...both the Northern Cricket Union and the North-West Cricket Union will host their Annual General Meetings but both meetings will be much different affairs.
Traditionally North-West meetings haven’t been as complicated as their Ulster eighbours, and at the end of a difficult season their rules appear to have dealt with the inclement weather a lot better. The most significant difference was the re-arrangement rule, and the provision of a 20-overs match within 8 days proved a much more workable rule than the re-arrangement of the entire match within 22 days. But the smoother running of leagues up the M2 goes much deeper than this rule, and without going into every situation in too much detail, it would be fair to say that most, if not all North-West clubs, take a much more pragmatic approach to re-arranging league games, and they work positively to move the process rather than get bogged down with complicated rules. The same could be said for paid players and overseas professionals, as they seem widely accepted, and while there has been some dissent in certain quarters, it doesn’t appear to worry enough people to take a strong stand.
It’s a much different picture in the NCU where legislators have been very active in recent months trying to determine the mood at grassroots level in an attempt to bring some changes that will make the season much easier to administer, and which will give the game a new impetus. Understandably the re-arrangement issue is likely to be given a major airing, but let’s hope the club delegates don’t take a knee-jerk reaction to a wet summer because there’s a huge difference between a 50-overs one day match and a 20-overs midweek thrash. Following the North-West model in this respect may finish the season by the end of August, but it will hardly improve the quality of NCU cricket. Looking back at some of those 20-overs thrashes this season and seeing the type of cricket that was played, it is not the role model that the NCU should follow. Perhaps it could work if there were two weather postponements, but although there’s a place for cricket circus in the modern game, it should not be in our premier league competitions.
Other issues that will test the NCU’s appetite for change will be the controversial proposals to change senior cricket to 16 clubs with two 8-team sections, and the streamlining of the cup competitions along similar lines. On the face of it both changes could make the administration of NCU cricket a lot easier to operate, but there’s no evidence to suggest it will improve the game or give it a better focus. Dropping eight teams from the senior cup is a negative approach, and surely the fringe clubs won’t want this to happen.
Although there is no strong movement to change the structure of the NCU administration after such a short time operating with the current structure, it would be helpful for the delegates to have received an independent report on how the new structure is performing. This won’t happen this year, but it’s all very well to set a structure in place and say that it works better, but this is not the way to monitor change. An independent assessment and presentation to the AGM would have been a very welcome ‘State of the Nation’ speech, and there are several excellent people within Irish cricket who could have performed this role with integrity and understanding.
One consideration that needs to be fully assessed is the future of senior club cricket, and particularly the top clubs. There’s no doubt that there is a major difference between competitive cricket and leisure cricket, and it isn’t being addressed. The issue of Sunday cricket needs to be debated again and an understanding established that caters for all views. And it need not be one view or the other. We also need a better policy in place for dealing with representative calls. To allow a senior cup match to be postponed because one player is on Ireland duty and then force a club to play a league game when three players are on duty defies logic. There must be a better solution.
And where are we with overseas professionals, paid players and the Ulster League? Is there a better way to recruit umpires, and is discipline a serious problem or is it all forgotten post-season? And after such a testing season can we ask the question are cricket grounds up to scratch?
Perhaps the administration of senior cricket needs to be separated from junior cricket in much the same way as happened pre 1975? There are very distinct differences and it doesn’t make much sense trying to satisfy both aspirations when they are poles apart in their structure, culture, and their vision for the future. Once again some research should be made to see if this is the case, or whether it is another Hiles apparition.
It certainly wouldn’t be the first!
Clarence Hiles
Editor
