Tam's Tall Tales
- Kids' Cricket Stumped by Weather and Exams
Morrison's Academy, Crieff -
© Robert Bone via Wikimedia Commons
"Howzat" for School Cricket
A Perthshire school has abandoned cricket due to the "complicated" rules and wet weather postponing play.It might be the world's most second popular sport, played by over 120 million people across the world but for one school the rules of the game have baffled staff and this has contributed to it being axed from the timetable.
Since the 16th century cricket has been an integral part of sporting life in Britain, especially in England. But we must never forget that Freuchie in Fife (pronounced "Froochie") is best known for its Cricket Club because it surprised everyone, particularly those in England, by winning the national village cricket championships at Lord's in 1985 and then again in 2007. To win the competition at the home of the game was quite an achievement for a Scottish club.
But for Morrison's Academy, in Crieff, the continuous wet weather and complex rules have led to cricket being scrubbed.
The decision was announced in a letter to parents at the 530-pupil co-educational day school, which counts actor Ewan McGregor and Olympic curling star Eve Muirhead among its former pupils.
Director of sport Scott Weston said the move followed a review of summer games at the school, which he joined last year from a teaching post at another top Scottish independent school, Glasgow Academy.
He said: "After much deliberation and consultation with colleagues both in school and beyond, I have taken the decision to stop playing cricket from the end of this session. "The principal reasons behind this move are that the Summer Term is significantly shorter than when cricket was a major summer sport and there is therefore appreciably less time in which to learn and play the game.
"The need to prepare for public examinations, which in the case of senior members of the School now begin at the end of April, only three weeks into the term, means there is very little time to practice let alone play matches.
"Unfortunately local club cricket, which traditionally supported what we were doing at school, has declined across Strathearn and, in the case of Crieff, ceased to exist all together. "These problems are compounded by having to try and play cricket on early-season wickets which are typically soft and not conducive to a decent standard of the game.
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Tam O'Ranter
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