Irwin would have nodded his approval

Published on 13/06/2012 01:09

Irwin would have been quietly thrilled. A match played in his honour by two of the clubs he led to championship glory. Saturday’s CSL Western Premier League tussle between Stirling County and Ayr at New Williamfield was the inaugural Irwin Iffla Memorial trophy game in memory of the charismatic Jamaican pro who arrived here in 1951 and, for the next 43 seasons, displayed his magical cricketing skills. A contemporary of legendary Caribbean spinners Sonny Ramadhin and Alf Valentine, Iffla was a slow bowler of infinite variety in flight and pace, and a free-scoring batsman in the archetypal Windies mould. Uniquely, he won league medals in all three major Scottish leagues of his day with Ayr, Stenhousemuir and Stirling, and also played latterly for St Modan’s and Gargunnock.

Irwin was made a Freeman of Stirling in 2009 but would probably have nodded approvingly that Ayr were the first winners of his trophy. Their need was palpably greater. In May, skipper Mark Renny’s small, inexperienced squad, winless in both league and cup, had been further hampered by injuries and illness and the non-appearance of South African pro Craig Thyssen. But how the tables have turned. Thyssen arrived to blast 158 league runs in a week, while young Calum Leck returned on Saturday to snap up the crucial wicket of Josh Edwards in an 84-run win.