotland at Hamilton Crescent. In the Masterton the clubs met 12 times, with Stenhousemuir winning on 8 occasions. They met in the Final in 1982 when Carlton triumphed at Myreside to secure the trophy for the second time, Richard Dickinson taking 3-12. In 1991 Stenhousemuir beat Carlton in the semi-final before going on to lose to Grange at Raeburn Place.

Between the 1960s and 80s Stenhousemuir CC became synonymous with Morrison Zuill. Falkirk born and educated at Merchiston, he was appointed captain of Stenhousemuir in 1959 at the age of 21 and held that position until 1988, after which he served as Vice President and honorary President. It is largely through his drive and determination that Stenhousemuir became one of the most prominent clubs in Scotland during that period. Under his captaincy The club won six East League titles, two Scottish Cups and five Masterton Trophies. Zuill set a club record of 27,588 runs including 18 centuries and snared 466 catches as a short leg fielder. He won 15 Scottish caps. He made his first-class Scotland debut in 1962 against Warwickshire, with his final appearance coming in 1979 against the touring Sri Lankans. During his long international career opponents also included the touring New Zealanders, the Australians, and the MCC. His highest score was an innings of 62 against Ireland in 1968. On retiring from the international scene he was appointed a national selector. After retiring as captain he passed the baton to son Douglas who skippered the side for 20 years. Zuill’s best score against Carlton was 98* in 1980. In the league meeting between Carlton and Stenhousemuir at Grange Loan in 2006, Douglas Zuill scored 50*, his second half century against Carlton Morrison died in 2023 at the age of 86. Carlton v Stenhousemuir Stenhousemuir born Brian Hardie, having scored over 7000 runs for Stenhousemuir and gaining 14 Scottish caps, spent almost 20 years playing for Essex where he passed 1000 runs in 11 seasons. In 1985 he scored 110 in the NatWest Final at Lord’s which Essex won by 1 run. His best against Carlton was 63* in 1973. As was revealed in Arrow 65, Hardie then went on to super-star status in his role as coach at Brentwood School where among his students was future Carlton player Anish Amin. Falkirk born Iain Philip won 135 Scottish caps between 1986 and 1999 and was an initial inductee into CricketScotland’s Hall of Fame. In 1994 he scored 85* out of Stenhousemuir’s 128-1 as they easily overcame Carlton in the cup. He coached for many years at Strathallan School and latterly in Australia.

Stenhousemuir attracted a series of high quality professionals. These included the Pakistani leg spinner Abdul Qadir who played 67 Tests taking 236 wkts and 104 ODI with 132 wkts. In 1985 he scored 98* in victory over Carlton, although his bowling was not so effective he could only manage 1 for 110. Another remembered with affection, and not a little trepidation, as one of the faster bowlers to have visited Scotland was New Zealand pace bowler Derek Stirling, Stirling played at the Tryst in 1983 and 84. He was particularly threatening on the hard surfaces usually found at the Tryst. He went on to play 6 Tests for New Zealand but sadly died from cancer in December 2023, at the age of 62. Carlton v Stenhousemuir Omar Henry won 62 Scottish caps, 14 as skipper, between 1981 and 92 before going on to become the first non-white player to play Test cricket for S Africa following the end of the apartheid ban in 1992. In 1988 he scored 80* and took 3-75 in Stenhousemuir’s winning draw against Carlton. In 1986 he took 5 Carlton wickets for 56, but this was not enough to prevent Carlton sneaking victory by 1 wicket in a low scoring match where George Innes’ 5-22 had reduced Stenhousemuir to 130 ao. Englishman Tim Selwood was pro at The Tryst before pursuing a career at Middlesex. In 1980 he scored 106* and took 4-51 against Carlton. Australian Glenn Rogers was Scotland’s overseas player between 2005 and 2008 and played for Stenhousemuir in 2006 and 2007. He gained 39 Scottish caps. His 108* for Stenhousemuir against Carlton in 2006 remains the highest Stenhousemuir score in matches between the clubs.

Carlton v Stenhousemuir Dual Caps There have been two notable players who have played for both Carlton and Stenhousemuir. Another Scottish player who was a consistent thorn in Carlton’s side was Murray Peden. Although he started out at Fifeshire it was at Stenhousemuir that his career flourished. In 1973 in the semi final of the Rothman’s Quaich (aka the Scottish Cup) he became the first player to score a century in fixtures between the clubs with 112, an achievement he repeated by scoring 105* in 1977. Peden was also a fine seam bowler and regularly had Carlton’s batters in trouble. In 1975 at The Tryst he took 7-24 as Carlton were dismissed for 86 and succumbed to a 10 wicket defeat. Peden played 12 times for Scotland, but tragically died suddenly at the age of just 31 in 1978. Between 1985 and 1996 David Ponniah played 123 League and Cup matches and 30 T20 matches for Carlton scoring a total of 3243 runs. His top score was 110, scored in a drawn match at Kirkcaldy in 1987. He was Carlton’s Best Bat in season 1986 when he scored 625 League and Cup runs at 44.64. His best was 5-4 against Forfarshire in the 2019 Cup Tie. Raza was particularly effective during Carlton’s exciting run in the ECN European Tournament in 2022. He moved to Stenhousemuir in 2023 in which season he took 16 wickets with a best of 5-64 against Uddingston. Towards the end of season 2024 he moved to Watsonians. Another significant Scottish international to have made life difficult for Carlton while playing for Stenhousemuir was Clarence Parfitt (aka the greatest bowler Bermuda ever produced), Although he is more usually associated with Arbroath where he spent several years he was at The Tryst for 2 years where he took a heavy toll on Carlton batters, his best being 5-43 in 1991. After securing 12 Scottish caps, went on to become development officer at Cricket Scotland. Prior to coming to Grange Loan, David played at Stenhousemuir. Batting gainst Carlton his highest score was 96* in a drawn match at the Tryst in 1984. He was in the Stenhousemuir side which lost the Masterton final to Carlton in 1982. His best for Carlton against Stenhousemuir was 80* in the Masterton semi-final in 1994. Carlton won the final against Watsonians. Adeel Raza (rt) played 39 First Team matches for Carlton between 2017 and 2022 taking 58 wickets at 11.67.

Carlton v Stenhousemuir Highs and lows While Carlton’s highest score against Stenhousemuir was 269-4 in the 2006 cup tie, their highest league score and highest winning total was 214-5 in 1995 with Bryn Lockie top scoring on 108. By contrast Carlton’s lowest winning total was 67-2 in the 1985 cup match when 6-17 for Jeremy Alleyne (photo below), who was visiting his brother Steve, Carlton skipper that year, decimated Stenhousemuir’s batting. During his visit Jeremy played 5 matches for Carlton and would go on to play for Barbados in W Indies’ competitions. At 6’6” he towered over his teammates and opposing batters. Stenhousemuir’s highest total was 256-3 in 1980 when they had to be content with a winning draw as Carlton batted out to 186-5. In all 6 Carlton batters scored 3 figure innings against Stenhousemuir, the first to do so was Nick Ross’s (photo right) 140* in 1977, a total which was equaled by Ben O’Connell in 2006 and which remains the highest. Carlton’s best bowling against Stenhousemuir was Alun Davies 7-33 in 1966 (rt then in the 3rd year of his 13 year long captaincy). Over his long career Davies took no fewer than 39 wickets, including one other 5fer. George Innes and Richard Bannerman also had 7 wicket hauls, and George Innes, Alan McLeod, Andy Macpherson and Jeremy Alleyne all took 6 wicket hauls. In 1992 David Cavellini had a hattrick. Other centurions are Richard Swan, Alan Swan Steve Alleyne and Bryn Lockie (seen above v Stenhousemuir in 1992). There are only four centurions for Stenhousemuir whose highest innings is 108* by Glenn Rogers in 2006 and whose best bowling is by J Goodall who took 8-45 in 1979. New Zealander M Shrimpton (below left) took 8-70 the previous year. Murray Peden took 7 wickets on one occasion and in 1962 and 1963 Jamaican Professional Irvin Iffla (below rt) took 6-41 and 6-50 respectively.

Andy Macpherson One of my favourite games as captain was the Masterton Trophy semi-final in 1993. Hard hitting Graham Gardiner smashed a quick 59 for them hitting several huge sixes (if I remember correctly) on a greenish quick wicket. Richard Bannerman, a fantastic death bowler in Masterton games and Alan McLeod bowled superbly and Graham Langley filled in well as our 5th bowler too. Chasing 130 was not going to be easy against excellent seamers Graham Gardiner and Pete Gardiner (no relation), a very tough competitive left arm Aussie seamer. It got close at the end and I enjoyed batting with Kevin Whitaker that day who stayed very calm and kept the run rate going from ball one. An excellent win. Sadly we couldn’t retain the trophy, losing to Ian Bevan's Grange in the final. I also remember clearly the game in which David Cavellini did the hattrick. I had to act as runner for Richard Swan when he pulled his hamstring. Hugh Parker - a few stories are not really fit for general consumption - games with Stennies were always battles. Carlton v Stenhousemuir In 1983 then Scotland captain Richard Swan and I put on a big partnership. Swan got out after sledging Derek Stirling. He knew that if he wound Stirling up, his accuracy would go to pot. At the other end, I was not amused as I copped more than a fair share of the flack from the fired-up Kiwi. But I managed to put him back over his head for 6. He was the quickest I faced but fortunately it was a flat GL wicket! I remember batting throughout the innings but not much else - including the result?! (86* - a winning draw for Carlton). I remember one game at The Tryst which got a bit ugly. Their star batter smashed it the keeper, didn't walk and was given not out. One of our star batters later also smashed it to slip, didn't walk in return and was given not out! Things nearly got physical that day! Also another game at The Tryst when Stennies were top of the table with two games to go. They batted first and Eddie Pollok (called Pick Axe - he was ahead of his time as a pinch hitting opening bat) hit us to all parts. They batted the full overs and may even have batted over? We had no chance of winning, but they were so defensive! They opened with Derek Stirling who only had a couple of slips and a square cover on the boundary! We blocked it from the start and Alan Swan batted a long time (101*). It ended up as a draw when a win would have won them the title. The next week they lost by ten wickets to an under strength Heriot’s team on the second square at Goldenacre - I think that might have been the last match Morrison Zuill captained.... And then there was the Scottish Cup semi-final at The Tryst when a lot of our guys, probably headed by pro Andrew Lamasson, all got sloshed the night before and things didn't go well! 128 all out. Enough said! Andy Macpherson and Hugh Parker share some memories of tough tussles with Stenhousemuir

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Chef Hardie Memoirs While we all admire the renovated kitchen at Grange Loan, Will Hardie is telling what it is like in a top end professional kitchen. Catch up with his memoirs on substack on the link above. Breathe Less. Think Less. Perform Better Carlton Director of Cricket Stevie Gilmour has launched a new venture offering Performance and Breath Coaching Helping athletes and professionals optimise breathing to perform better physically and mentally, manage stress, sleep better, boost focus and concentration. https://www.steviegilmour.com/

Not a question about lightbulbs …if they want to change, they can take care of themselves. Martin Firth undertakes a further excavation of Pitchero data. This time he looks at the number of appearances by juniors in senior cricket last year, for many years a source of excitement and pride in the club. ○ There were 109 senior league matches across the season. ○ On average 3 juniors played in each league match. ○ The highest proportion of juniors was (unsurprisingly) in the Women's Second Team with an average of 5 juniors per match. ○ The Fours and Fives were close behind with 4.5 juniors per match (you have to go to 3 decimal places to separate them, where you find the Fours edge it with 4.533 to the Fixes 4.529. ○ The Threes were the other above average team, with 3.3 juniors per match. ○ The highest number of juniors in a single match was (* almost certainly) 7 in the Fours v Drummond Trinity on 14 July - a match which was won convincingly. ○ The Women's Second Team also selected 7 v Perth on 17 August, but they had 12 players; and 8 v Grange on 1 September, but they had 14 players. ○ One junior played a match or the First XI - James Stronach. (*) The Women's Second Team played 2 matches over a weekend on (probably) 4 occasions. In 3 cases, they selected more than 7 players across the weekend, so they may have played more than 7 in one of the matches. My analysis is per-weekend, not per-match, so I can't tell that without some dull manual counting. I could of course extend my analysis to confirm that, but it turns out I do have other things to do with my day. What will the picture look like this season? How many Carlton juniors does it take…….

Can it really be five years since this newsletter first appeared? In 2020, as COVID swept the country, cricket, along with every other activity, was banned. The gates of Grange Loan were shut to cricketers. The Lockdown Newsletter was started to keep Carlton members together and keep cricket alive in their minds. At first there was hope that the start of the season was merely deferred - so maybe just a few issues would be necessary before everyone took to the field again. But as the pandemic deepened that hope began to wane. And the Lockdown Newsletter carried on. Eventually the gates of Grange Loan creaked open - highly regulated nets sessions were allowed and the innovative Grange Loan Beer Garden was hugely popular. And a curtailed competitive season got underway. From mid-August to mid-September matches were played subject to a number of restrictions - in particular the use of changing rooms was forbidden. (Test matches were played behind closed doors). The enforced lay-off and the wider restrictions on other activities ensured that the truncated season was enjoyed with relish and its brevity ensured intensity. In Edinburgh Super-Six competitions were organised between local clubs on 40 over and 16 over formats. Carlton lost the final of the T16 competition to Watsonians. Throughout the summer the Lockdown Newsletter appeared weekly. Issue 26 reviewed the excitements of that unrepeatable season. Subsequently the newsletter issued monthly. At the end of 2021 its name was changed to The Arrow. TILL THE GATES OF GRANGE LOAN ARE OPEN AGAIN!