…little wonder all the migrating ducks are heading home early to sunnier climes! But that won’t dampen the celebrations at Instonians, who finally landed the senior cup after 47 years since their last and only win in 1962. How fitting that some of the last team were present at Comber to share in the glory.
Well done the “Old Boys,” who on their day showed they were not only the better team, but they had the focus and determination to make the most of the elements. They had several fine performers on the day, but in “Whitey” they had a gem, perhaps the real difference between the two teams? Andrew deservedly took the Man-of-the-Match Award for the second time in his distinguished career, but there were many people at Comber who felt the recipient should have been the North Down groundsman Raymond Moreland for producing a quality wicket in the most appalling of conditions!
You have to feel for groundsmen year after year when all their hard work is ravaged by wind and rain. In the past week not only has big Ray been slogging it out under downpours at the Green, but also Philip McCormick at Stormont, and the hard-working Downpatrick duo of Gavin Ringland and Ivan Reid, have been magnificent servants of local cricket without the accolades that normally go to the players. Last week these guys were the public faces of all the groundsmen throughout the country, who work tirelessly to produce quality cricket wickets in the most inclement of conditions. And just to put it into perspective, I was back in Irelandfor 22 days in August and it rained every day but one!
In an era when players receive annual awards for performance, surely the time has come for a “Groundsman of the Year Award,” and let the captains decide who should be the recipient? Why not go a step further and have an “Administrator of the Year Award” as well, because not only were the NCU officials stretched to the limit in trying to get the senior cup final played, but they were fully committed to staging the biggest match ever to be staged in Belfast two days before it. That takes a lot of organization and commitment from a small group of people, mostly at their own expense. Well done Wylie McKinty and the various NCU committees who continue to promote cricket in trying conditions.
When all’s said and done Duckworth Lewis will still get my nomination as the “Player of the Season!” Nobody has contributed more to the game in 2009, and both the Irelandversus England match and the senior cup final were not to be denied. This artificial mechanism to try and produce a competitive game when rain has intervened is well meaning, but it throws up too many anomalies, and in most cases screws the heads of players, umpires and supporters. It may produce a result on the day, but is it any better than playing in the rain? After all, both produce results!
The celebrations at Shaw’s Bridge will continue for a long time, but the serious business of deciding the senior league title might need more Duckworth Lewis and a few 20-overs slogs in the next few weeks. Waringstown are in the driving seat but both Instonians and North Down should have a say in the outcome if they can motivate themselves to make a serious challenge. September cricket is a lottery at the best of times, but in a wet season it is points in the bank that wins league titles, and the Villagers are well ahead of their rivals with only three games to play, ironically involving both their challengers. In normal circumstances that would invite an intriguing finale to the season, but with such poor weather it could end up another Duckworth Lewis lottery!
Clarence Hiles
Editor
