Forfarshire-Perthshire cricket rivalry
Forfarshire's captain John McNab (centre) and his Perthshire counterpart R. A. Lyle swarmed by autograph hunters before a match in 1935 | |
| Other names | Scotland's greatest cricket match |
|---|---|
| Sport | Cricket |
| Location | Scotland |
| Teams | Forfarshire Perthshire |
| First meeting | 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) |
| Latest meeting | SNCL Division One: 31 July 1999 (match drawn) |
| Stadiums | Forthill North Inch |
| Statistics | |
| Meetings total |
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| Most wins |
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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.
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. However, those familiar with both rivalries noted that the intense hostility the crowd possessed towards opposition players at either Forthill or the North Inch was a level above that seen in England at that time.