The initiative came from an NCU Management Board decision to commission a Junior Cricket Task Force headed by Cricket Development Director Andy Clement, Assistant Director Brian Walsh with NCU Secretary Bryan Milford handling the administration details. The board was concerned at the number of junior matches that were being cancelled and a growing discontent about general playing rules. The Task Force then co-opted key people from the junior ranks to formulate ideas to increase participation at this level, especially amongst adults.
The initiative came from the NCU but the final proposals have come from the players, so the Task Force has to be commended for setting up roadshows and facilitating discussion sessions to collate the views of as many people as possible.
There is no doubt that the game is struggling at the lower level, and it is refreshing that the people who are closest to grass-roots are the people leading the drive for change. Many former cricketers leave the game in the twilight of their cricket careers, but if some changes were made they might still be involved. There are also the added problems of trying to accommodate people who don’t want to play long games on Saturdays, and to providing a constructive solution to schoolboy cricketers who have morning games.
The Task Force represents a good cross-section of junior and minor cricket interests and includes: Andrew Beattie (Waringstown), Johnny Gillespie (Lurgan), Ivan McCombe (Muckamore, Peter McMorran (CSNI), Graeme Pollock (Cooke Collegians), John Torrans (Derriaghy), Peter Shepherd (Templepatrick), Jeff Wylie (Instonians), Brian Walsh, Andy Clement and Bryan Milford (secretary). It has met on two occasions as a group, and has organized three roadshows to canvass opinion and support for change. Some 26 clubs were represented at the roadshows and their views have been taken on board to compile proposals to put before next month’s AGM and hopefully come into play next year.
The broad proposals are that cricket below the First Division will be restructured into Junior 1-9 l with eight-team leagues apart from Junior 1 (ten). Straight through leagues will operate although a club cannot have a lower team positioned in a league above one of their higher teams. The Task Force has looked at the standards involved and positioned leagues accordingly, and they have allowed clubs to reduce matches down to 20 overs if the weather affects a game. Re-arrangements will be mandatory Twenty20 games with one attempt to replay. These matches can be played on non-turf pitches apart from Junior 1.
Every encouragement is to be made to get teams to play Saturday games to remove the malaise of “loaded teams,” and starting times have also been adjusted to reflect the length of the match and the players participating. There will be minimal refreshments for 30 overs games.
Junior 1 teams will still compete in the Junior Cup, the Intermediate Cup will feature Junior 2 and 3, the Lindsay Minor Cup will feature Junior 4-6 and the Minor Qualifying Cup will be Junior 7-9. The proposed overs for matches are scaled down from 50 overs an innings in the top Junior 1 section to 30 overs in leagues 7 to 9.
Relegation will remain two up and two down.
A lot has been said and written about the challenges down the leagues in recent years as society and lifestyle changes have seriously affected the game. These proposals will constructively address some of the main problems, and since they have come from representatives of the clubs, then hopefully a strong consensus for change will ensure they get approved. The AGM is not always the best platform for constructive debate as parochial interests often cloud the bigger issues, but there has been so much work put into collating the views of junior cricketers, hopefully the delegates will look at the bigger picture and take the necessary steps to improve the current situation.
Well done the Task Force in getting to this stage.
Clarence Hiles
