Features

It may seem a long time to the start of the domestic season, but there’s no rest for our international players and in a couple of weeks they’ll be heading off to the West Indies to compete in the regional 50-overs competition and then playing in Jamaica.

It's that time of the year when you look around for a cricket present for a loved one and find there isn't too much to get excited about!

Twenty20 wins against cricket minnows like Italy, Hong Kong and Nepal might seem a far cry for a country seeking test status, but in international cricket you are where you are and the fight for associate countries to get into the top tier is packed with banana skins.

Jonathan Trott's early return from the Ashes Tour for health reasons may open a much bigger debate on the potential damage of sledging on the field and verbal attacks through the media, which are deemed too personal.

Clarence Hiles has produced another cricket masterpiece that ticks all the boxes if your cricket passion is combined with the Titanic story and local history.

The recent passing of former Instonians batsman JR 'Jim 'Crothers will be met with considerable sadness throughout Ulster cricket where he was highly respected and much loved.

Is the Northern Cricket Union going soft these days or has the set-up become so perfected over 129 years that there's nothing to be fixed these days.

Boyd Rankin's controversial switch of allegiance to England reaped its reward with his recent selection for the Ashes Tour.

There was a certain irony about the outcome of the last Interprovincial One Day Trophy game at Strabane on Saturday...

This time last week the Ireland team and the whole of the country couldn't wait for Malahide and a chance to put our best foot forward on and off the field.

With due respect to the Waringstown and Instonians connections a shared title in a NCU Premier League of eight teams has a hollow ring about it.

The glamour ODI tie with England at Malahide next Tuesday has lost some of its sparkle thanks to the England selectors 'resting' the bulk of their Ashes team.

Nick Larkin's magnificent 247 not out and James Cameron-Dow's match figures of 8-200...

The CPL may not be the death-knell for test cricket in the Caribbean, but it has certainly pushed it down the pecking order after an amazing opening competition last August.

The Limacol CPL Series is up and running to packed grounds in the Caribbean and there is plenty of Irish interest with Kev O'Brien starring for Trinidad and Tobago Red Steel.