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A quick question, something I have noticed in recent years of club cricket is the decline in standard of teas? I know some places you are always in for a great feed but I feel these are now becoming few and far between. It doesn't take miracles to improve so would hope this in only a blip

CUP FINAL WOES-
Cup finals stopped being special games to the players involved when they reduced it to one innings affairs.
Throw in D/L and you get very dissatisfied spectators, often meaningless results and a game that is not worthy of the NCU top game of the season!!
If we are to keep the one innings final then forget about D/L and play to the finish and may the best team over 100 overs be the victor!!

CIYMS 45-0 through 11 overs.

i would like to apologise as well to michael taylor for swearing at him at ballymena cc i take my cricket far too serious and life is too short too hold grudges and they end up just eating away at your soul and should we meet on the cricket field at the end of the match i will surely shake his hand

I got the bumper nickname from an infamous game in my teens when I took 4wickets and 4retired hurts!
The legend nickname from my longevity as a player!
But I am beginning to believe my own PR as I made my way to the crease in two recent games, firstly I had fly past by the Red Arrows and on Saturday an invitation over the mike at Dungannon to participate in the Strongest Man competition!!!!

Delighted to learn that the Victoria "pro" is still going strong! Flossie still talks about his dancing skills at Brownlow House. As I have posted before I don't recall anyone ever telling me that they retired too late. Keep her lit Gerald!!

During a recent match our own pro bowled his allotted 6 overs straight through, conceding not that many and capturing a couple of wickets in the process.

Not a feat that will go down in the annals of cricket lore and indeed, he was critical of his own efforts in that he had bowled one wide and a couple had pitched leg side, allowing the batsman a relatively easy scoring opportunity.

Still, I thought to myself, not a bad return for a man who will soon be celebrating his 78th birthday.....

The Doctor's Letter

Though never better, I received a doctor's letter
concerning a visit routine,
puzzled all the same, regarding it's aim
to the surgery, I did convene

Reporting at reception, I was accused of deception
"you're not listed here," a lady remarked,
"this cannot be, here's a letter from my GP
though no regular caller," I barked

"Well my good fella, I'll have to go to the cellar"
the secretary grumpily said,
after one hour, she returned even more sour
holding a tattered folder of red

"Now sir please listen, you're not on our system
but it's clear from this old file,
although certainly latent, you once were a patient
so Dr Barker will see you, in a short while"

Whilst sat outside his room, I grew aware of the gloom
as folk waited to be seen,
transfixed to mobile phones, like listless drones,
awaiting a pardon from the queen

In turn, each through the door, then back out as before
still calling and texting,
clutching paper prescriptions, for various afflictions
a due process, I found rather vexing

Soon my turn, to meet the doctor looking stern
weary of the daily regime,
but he broke into a smile, noting the name on the file
"come in, sit down, I want to come clean

I personally looked you up, from your name on a cup
my grandfather kept in his study,
he was once your GP, and I further decree
a past teammate and buddy

He often spoke of your strong-will and athletic skill
combined, to defeat any foe,
yet down through the years, despite blood, sweat and tears
to his general practice, you'd never go

Now forty years on, how can you go so long
without ever a sick day,
regularly seen, out on the village green,
still playing and plugging away? "

"Now young Dr Barker, let me put down a marker
as to why, I remain free of all ills,
play the game hard but fair, with gusto and flare,
to negate the need for any pills

Always bat straight, to narrow the gate
and bowl to the sweat drips from my brow,
for the simple trick to it, is to keep playing cricket
so I'll see you again, in another forty years from now "

on a different note today and not really a comment but more of a question i played a third eleven match at bangor recently and was working the remote control scoreboard i was impressed by the technology until a teammate of mine started laughing next to me i glanced around and he was on his latest 4g mobile phone i asked him what he was watching and he told me that the muckamore first team where doing well obviously i thought twitter but no an application called periscope in full hd beamed live from moylena now the point i am making is how hard would it be for someone to set a linkup of the challenge cup final on friday to appeal to the masses i understand there is an entrance fee of £5 adults £2 children which is not much really and im guessing it goes to charity so if for example i went along and made a live video would it be classed as a professional or amateur event and would it be copyright material of the owner the northern knights semi pro games are free to watch so why is the so called amateur game a pay per view answers on a postcard haha ps i am only playing devils advocate

In the tied match that I described below there was another remarkable achievement with a 15 year old and a 16 year old putting on a massive stand of 205 for the first Waringstown wicket. A great game - the future's bright!

we would of been chasing 400 if i hadnt tempted one of the openers to hit my new ball half tracker into the river 9 balls into the first innings and replaced with a used ball tactics you see ps i got an invoice for £20 from the club i dont mind i will take one for the team haha

There was a quite remarkable tied match at moylena yesterday between Muckamore and Waringstown 2nd XI s both scoring 295 in junior league 1. Junior league 1 is an important and special league where often the next generation of young players just below premier league level play with and against the nuggety old campaigners. Such was the case in this match and when the youthful visitors racked up a score of 295 they could have been tempted to consider the job half done not that their skipper would have let that happen. But had Sky Sports been covering the match WASP would have been rather low at that stage.
But they reckoned without an ex WP batsman playing a most disciplined batting masterclass. I don't even think that the Waringstown bowlers bowled that badly. Just that every slight aberration in line or length was punished along the ground always in the gaps with Baguley wielding the bat with the precision of a surgeon's scalpel. And a few effortless sixes just to show he can do that. If you enjoy proper batsmanship then this innings was a joy to observe.
Three aforementioned nuggety types provided the big hitting at the other end and suddenly the impossible became possible.
I apologise for not having any knowledge of the Waringstown innings but obviously there must have been good batting or poor bowling or both. Or indeed the merits of the tea Terry - sounds like a NW style affair!
Another great NCU match. Cricket was the winner and it's not dead just yet!

Davy McD know one more than me enjoyed the social side of the game . Most Sunday mornings the first question wasn't "did we win?" But "how did I get home?". You looked forward to the trips to Laurelvale, North Down, Holywood in the rugby club, Newforge, Ballymena, Saintfield etc. I can remember many a conversation with the now NCU chairman about "who will stay late but not drink to bring us home? "
However that belonged to another era and social habits have changed , partner expectations have changed and I know from even the last ten years "what time will I be home for? " occupied a lot of people's minds as I captained teams in the Junior Leagues AND not just the young players. People would be available for home games but not away games etc.
So to keep the game alive and I believe we will grow it ( your own club are a shining example of growing ) we have got to " make changes" and I really believe finishing at 6pm with no exceptions is the best way of getting more to play . It can't be allowed to run past because of rain because that's when problems start . With a definite " end time " we can all organise our Saturday evening around that.
School cricket remains important and clubs and the Union should be encouraging more schools to intoduce cricket. Another big change from an earlier era is the number of underage teams and games. When I played you had the Graham Cup and that might have meant one game. Now we have leagues and cups from Under 11's up with some clubs having A and B teams. Maybe we should have an Under 18 league on a Sunday morning as a substitute for Senior School cricket on a Saturday and it could run for May and June only.
I think it's inevitable with more teams we need to play Sunday cricket but if all leagues were 8 teams the need for a lot of double headers disappear.,
I think if the finishing times are sorted the call for less overs will cease. If you are someone who only bowls do you want to bowl less overs ( probably not ) , if you bat in the middle order do you want to get a chance to build an innings (probably). Less overs = less participation = less people wanting to play.
I just think this is staring us all in the face but it needs real leadership to make it happen AND keep the schools on side as they are critical to the continued growth of our sport.
Clubs need to work closer with schools and not just establihed schools.
It's changing times but personally I wouldn't change that "how did I get home?" era for anything .

the secret to chasing down waringstown seconds fine total of 295 hot chicken fillet burgers freshly baked sausage rolls savoury pasta ham and tomato sandwiches chicken coleslaw sandwiches chicken tikka sandwiches a selection of fresh fruit bananas grapes chocolate covered doughnuts a selection of yoghurts biscuits of various choice freshly brewed coffee and tea all well presented by the captains wife now i seen at least 3 players going up 3 times to refill their plates they started off bowling and fielding well but at the end of the 50 overs they knew they had overindulged for their surely was a feast of runs absolutely nothing to do with mr baguleys sublime 107 not out connor breets smashing 85 david raineys quickfire 39 and les allens cameo 25 it was masterminded in the kitchen by the tea lady lol

As regards to all these fine proposals and innovative ideas in order to check this much talked about'malaise' in local cricket, I sincerely hope no 'bright spark' once again suggests omitting the customary tea interval and the much looked forward to food and refrestments that go along with the interval.

Setting aside all the camaraderie, loving-up and team bonding, I for one after being out in the field for whatever number of overs, am absolutely ravenous and ready for a feed!

I recollect a couple of seasons ago that said 'bright spark' got their way and a notion was passed to waive the manditory teas and though mercifully most clubs ignored this obscure ruling and allowed common sense and hospitaly to prevail, some followed the letter of the law and provided naff all for their travelling opponents, a course of action that caused much outcry if memory serves me right!

Come to think of it, it was the lower teams of a certain few 'big' premier clubs which chose not to provide any grub for their guests, I wonder why ?

Perhaps they needed to save their money for other things ??

Early starts

Having now played nearly my first full season in about a decade and umpired one match, I can honestly say I have not heard a single complaint about early starts.

How it is achieved for a full season with the schools agreeing a format I do not know, but if you want players back playing it is the way forward.