Friendly: 26 June 1880 (Perthshire won by 98 runs) County: 5 July 1902 (Forfarshire won by 6 wickets) SNCL Division One: 1 June 1996 (Forfarshire won by 7 wickets)
The Forfarshire-Perthshire cricket rivalry was a domestic rivalry within the sport of cricket. It was notable for its fierce competition and, in the early part of the 20th century, its large attendances.
Forfarshire and Perthshire last played each other in the Scottish National Cricket League Division One in 1999, after which Perthshire's financial struggles saw them relegated to the feeder leagues of the SNCL before being dissolved in 2009.[2]
In its heyday, the derby, as it had come to be called by the press, was often compared with the Roses Match between Lancashire and Yorkshire.[3] However, those familiar with both rivalries noted that the intense hostility the crowd posessed towards opposition players at either Forthill or the North Inch was a level above that seen in England at that time.[4]
History
The first inter-county between the sides was in 1880, when the newly-formed Forfarshire arranged a series of friendlies with surrounding clubs, including Perthshire. The Big County won handsomely with Forfarshire's inexperience apparent; seven of Forfarshire's players went out for a duck in the first innings.[5]
Over the following years, with Forfarshire becoming a more established side, the competitiveness of each game drew increasingly large crowds. The proximity of the teams, in county terms, allowed large away supports to travel.[6]
With the advent of an official County Championship in Scotland in 1902, the first league derby was watched by a then-record crowd of approximately 15,000. Forfarshire's win, with only five minutes of playing time to spare, saw their victorious batsmen carried off the field in celebration.[7]
From this point, matches regularly drew crowds of well above 10,000.[8] At their peak, derby attendances were recorded as being over 20,000, unrivalled by any other match in Scotland.[9]
With interest waning in Scottish cricket from the 1930s onwards, the rivalry became less prominent but remained hotly contested until the disestablishment of the Scottish County Championship in 1995.[10]
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