During the football off-season of 1900, just on the brink of their entry into the Scottish League, East Stirlingshire decided to convert their ground, Merchiston Park, into a cricket ground for the summer. Eh?
Now, all of us who know, know East Stirlingshire were formed out of a cricket team, but like most professional club had long forsaken the summer game in favour the people's game. What is fascinating to me is the shockingly low scoring [by both teams], and since I seriously doubt it was due to the bowlers being at the top level, it must be down to playing the matches on a converted football ground which had just been through a long season. It was not until the last match for which there is a scorecard that any of the sides made a total of more than 50 [and then only just]. The matches were all one innings games, but it seems that if there was enough time, they would bat again.
All the matches were against members of the Falkirk & District Cricket League, and I can't help wondering if East Stirlingshire were shadowing the league with ideas of entering a side in future, however with their joining the ranks of the Scottish League, this was never going to work out.
25th? June East Stirlingshire v Falkirk Central at Merchiston Pk, Bainsford?
No Scorecard found
"Last week they had a defeat from Falkirk Central."
Mon 25th June East Stirlingshire v Thornbank at Merchiston Pk, Bainsford
Match Tied
Thu 12th July East Stirlingshire v Invergrange at Merchiston Pk, Bainsford
Notes
The match ended early so ES went in for a second innings, they had reached 82-8 before rain stopped play.
Hill Aitken was Falkirk FC's reglar left-back, and had guested a number of times for East Stirlingshire.
Tue 17th July East Stirlingshire v Invergrange
Notes
"E.S. went in for a second innings, when they were all dismissed for 21, Invergrange thus winning by an innings and seven runs."
Wed 18th July East Stirlingshire v Caledonia at Merchiston Pk, Bainsford?
No scorecard found.
"on Wednesday Caledonia only defeated them by 1 run, the scores being 18 and 19. In a second innings East Stirlingshire put on a good score."
Tue 24th July East Stirlingshire v Caledonia at Merchiston Pk, Bainsford
Note This seems to have been played between two 'scratch' elevens, the Caledonia XI playing several guests including Willie Allan of ESFC; Sammy Roper of Falkirk FC & Thornbank CC, A.Lyon of Thornbank CC and Rigg of Invergrange CC, while East stirlingshire had the assistance of Whitehead of Falkirk Central CC.
East Stirlingshire were scheduled to play Falkirk Central on Tue 31st July to close their summer of cricket, but I have yet to find any reports of the match taking place.
Now, all of us who know, know East Stirlingshire were formed out of a cricket team, but like most professional club had long forsaken the summer game in favour the people's game. What is fascinating to me is the shockingly low scoring [by both teams], and since I seriously doubt it was due to the bowlers being at the top level, it must be down to playing the matches on a converted football ground which had just been through a long season. It was not until the last match for which there is a scorecard that any of the sides made a total of more than 50 [and then only just]. The matches were all one innings games, but it seems that if there was enough time, they would bat again.
All the matches were against members of the Falkirk & District Cricket League, and I can't help wondering if East Stirlingshire were shadowing the league with ideas of entering a side in future, however with their joining the ranks of the Scottish League, this was never going to work out.
25th? June East Stirlingshire v Falkirk Central at Merchiston Pk, Bainsford?
No Scorecard found
"Last week they had a defeat from Falkirk Central."
Mon 25th June East Stirlingshire v Thornbank at Merchiston Pk, Bainsford
East Stirlingshire
G.McGregor b Haig 23
R.Clark b Haig 0
J.Shirra c McVey b Haig 5
W.Wright b McVey 0
P.Stewart c Walker b McVey 4
W.Allan b McVey 2
J.C.Johnstone b McVey 0
J.Williamson b Haig 0
J.Graham b McVey 1
D.Alexander not out 0
A.Scott b Haig 0
Extras 3
Total 38
Bowling
McVey ?-?-17-5
Haig ?-?-21-5
Thornbank
A.Walker c Clark b Wright 8
G.Allan c Scott b Allan 4
E.McPhie c & b Wright 12
D.Mullholland c Shirra b Wright 0
W.McVey b Wright 0
T.Haig b McGregor 5
R.Bell b Wright 0
J.Stewart b McGregor 0
J.Bellingham c McGregor b Wright 3
J.McVey b Wright 0
J.Forrester not out 2
Extras 4
Total 38
Bowling
Wright ?-?-13-7
McGregor ?-?-11-2
Allan ?-?-7-1
Match Tied
Thu 12th July East Stirlingshire v Invergrange at Merchiston Pk, Bainsford
East Stirlingshire
G.McGregor b Aitken 13
R.Wilson b Whittock 7
P.Stewart b Flannigan 2
W.Wright b Aitken 5
W.Allan b Aitken 2
James Mitchell b Aitken 0
J.C.Johnstone b Aitken 0
R.Clark b Aitken 0
J.Graham c Milne b Whittock 2
J.Williamson not out 0
J.Mitchell b Whittock 0
Extras 3
Total 34
Bowling
Aitken ?-?-?-6
Whittock ?-?-?-3
Flannigan ?-?-?-1
Invergrange
J.Flannigan b Wright 8
R.Whittock b McGregor 1
D.Millan b McGregor 2
W.Smith hit wkt b Wright 0
Hill Aitken c Wilson b Wright 2
R.McColl c Clark b McGregor 0
N.Whitehead b McGregor 0
J.S.Knowles b Wright 0
D.Rigg b Wright 1
J.Scarborough c Clark b McGregor 1
J.Smith not out 0
Extra 1
Total 16
Bowling
Wright ?-?-?-5
McGregor ?-?-?-5
East Stirlingshire won by 18 runs.
Notes
The match ended early so ES went in for a second innings, they had reached 82-8 before rain stopped play.
Hill Aitken was Falkirk FC's reglar left-back, and had guested a number of times for East Stirlingshire.
Tue 17th July East Stirlingshire v Invergrange
Invergrange
J.Flannigan c & b McGregor 2
T.Learmonth lbw b Wright 2
D.Millan lbw b Wright 24
R.Whyttock b McGregor 2
H.Aitken run out 5
W.Smith b McGregor 3
R.McColl b Wright 0
J.Smith b Wright 0
J.Robertson b McGregor 1
J.Bow b McGregor 2
G.Currie not out 0
Extras 1
Total 43
Bowling
McGregor ?-?-?-4
Wright ?-?-?-5
East Stirlingshire
R.Wilson b Learmonth 1
W.Allan c Millan b Learmonth 3
G.McGregor b Learmonth 0
W.Wright c Millan b Aitken 1
J.Mitchell run out 2
P.Stewart c & b Learmonth 3
R.Clark b Aitken 1
W.Roberts c Millan b Aitken 1
J.C.Johnston b Aitken 0
J.Williamson not out 0
J.Graham c & b Aitken 1
Extras 2
Total 15
Bowling
Learmonth ?-?-?-4
Aitken ?-?-?-5
Notes
"E.S. went in for a second innings, when they were all dismissed for 21, Invergrange thus winning by an innings and seven runs."
Wed 18th July East Stirlingshire v Caledonia at Merchiston Pk, Bainsford?
No scorecard found.
"on Wednesday Caledonia only defeated them by 1 run, the scores being 18 and 19. In a second innings East Stirlingshire put on a good score."
Tue 24th July East Stirlingshire v Caledonia at Merchiston Pk, Bainsford
East Stirlingshire
N.Whitehead b Allan 18
W.Roberts b Lyon 0
J.Hastings c Roper b Rigg 0
P.Stewart b Bain 8
J.Dale b Allan 1
J.Mitchell b Allan 7
J.Williamson not out 10
W.Wright b Allan 0
R.Clark b J.Mallice 1
J.Campbell b J.Mallice 2
H.Lyon b J.Mallice 1
Extras 3
Total 51
Bowling
Allan ?-?-?-4
Lyon ?-?-?-1
Rigg ?-?-?-1
Bain ?-?-?-1
J.Mallice ?-?-?-3
Caledonia
J.Bain b Whitehead 0
A.Mallice b Whitehead 3
W.Allan b Wright 21
D.Rigg b Wright 0
J.Mallice b Whitehead 3
A.Lyon b Wright 9
W.Alexander b Whitehead 0
R.Kerr b Wright 0
S.Roper b Wright 0
J.Wilkie b Whitehead 1
A.Scott not out 0
Extras 2
Total 39
Bowling
Whitehead ?-?-?-5
Wright ?-?-?-5
Note This seems to have been played between two 'scratch' elevens, the Caledonia XI playing several guests including Willie Allan of ESFC; Sammy Roper of Falkirk FC & Thornbank CC, A.Lyon of Thornbank CC and Rigg of Invergrange CC, while East stirlingshire had the assistance of Whitehead of Falkirk Central CC.
East Stirlingshire were scheduled to play Falkirk Central on Tue 31st July to close their summer of cricket, but I have yet to find any reports of the match taking place.