Forfarshire Cricket Club

click here for the full report
  

Craig Wallace carried on from his all expenses paid holidays in Namibia and Hong Kong by heading for Australia, where he is planning on playing some cricket up until Christmas and then heading on to New Zealand. Craig has managed to upset the locals in Oz by being selected for a regional 20/20 side after just getting there. The locals in question are unhappy that this young whipper snapper has landed on their shores and walked into the team ahead of guys who have been playing there for years. Even the local press has been carrying the story.

It would be like some young Aussie off spinner strolling into Forthill one day and Ted suddenly being dropped to give him a game. You could only imagine the uproar this would cause and one has to think that in the same scenario any young Aussie in Dundee would have to fear for his life - and at the very least expect to have his shoes glued to the floor and his clothes put up the flagpole. We are hoping that whoever Craig has replaced does not have Ted like tendencies or else we might have to have a whip round for new kit when he gets back.

Andy Wallace is also out in Oz, although unlike his brother he has secured some employment and is working as a super salesman for a sports marketing company. He is planning to play some cricket although no statistics are at hand yet. Andy has been to NZ to see the rugby World Cup on his way to Oz and also stopped off in Thailand on the way. It can only be assumed that he has enjoyed his trip thus far and will no doubt have some stories to tell.

Congratulations go to Craig and Andy’s parents on winning the lottery.

Graeme Black has also ventured down under for the winter. To date, reports seem to suggest that he has played some golf, done some jogging, been to multiple barbeques and little else. There seems to be little interest in cricket on his part so far. Sounds a bit like a typical Scottish summer for Blackie. Rumours abound that he is actually trying to break into the Guinness Book of Records as the man who can attend the most barbeques around the world without ever paying for anything. His Australian friends confirm he is doing well to date.

We are hoping to hear about the cricketing exploits of all of our explorers in the coming weeks and will report on any results and progress.

One ex-Forf who has been among the runs is former pro Tom Cooper. He has been in great from and scored 203 not out for South Australia against New South Wales along with other great scores. This form has been noted by the national selectors and this week he has been included in the 12 man Australia A squad for a game against New Zealand. Our best wishes go to Tom for this game and for the rest of the season.

We can inform Tom that the seagull population in Forthill Primary is returning to normal after the cull he carried out whilst here when hitting sixes on to the school roof.

Hopefully in the next episode of Forfs Down Under we will find out if Craig is still alive, if Andy has managed to sell anything, if Blackie has broken the BBQ record and if any of them manage to score a run between them.

Scotland Honours for Craig
  
Recent years have seen Ryan, Umair and Priyanaz all represent Scotland at national level - and now Craig has made the step up gaining his first honours when the Saltires played Hampshire at the Rosebowl on 29th August.

To some of us, it doesn’t seem that long ago that “young” Craig was donning the gloves for the third team and facing Strathmore Union legends such as Dougie Gourlay at Doo’cot Park. Often in these games he would play in the same team as his Dad – and sometimes even his Mum. In these matches the batting and keeping talent was evident, but when behind the stumps he always got tired in the long 45 over games; and whilst his batting always looked nice he couldn’t usually get it off the square. His winters were spent eating chocolate and hoping for better things down Anfield way.

A few years later, a few gym sessions later and a few million throw downs later and things have changed just a touch…

After a life changing trip to Australia which saw the boy come back a man; and also saw him suddenly hitting it out of the park never mind off the square, he started to put in the graft that led to the national selectors sitting up and taking notice. This effort was rewarded at the tail end of this summer when Craig was deservedly selected for the national team and made his Saltires debut at the Rose Bowl against Hampshire, where he batted well before being run out and performed admirably behind the stumps.

This is indeed a long way from facing Dougie Gourlay and co, but I am sure Craig will acquit himself well and he has certainly earned his shot at the big time after all of the effort he has put into his game. It would certainly seem that the one constant in Craig’s life in recent years has been the eternal struggle to bring better days to the green fields of Anfield…..!!!!

And for the record he was always a better batter than his Mum.

Real Ale Festival Report

The inaugural Forfarshire Real Ale Festival was held at The Milton Inn, Monifieth over the weekend (9th-11th September) and with a great time had by all who attended, calls for the festival to become an annual event were numerous.

- The Festival as it Happened -
Friday: Gleadhraich launched the Real Ale Festival at The Milton Inn with an entertaining ninety minutes of Celtic rock. If you weren't there, then video highlights are available here.

Saturday: The afternoon brought sunshine, a bouncy castle and kids faces painted in all manners as the Real Ale Festival entered it's second day. An hour long performance from Pressure gave way to Saturday's 'headline' act – Miss Nic Nevet who performed to the largest audience of the weekend on a pleasant Saturday evening to spend in the garden of the Milton Inn.

Sunday: Shipping Line opened the final day of the Real Ale Festival with a mellow lunchtime set that gave the perfect musical start to the day.
Havana Swing jazzed up the atmosphere later in the day for the assembled audience who all made the most of the final part of the Forfarshire Real Ale experience.

For those who attended and asked to take away the list of ales, a copy can be downloaded here.
    

Junior Prizegiving

Forfarshire’s Junior Section held their annual prizegiving at Forthill on Friday 2nd September to bring an end to a season that showed high levels of enthusiasm across all age-groups along with notable improvements in performances. Over 125 junior members participated in games or coaching throughout the season and for the first time an all girls game had taken place at Forthill. Another first was a cricket-themed birthday party held on the ground – and hopefully it won’t be the last.

The under 13 season was particularly encouraging, with six different batsmen contributing 30 or more on sixteen occasions and some of the under 13 squad have already played senior cricket for the club. The under 15s won three matches throughout the year, two of these in the last month of matches, so improvement over the season was evident. The under 18s won six out of nine games played and many of the side are regulars in the second or third team.

Certificates were presented to all kwik-cricket participants before individual awards were made.

2011 Prizewinners:
Most Improved Junior (Thistle Trophy) – Andrew Cameron
Most Promising Junior (John Adams Trophy) – Jack Hogarth
Broughty Ferry Round Table Trophy – Craig Wallace, Aman Bailwal & Priyanaz Chatterji
Dick Auchinleck Trophy – Samir Hill
Under 15 Batting Trophy – Scott Cameron
Under 15 Bowling Trophy – Jack Chinery
Under 13 Batting Trophy – Christian Robertson
Under 13 Bowling Trophy – Jack Hogarth
   

    
The John Adams award for the most promising junior has seen no less than eight of the previous recipients go on to represent Scotland at youth or senior level and the Thistle Trophy for the most improved junior carries many familiar names since it was first awarded over thirty years ago – with the current u13 coach (Ted) collecting the award in 1977.

Forthill - 2011 Champions of S&PU Division One



Forthill were crowned champions of the Strathmore & Perthshire Union Division One on Saturday 27th August when their away trip to St.Modans was cancelled due to overnight rain. Unbeaten in eleven starts, Forthill will make a return to the Premier division in 2012 through a well deserved promotion.

S&PU League Tables