Forum

"Disgruntled, gripes, and general ***t-stirring"
I feel the comments have been well aired and finished. Time to move on.
It would be welcome about general health or otherwise of cricket.

Re disgruntled parent I refer to my recent posting about young players being 'encouraged' to defect to other, more 'fashionable' clubs. When one reads the surnames of those selected at all age levels and the surnames of coaches/managers/selectors then one can see where the perception of 'disgruntled parent' comes from. I recall an instance where one lad was selected whose uncle was the teacher who put his name forward. Did he progress in cricket? No - but funny enough there was a boy in the same school team who made none of the 'age' squads but went on to full international honours. So 'disgruntled parent' don't be too disheartened 'their da can only get them so far'! Indeed I had a conversation with Mr. Angry at Derriaghy not so long ago!

re angry parent stop feeling sorry for yourself its the unwritten rule you have to play for the right school/ club to get recognition but thats life you should just be telling your son to carry on playing to the best of his ability there would be plenty on these forums could tell you that even if you played for the northern knights the step up to ireland A or IRELAND has a southern bias which is why a lot of players decide to go across the water and ply there trade in county cricket

Hi Mark,
People are entitled to opinions whether or not pseudonyms. I'd prefer they would be asked but perhaps a can of worms. Best to write the selector if he has a beef. Mind you, I recall an ex-Ulster Country cricketer a long time ago, who telephoned the selectors all the time to tell him how good both his sons were. To the best of my knowledge they weren't picked either.
Bias or otherwise it is as long as the hills. I can think about cricket and rugby schools dating over 50 years.

As someone with no involvement in the picking of the NCU U15 but who knows the effort that those coaching give (predominantly as volunteers), I would like to rubbish the claims of bias towards ex-players.

Tours to South Africa, Denmark, net sessions, trial matches, watching school games are all part of a service that a group of men do. They care deeply about NCU cricket and will pick a team that they feel gives the best possible chance of development of players, as well as interpro success, not for any other purpose!

To suggest otherwise is ludicrous and to do under a cloak of anonymity is cowardice! I think it is time for the Ulster Cricketer to refuse to post anonymous attacks.

Thank you to all those who volunteer to support cricket in our country: as umpires, scorers, union officers, selectors, coaches, development officers, groundsmen or otherwise - we are in a better place because of you.

Ref NCU U15'S

As someone who has not had a long affiliation with any club within the NCU I felt obliged to write and vent my anger regarding the selection of the NCU U15 team for the forthcoming tour to Denmark and the Interpros.

The players were told they would be picked on merit depending on how they performed in the two trial matches ! This is obviously not the case and the squad has in my opinion been picked in order to appease ex-players who are well known to the coaching staff or have strong connections with the coaching staff.

Disappointing to say the least !!!

Having been at Woodvale I now understand the reason behind Ronnie McAlpine's posting. Lots of postings about the decline in standards but socialising after the game was always one of the enjoyable parts of it. Perhaps BT4 is getting the Dublin D4 mentality!

The Knights v Warriors last night at Comber in the T20 proved again that when it comes to staging games North Down is a great venue. The Green was looking great and it was a pity the cricket didn't live up to it.
The Warriors won at a canter and the two full time Irish cricketers Stusrt Thomoson with bat and ball and Andy McBrine with the ball and in the field were the outstanding performers on show. McBrine leads by example in the field and his diving catch in the covers would have had the TV cameras running it over and over again .
A decent but probably disappointing crowd considering how nice a night it was and it was after 6pm before any semblance of people came in. Would starting at 5.30pm be a better idea?
These occassions are great for catching up with other cricket people you only see at events like these.
While the game was going on North Down's Friday night Kwik Cricket was happening on the top ground and from the numbers at that and the investment in improving the car park the Comber men don't look like a club feeling sorry for themselves .
From a Knights perspective it was a night to forget in all three disciplines.
Roll on the next inter pro.

You miss my point Terry. I was pointing out the imbalance of financial provision over the three major projects. Ravenhill £15m, Windsor £18 and Casement £62m. £1m to cricket could assist with, for example, grants for ground equipment. We here about 'work going on behind the scenes' so perhaps this is an area that could be focussed on.

yes andy we need more money for trips to spain for the northern knights some of them boys look pale a wee break in the sun would do them good the rich get richer the poor just concede matches lol

It was revealing to see on last night's Spotlight how the DCAL money was divided for the stadia improvements in Belfast with the lion's share going to the Casement Park project. I wonder if the Unions, both NCU and NWCU, have made any approaches to MLAs for allocations for cricket. I am aware that Alan Murray's FoI request didn't reveal too much coming our way.

As always Caleb hits the nail right on the head. Well said buddy.

Hi Ivan,
That structure is what Cricket Leinster have in place with 16 leagues of approx 8 teams in each. Clubs/teams simply get promoted / relegated each year along with a variety of re-classifications where they need to promote teams up or down to ensure they are at the appropriate level.
There is a differentiation in affiliation fees and a concept of junior/senior membership but this is more related on allowing smaller clubs in the lower divisions to pay a reduced fee.
The divisional structure works well and enables first teams in 1/2 team clubs to play against a variety of opposition each week not just other smaller clubs.
The problem of not being able to field a team is an unfortunate one and the divisional structure will not solve it but may assist clubs over the longer term in a more merit based league structure.
Facilitating a more accommodating policy on re-arrangements in such circumstances perhaps enabling reduced over midweek re-arrangements in lower divisions may assist in ensuring all league matches get played, albeit with all such rule tweaks they need properly thought through to ensure they dont get exploited by clubs.

Don't see much criticism on here regarding our cricket union, and certainly none from me ! As I've often said, a fine organisation run by dedicated, professional folk who have our own and our clubs best interests at heart, and like our superb umpires, are at the very least, deserving of our full support and respect!

But what you will quite often hear me carp on about in some form or another is You ?

Yes You....you read it right! The individual who's packed it all in or perhaps considering it? Can't be bothered anymore, maybe you've played at the top level and decided you're not going to humble yourself, lower your 'standards' as it were and play at a lower level where the crowds aren't as plentiful or grounds as fanciful to what you were once atoned too?

Or could it be that You were once even paid money to play cricket? A game that has provided so much for You in the past, but now at the ripe old age of 30 something or another, the offers aren't as lucrative as they once were?

Maybe no club wants to pay you any lolly at all? Sad state of affairs isn't it, getting older? After all, now you've achieved all you want why bother putting anything back into the game, or the club that once nourished and gleaned that early potential and formative talent?

And then there's those tireless coaches at club & union level, maybe even higher again, remember them ? Yes, the guys that put long, selfless hours into making You the player you became. And dear knows, they're probably still at it? Encouraging those screaming, pesky kids, yes just as you once were, who are now crying out for someone like You, to come along and volunteer to help them foster and learn the skills of the game in hope they too like You, will one day make something of themselves, make their mums & dads proud, cause both have they've tried so hard to give their 'wee Jimmy' some sort of decent upbringing?

No, No.....You couldn't be bothered with all that heartache could you? Sure the golf course looks much more appealing doesn't it ?

Well, if it is You I'm referring too? Despite your obvious glorious past, I wouldn't get too swell or big headed about one's self if I were,You ? Take a wee peak a post or two below and inwardly ingest the exploits of a certain 'Robbie Streat' and then mull over this one final prevailing question I'd like to pose You?

If God forbid, I ever had to climb out over the trenches under heavy gunfire, do You know who I'd want running alongside me, shoulder to shoulder?

Afraid you don't even come a worthy 2nd !

Clarence it's great to read you are back in Headquarters. No the fault is certainly not anything to do with the UC who offer a great forum for people to air their views.
Since that last post I have read an article by Alistair Bushe in the News Letter having a go at the Northern Knights selection policy.
I think Alistair does a great job for cricket but I just can't get the whole " let's knock the Knights thing". We have just come out of two games with the "invincible" Leinster Lightining on the plus side of two draws, we have witnessed James Shannon mature and probably be captain for seasons to come , we have seen a young wicketkeeper emerge from a Section One club , young Mulder bowled 30 overs of leg spin in Dublin at less than two an over,
The Knights must be the most knocked team ever. Lets get behind them. There's a T20 at Comber on Friday night . Remember the selectors aren't cricketing nobody's . Robin Haire and Ryan Eagleson know cricketers when they see them. Picking teams is everyone's favourite pastime but these guys do it for real . Are there two other guys in the NCU who have watched more cricket at Premier League level in the last ten years ? How about us getting behind the team they pick and make the players feel proud to be representing the NCU.