Issue 79

A report from Ajitha Rajan. A slice of cricketing history was served up—alongside some top-tier home baking—at Carlton last Sunday, as the very first U16 Girls Scottish Cup match bowled into action. Representing Carlton were nine talented girls*, led with poise and determination by captain Sonia Amin. Their opponents? A formidable Stewarts Melville side with plenty of cricketing clout. Under clear skies and cheered on by a crowd of enthusiastic parents, the atmosphere was electric. Coach Sam was on hand, offering expert guidance and encouragement from the sidelines. Carlton won the toss and chose to bat, stepping up with confidence. The innings got off to a cracking start. The team tallied a solid 115 runs from their 20 overs. Star of the innings was Amy Yang, who played a composed and commanding knock of 37 runs, while Agnes Foley followed up with a gritty 19. Stewarts Melville, however, proved to be strong challengers. Despite tight bowling and energetic fielding from the Carlton side, the opposition chased down the target in the 17th over. It was a nail-biter of a match, full of tension and brilliant moments. Although the result didn’t go Carlton’s way, the quality of cricket on display—and the camaraderie among the team—was a triumph in itself. A proud day for the club and a thrilling start to what promises to be an exciting new development for girls’ cricket in Scotland. Thanks also to Rudy Adair for umpiring, to Kelly Foley for scoring and to Al Murray for getting the match streamed on FrogBox. And to all the bakers for all the sweet treats enjoyed by all. ● The competition rules allow teams to agree number of players between 8-11. Teams face 20 overs each. Carlton Girls In Historic U16 Scottish Cup Launch Lindsay, Krithi, Libby, Keira. Amy, Sonia, Aggie, Elsie, Abbi

HISTORIC SUPPORTERS, HISTORIC SCORERS, HISTORIC CAKES More Junior Cup News Sadly the exit of the u16 Girls from their competition means that there is only one Carlton team left in this season’s junior competitions. The Boys u16 team began their cup campaign last week with an impressive victory over Watsonians and face MDAFs in the next round. Let’s wish them well in their search for silverware! Earlier in the season, the u13, u14, and u15 all faced early exits at the hands of Watsonians, StewMel and Watsonians respectively, meaning that there will no trips to face English opposition this season and the chance of a return to Lord’s must wait till next year. Raise money for Carlton through EASYFUNDRAISING website or app

The u16 Girls’ Cup Tie is not alone in being an historic first for Scottish Cricket at Grange Loan. In 2012, following the demise of the SNCL, it was determined that the champions of the EPL and the WDCU would play off in a Grand Championship Final. Grange Loan was chosen as the first venue for this match. As the season neared its end, Carlton had a strong chance of securing a place in that final. However washouts meant the weather had the last laugh and, although Carlton beat Grange in the final match of the season, it did no more than hand the title to Watsonians. It was Carlton’s near neighbours therefore who played in the first Grand Final. Watsonians beat Dumfries in a low scoring match, largely thanks to the innings of Ewan Chalmers (below). Another Historic First at Grange Loan The Grand Final was staged again at Grange Loan in 2016, when Carlton overcame a star-studded Clydesdale team. Featuring in that team alongside international stars was Angus Guy who top scored in Clydesdale’s innings. Angus joined Carlton this season and has already made several important contributions with the bat. Angus got his Carlton career off to a good start with 87 in the first match of the season against Falkland at GL and acknowledges his 50 below. The Grand Final returns to Grange Loan in September this year. Can Carlton feature again? At this stage in the season they are well placed just behind Heriot’s in the league table. There is a lot of cricket to be played but what more incentive do they need to overtake them in them to win the title? And will the tea time spread be as good as in 2016?

Coming Soon from The Square Cut Kitchen August Wine Tasting September Lunch Follow on Instagram to keep in the know about all future events. A Taste Of Asia Friday 13 June

There is evidence that cricket was played in Arbroath in 1825, which would make it home to one of the oldest clubs in Scotland. (Kelso CC date back to 1821). But Arbroath United itself came into being in 1846 when a number of local teams amalgamated - a development welcomed in the local press; The Arbroath Guide and Weekly advertiser editorialised on 22 April 1847, ‘We are glad to observe that the Arbroath United has commenced playing this season. The game of cricket is one which we can scarce conceive of any person engaging without doing so with spirit; and we understand the members of our local club have commenced the game with much keenness.’ Matches with Montrose, Dundee, Aberdeen and local clubs soon became regular. The club at first played on the Seaforth Common which the club had successfully petitioned the Town Council to level for cricketing purposes in 1847. CARLTON V ARBROATH UNITED Carlton’s opponents in the Scottish Cup Quarter Final are Arbroath United. Although the clubs between them have over 300 years of existence, meetings have been surprisingly few. The Arrow takes a look at some of the history However by 1886 there were increasing tensions with other users and the Town Council, and the club acquired a private ground when it gained the lease of over six acres on the Lochlands estate owned by Mr W.F. Macdonald, a former player and ardent supporter. A large pavilion was erected and the official opening took place on Saturday 14 May 1887, with a match between United and Perthshire CC. The game ended in a draw. £500 was expended on establishing the ground - and fund-raising to clear that debt continued for a number of years,as the notice below from 1889 shows.

United were one of the six founders of the Strathmore Union in 1929 and won the First Division Championship in 1934, 35, 36 and on 8 subsequent occasions, most recently in 1988. The demise of Dumbartonshire saw United join the Scottish Counties Championship in 1989, playing under the name of Arbroath County. They won the Championship that year and for a second time in 1993. When the National Leagues were formed in 1996, the club reverted to their original name and for most of this period played in the First or Second Division. In 2011, the final year of the SNCL with the league expanded to 16 clubs, Arbroath competed in the Premier Division and finished runners up to Carlton. Following the ending of the SNCL, Arbroath United have competed in the EPL (other than in 2023 following relegation in 2022). They won the EPL in 2013, under the captaincy of Fraser Burnett, and then went on to win the Championship beating Uddingston in the Grand Final. Arbroath United have won the Scottish Cup once, beating Grange in the 2015 Final at Stirling. Crucial to their victory was 104* by Fraser Burnett (seen acknowledging the applause below). United defended the trophy in the final in 2016, having beaten Carlton in the semi-final at Grange Loan. However they lost out to Clydesdale at Hamilton Crescent. They were also beaten finalists in 1993, losing narrowly by 8 runs to Grange also at Hamilton Crescent. In 1995, again playing as Arbroath County, they won the inaugural SCU trophy (now the Challenge Cup) when they defeated Fifeshire at Boghall. CARLTON V ARBROATH UNITED

CARLTON V ARBROATH UNITED Despite their long histories, Carlton and Arbroath United have been relatively infrequent opponents. In 1893 Carlton visited Lochlands, where they played a drawn match - making 108-7 against the home side’s 202-9. The following year, Arbroath were all set to make the trip to Edinburgh when they were advised that Carlton had double booked themselves and were committed to hosting Clackmannanshire. It took nearly 100 years for the clubs to reconnect - friendlies being played in 1990 and 1991. In 1996 and 1997 Carlton and Arbroath United competed in the First Division of the Scottish League prior to the formation of the SNCL. The only season in the history of the SNCL in which they played in the same division was 2011, when Arbroath were runners up to Carlton. Subsequently both clubs have competed in the Eastern Premier League. In all there have been 22 completed League meetings between the clubs, of which 13 have been won by Carlton, 9 by Arbroath. There have been 3 abandoned matches. There have been 4 meetings in the Scottish Cup, the first in 2000 and the most recent in 2016. Carlton have won 3 of these - their only loss was in the semi-final in 2016 at Grange Loan. Some suggested that might have been helpful to Carlton winning the League title (and the Championship subsequently) - they did not have the prospect of a Cup Final to distract them. Carlton’s highest score against Arbroath United was in the 2007 cup tie at GL when they amassed 323-7 before dismissing the visitors for 72. That is also Carlton’s largest margin of victory against them. In 2014 it was Carlton who were on the receiving end, when, having bowled Arbroath out for 129, they could only muster 82 in reply. The closest match was in 2013 when Arbroath squeezed out victory by 5 runs at Grange Loan to secure the Championship. Carlton and Arbroath met in the semi-final of the Murgatroyd National T20 competition in 2012 at shawholm which Carlton won by 3 wickets, going on to beat East Kilbride the final. Arbroath on the attack - Murgatroyd semi-final 2012

CARLTON V ARBROATH UNITED There have been 2 centurions for Carlton against Arbroath United - Hamish Gardiner (100) (below left) in 2013 at Lochlands and Shujaa Khan (121) in 2021 at GL. Brendon Ford above right scored 118 for Arbroath at GL in 2013, the match Arbroath won to seal the Championship. He repeated the achievement in 2014 with 114* (out of 167) in defeat at GL. Carlton’s best bowling against Arbroath is 6-27 by Rob Thornton (below left) in the 2000 Cup Tie; Angus Beattie took 5-17 in 2024, as did Michael Castle in 2018. Arbroath’s best is 7-53 by Ian Worth at Lochlands last season. The only other 5fer was 5-54 achieved by Calvin Burnett (below right)in that 2013 match at GL. The scorecard for the 2014 meeting at Lochlands makes interesting reading for a number of reasons - one of which is that it records the only innings for Carlton of one Ed Alexander who batted 3 and did not trouble the scorers, although he took a catch. He was never seen at Carlton again. Perhaps the shortest Carlton career ever.

CARLTON V ARBROATH UNITED A number of distinguished professional players have been part of Arbroath United’s history. Perhaps the best remembered and longest serving was Clarence Parfitt. Parfitt’s long association with the club started when he first arrived at Lochlands in 1977. Although he had a short spell at Stenhousemuir, during which he was replaced by Omar Henry, he returned in 1984 continuing as pro until 1988 and playing subsequently as an amateur. He finally retired in 1993, having been central to Arbroath’s winning of the County Championship and winning the Famous Grouse Bowler of the Year Award, taking over 60 wickets in the competition. He subsequently worked as Development officer with Cricket Scotland. Another familiar to Carlton to have played professionally at Lochlands is Peter Wooden, who was pro at Arbroath in 2002 and 2003. Wooden subsequently had 2 highly successful years at Grange Loan in 2007-8 where he played 36 League and Cup matches scoring 1160 runs with 3 centuries and taking 60 wickets. In 2003 Wooden skippered Arbroath United in their home cup tie against Carlton. He batted 4 and was one of Rob Thornton’s 6 victims, bowled for 0. He bowled 10 overs taking 1-15 as Carlton chased down Arbroath’s total of 148 with 3 wickets to spare. Photo right: Clarence Parfitt’s retiral as pro at Arbroath in 1988 - surrounded by some familiar faces. Behind Parfitt to his right is Gary Burnett, and front left are George Salmond and Neil Burnett. Photo right: Peter Wooden shown with a team mate in Hong Kong in 2018

CARLTON V ARBROATH UNITED There is no better player to have played for both Carlton and Arbroath United than George Salmond. In 1996 having starred for many years at Lochlands and for Scotland George Salmond moved to Grange Loan, as his job at George Watson’s College required him to be in Edinburgh - see cutting right. George played only one season at Carlton, his 18 appearances netting what seems a relatively modest total of 266 runs with a top score of 49*. He moved on to Grange, before returning to Arbroath in 2001 for the final years of his career. George won 146 caps for Scotland and skippered them on 104 occasions including the 1999 World Cup. In 1996 he scored 181 in a 3-day match against Ireland at Boghall - the highest First Class innings by a Scottish batter, it was equalled by Neil MacCallum in 2007. George answered some questions about his career in an earlier issue of this newsletter. After his retirement from top level cricket, George became better known as a football referee overseeing a number of Scottish Premier matches

Another dual Carlton/Arbroath cap is Hayden Laing. He came to Scotland from South Africa to play as Overseas Amateur at Arbroath. In 2020 he moved to Edinburgh and joined Carlton. He moved on in 2023, going first to Stoneywood Dyce but then returning to Arbroath this season where he has contributed valuable runs in the middle order. He told about his impressive Scottish cricketing heritage in the Arrow Issue 55 More recently George Salmond has been a principal driver of the inexorable rise of Bass Rock CC who now play in ESCA Division 2, having entered ESCA at the basement in 2019. In 2023 Bass Rock and Carlton 4 were both in Division 4. George scored 69 in a relatively simple victory for Bass Rock at GL, but the return match was much less pleasant for him. Backing up at the non-striker’s end, a powerful drive hit him on the hand breaking his thumb and forcing him to retire hurt on 29*. The match continued without him, his side ending victorious by narrowest of margins - 1 run. This season Bass Rock played Carlton 3 in Division 2 - George helped his side to a 6 wicket win, scoring 53 before being bowled by Andrew Lang. George can look forward to another appearance at Grange Loan on Sunday 27 July, when the return fixture is scheduled. CARLTON V ARBROATH UNITED THE PITCHERO CLUB LOTTERY BIG PRIZES EVERY MONTH SUPPORTING CARLTON DETAILS https://www.pitchero.com/club s/carltoncc/lottery

I was born and raised in Arbroath, where all my youth was spent at the cricket club, which plays a huge part in the local community. Like Carlton, Arbroath is built on volunteers, passion, and a love for cricket. I have always thought that Arbroath is more than a club, it’s where people come together to have fun, make a positive impact, and create memories. As a club, Arbroath has definitely punched above its weight over the years, and I’ve been lucky enough to enjoy a fair bit of success along the way. One memory that stands out is from 2013 at Grange Loan, where we won a tight game on the final ball to secure our first league premiership title. For a club like Arbroath, it was a huge moment and one that was enjoyed by everyone who plays a part in making it possible for us to take the field each Saturday. We followed it up with a Scottish Cup win in 2015, which was a fantastic day - made even better by beating Grange! I’ve got a few memories of Carlton from my early days, such as watching Fraggle smoke cover drives for fun and Cedric English charging in like he was trying to kill me! But the main memory is that unmistakable feeling when you walk into the ground: the buzz, the energy, and the sight of children running around, laughing and playing cricket. That’s what it’s all about. Carlton is a great club, and I hope my son Hamish (see above right helping me on drinks duty) grows up to experience the same kind of memories I have at both Arbroath and Carlton. CARLTON V ARBROATH UNITED Fraser Burnett skippered Arbroath to EPL victory in 2013 and is part of a family which has been central to the club’s success over the years. Fraser’s father Gary played and served many years as Club President . Both Fraser’s uncle Neil and his brother Calvin were capped for Scotland. Fraser moved to Edinburgh and Carlton in 2020. He recalls what made Arbroath United special for him. As he told an early edition of this Newsletter, he sees much in common between the two clubs. As an Arbroath player Fraser played against Carlton 11 times, winning on 5 occasions. His highest score was 69* at Lochlands in June 2013, although Carlton won on that day. In the 2009 Cup tie at Grange Loan he had the remarkable bowling figures of 10-0-1-100 as Carlton racked up 323-7. He played twice against his old club for Carlton in 2021, scoring 40* in a home victory. His return to Lochlands in August that year was not so successful - he was out for 0. However, later that month Carlton went to Lochlands again for the National T20 Finals. Fraser hit the winning runs in the tense final against Forfarshire and shows his delight in the photo above.

WHERE ARE THEY NOW? The photo above is the Carlton u13 XI of 1993, who won the Scottish Cup for the first time in the club’s history by beating Arbroath at Goldenacre, scoring 265 to win by 33 runs. Of the boys in the photo, only Calum Martin and Stuart Hood went on to play for the First XI, Martin playing 28 matches between 1997 and 2004. Hood appeared significantly less often, making only 8 appearances in total. Bruce Douglas went on to sporting glory elsewhere - see photo right - he won 43 caps at rugby for Scotland. IT WOULD BE GREAT TO HEAR FROM ANY OF THE ABOVE SQUAD, OR ANYONE WHO KNOWS WHERE THEY NOW ARE OR WHAT THEY ARE DOING. CARLTON V ARBROATH UNITED Back: Haseeb Tariq, Mark Carter, Stephen Farrell, Douglas Martin, Bruce Douglas, David Watts. Front: Calum Martin, Stuart Hood, Andrew Leitch, Andrew Murray, Michael Courtenay, Harry Wright.

CARLTON V ARBROATH UNITED Carlton and Arbroath junior teams have crossed swords occasionally inrecent years . In 2014, Carlton u13 beat Arbroath on their way to the Cup Final which they lost narrowly to Grange. There are some familiar faces in the team photo above taken after the Arbroath match, although Cameron Ede seen holding the ball after the remarkable figures of 5-1 left Carlton shortly after. Also in 2014, Carlton u18 beat United in an early round of the Cup but lost to Heriot’s in the final. In 2015 Carlton u15 overcame Arbroath in the second round of the NatWest (as it was then called) and on this occasion went on to win the trophy, beating Grange in the Final. In earlier years many Carlton juniors made the journey to Lochlands to play in the Moira Shaw Festival - a KwikCricket event for u10s. Martin Firth recorded the successful visit in 2015 which is a delightful read. The victorious squad is pictured below left. A few years earlier a familiar set of Carlton faces was successful in the 2009 McDonald Trophy Event at Lochlands (below right).

Work on further improvements in the Grange Loan Pavilion will shortly get under way. Improved changing facilities and access to toilet and shower for Women will follow conversion of part of the present umpire’s room into a changing area. Access from the changing room corridor will make the toilet and shower accessible. Many Thanks To Brian Forrester who has single handedly repainted the Grange Loan gates. The gates were installed in 2013 in association with the 150th Anniversary of the Club. Cricket Scotland recently announced the membership of its newly formed Domestic Cricket committee including Carlton President Bob Irvine. The Committee has been formed to provide a channel of communication between cricket on the ground and the governing body. You can read the full text of the announcement on this link which sets out the Committee's purpose in greater detail. Bob considers that his appointment reflects well on Carlton and all the work done by so many in the club to make a leading example of the Scottish club cricket. There are big challenges facing all clubs, including Carlton, and he looks forward to working with Cricket Scotland and other clubs to make sure these are successfully addressed rto strengthen the club game across Scotland. NEWS Congratulations to Abbi Aitken Drummond and Maisie Maceira who have been part of the Scotland A Squad touring Lancashire and Yorkshire 16-18 June and to Chris McBride who has been part of the Scotland Squad for the recent T20 series at Titwood.

RIP David Potter Carlton was saddened to learn of the death of David Potter, who with his camera was a regular visitor to Grange Loan and recorder many of Carlton’s best moments - most recently at Barnton to snap Carlton’s match against RHC - and at Grange Loan for Carlton Women v WOS. He will be greatly missed. Carlton sends its condolences to all David’s family and friends. Jean Calder Carlton is very grateful to the estate of Jean Calder, seen right, for a generous benefaction. Jean was a keen dog walker and supporter of Carlton for many years who sadly died in 2022 at the age of 92. Newsletter 44 provides more information about Jean and a link to a full obituary. NEWS

MAKE GRANGE LOAN THE SPECIAL PLACE FOR YOUR SPECIAL OCCASION Contact info@carltoncc.co.uk Come to Grange Loan - Everyone is Welcome Friday 20 June Junior BBQ Bar Open 5pm Cooking from 5.30 Weather Will Be Perfect Carlton u12s in Action Jump Ship Brewing Non-alcoholic Range on Sale

MANY THANKS TO THIS SEASON’S PLAYER SPONSORS Ardnamurchan Distilleries - Angus Guy; WJM - Arun Pilla Artemis - Chris McBride; Livingston James Group - Gabriella Fontenla The Opticians in Marchmont - Jamie Beattie The Square Cut Kitchen - Harry simpson and Ben D’Ulisse Umair Mohammed Dentistry - Abbi Aitken-Drummond, Sam Evans and Rory Allardice Haldi Indian Bistro - Olly Davidson; Mitchell Glass - Charis Scott The Free Company - Dan Da Costa To find out about the many sponsorship opportunities Carlton offers please contact - sponsorship@carltoncc.co.uk