Orkney bowler joins the hall of fame

One of only two Scotland players born in the Orkney Islands has been inducted into the Cricket Scotland hall of fame.

Eric Thompson was regarded as one of the very best seam bowlers ever produced by Scotland.

He was educated at Melville College in Edinburgh and went on to play for the best team produced by Melville College FP, which included Dougie Barr and Eric Chisholm, both Scottish internationalists who have previously been inducted into the hall of fame.

He progressed to the Scotland team in 1965, his first game being against Ireland in Dublin. In the Irish second innings he took five wickets for 11 runs, helping dismiss Ireland for 25, the lowest score ever against Scotland

“In all he took 107 wickets for Scotland”

until the figure was lowered by Oman earlier this year.

This was the first of six five-wicket hauls in a 41-match Scotland career.

In all he took 107 wickets for Scotland, during the course of bowling just over 1,100 overs. He died in 1992 at the age of 53.

Pace bowler John Blain, who grew up in Penicuik, was also inducted into the hall of fame. He went on to win 118 caps and claim 188 wickets.

• Not a ball was bowled in the North of Scotland cricket league this weekend due in the most part to rain.

The games between Forres St Lawrence and Buckie, Fort William and Ross County and Northern Counties and Nairn County were all washed out while Huntly picked up full points as visitors Elgin were unable to field a side.