Limavady has already laid down the gauntlet and finished their league programme three points clear, so Donemana has to win their last two games to claim the title. On the face of it that should not pose a major problem for a team that has lost only once in the league this season, ironically to their closest contenders, but sandwiched between their midweek game against lowly Killymallaght, and the out-of-form Brigade on Saturday, is the small matter of the Irish Senior Cup final against North County.
It’s the type of challenge Donemana cricketers live for, and none more so that their inspirational skipper Dwayne McGerrigle, who could end the week one of the happiest cricketers inIreland, or one of the most disappointed!
Donemana could not have picked two more straightforward fixtures than their last two league opponents who have struggled for form all season. Defending champions Brigade in particular, have been abysmal despite reaching the cup final, and it would take a complete transformation from either team to cause an upset and deprive Donemana of the title.
However, the bigger fish of the Irish Senior Cup is a much more daunting proposition.
There’s no doubt that North County go into this game as hot favourites having won the cup four times in the past seven seasons, but the gap was certainly narrowed when the venue was allocated to Strabane, just a few miles down the road from Donemana. That in itself not only guaranteed a strong support from the club, but virtually all North-West cricketers will rally around their premier club in an act of solidarity. Outwardly North County may be undaunted at the prospect, but they have never faced such a partisan local support, and that in itself will give Dwayne McGerrigle and the McBrine twins a huge boost.
Donemana won the trophy in 2000, and will see another victory as not only vindication of their continuing dominance of North-West club cricket, but as another milestone in asserting themselves as one of the premier clubs in Irish cricket.
But not only will Donemana be on show this week, so will North-West cricket in general. Recent criticism of umpires and some well-publicized incidents of badbehaviour by spectators, has tainted the image of a cricket public that can be fiercely partisan, but prides itself in being unscrupulously fair. There’s no place for crude or rude when it comes to cricket, and although the vast majority of spectators behave impeccably, there’s always a few ‘loose spanners’ to spoil the party. Let’s hope they don’t do it this time.
As for the criticism of umpires, ‘trial by website’ is grossly unfair and should be discouraged by everyone as it taints the integrity of officials, is always one-sided, and usually comes from people who are not in a position to judge. If spectators are going to assess the quality of umpires then the number of officials will quickly diminish, and without neutral umpires the game if dead on its feet. Every umpire makes mistakes, but they are not intentional, and over the course of a season they average out. Sensible players accept occasional mistakes because they go with the territory, and you just have to look at test umpiring and ‘trial by television’ to see that even the best umpires in the world make mistakes.
The standard of umpiring has not declined, but the standard of behaviour in challenging the integrity of umpires has certainly declined, and the blame lies solely with certain players and spectators who must win at all costs and have no respect for the game. They are a minority, and not solely the property of North-West cricket, as it is a cancer that has been allowed to fester in the modern game. There should be zero tolerance for abuse of umpires, and when indiscretions take place, the penalties should be strong and punitive.
Good luck to North-West cricket this week and particularly to the men from the Holm.
Clarence Hiles
Editor
