Cricket Scotland has announced a landmark partnership with the National Library of Scotland to officially archive over a century of Scottish cricket history. The complete Scottish Cricket Archive is now available for consultation in the Library’s Special Collections Reading Room in Edinburgh.
The archive documents the evolution of the sport in Scotland from 1908 to the present day, offering a detailed record of the Scottish Cricket Union and Cricket Scotland. Key materials include minute books, scorebooks, match programmes, publications, and statistical records across men’s, women’s, and junior cricket.
National cricket archive safeguards the game’s legacy in Scotland
This comprehensive donation provides an unparalleled overview of cricket’s development at the national level over the past 117 years. Among the highlights are historical research files compiled by Neil Leitch and Sandy Thorburn, documenting everything from the first recorded cricket match in Scotland in 1785 to the formation of local clubs and statistical data on Scottish internationals through to 1980.
Neil Leitch, scorer and official historian for Cricket Scotland, commented:
“As Historian of Cricket Scotland, I’ve long referred to these records to answer queries. I wanted to ensure they were available publicly in a safe, research-friendly space. I’m delighted the National Library agreed to house this archive.”
Leitch also thanked former Cricket Scotland Secretary Bert Barclay for providing Main Committee Minutes that enrich the archive.
Cricket Scotland celebrates historical milestone
Charles Paterson, Head of Communications at Cricket Scotland, emphasized the importance of the project:
“We are delighted that the National Library of Scotland has agreed to work with Cricket Scotland to archive and safeguard this documentation. It’s hugely important that our sport’s long and rich history in this country is preserved for future generations.”
National Library of Scotland welcomes the historic collection
Rachel Beattie, Curator of Land and Sport Collections at the National Library of Scotland, said:
“This generous donation complements our existing sporting collections and will further bolster the Library’s position as a centre for cricketing history in Scotland. We welcome research queries and look forward to making this archive accessible to the public.”
The archive is now officially catalogued and can be accessed in person at the Library in Edinburgh. For more information or research inquiries, contact: [email protected].
