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I've seen quite a lot of PL and J1 cricket around the grounds this year and I haven't seen too many, if any, youngsters in 2nds who have the ability or even potential to be PL players.
Throwing kids in just because they are young isn't the answer, producing better youth players is.
If they good enough they'll get a game, a la Dennison, Eakin etc

Interesting debate on kids.

Neil's point about not enough playing regularly is key. Plenty of kids knocking about lower teams but not playing regularly in PL. Even Waringstown who have a youth set up the envy of most clubs, only really had Dennison as a 'regular' although others like Mitchell and Wilson played from time to time.

Same with Inst were Forbes played a handful of games only, and North Down with Eakin the only underage 'regular'

Perhaps CIYMS actually gave their youth the greatest opportunity with Matchett a permanent fixture with Johnston and Mulder and then Beattie and Smith all getting good game time.

Simple fact is cricket and 50 over cricket in particular is a dying sport amongst our Youth.

David, that's great if these young players are playing but I do not think they are all playing regularly.

What I am getting at is that there should be more youngsters playing and contributing in the Premier league on a regular basis but because of clubs bringing in blow ins, these youngsters are not getting the opportunity that youngsters got in years gone past.

Ben smith - 16 years old - opened the bowling for ciyms in premier league this year.

David,
You appear too keen to decry Neil on detail so let's be honest and name the players from your list who regularly open the bowling for their clubs in the Premiership. The three ND players mentioned are not the regular opening bowlers for the 1st XI although Peter Eakin is very capable of doing it. I think Neil is looking at the bigger picture although I'm sure he'll clarify himself. It is worth reflecting that Sobers, Weekes, Walcott, Tendulkar etc etc all played test cricket in their teens and many local players in bygone days entered senior cricket early. At Comber lots of Regent House players played for ND 1st XI in the past. However, most clubs don't seem to promote youngsters in the modern era. Are they not good enough or not around?

Is that the same Sam Gordon who has a few good scores for Muckamore III in Junior League 4?

Re Neil Hunter

Are you talking about Lurgan when you said one section 1 club paying 2-3 players?

“When is the last time you heard of an 18 year old fast bowler opening the bowling in the premier league or a 16 year old opening the batting?” I would like to kick that one off by suggesting the following;

18 year olds opening bowling – Andrew Forbes at Instonians,Peter Eakin & Peter Davison at North Down, James Mitchell & Sam Wilson at Waringstown.

16 year olds opening the batting – John Matchett at CIYMS, Sam Gordon at Muckamore, Craig Irvine at North Down & Adam Dennison at Waringstown.

Any others?

Clarence, your comment "Clubs need to look at their future in this context and although we tend to think grassroots within the NCU, the bigger picture is the future of cricket in Ireland and we need to develop our young players and give them a future."

So, if this is the case, where are the young players coming from? What used to be the norm was that each club had a bunch of youngsters who were given a chance to play senior cricket. This is no longer the norm.

If you look at clubs, whether your own, or other clubs, where are the youngsters? Go back 15- 20 years and I will name Peter Shields, Ryan Haire, Graeme Hunter, Shane Harrison, Neil Anderson, Michael Blair, Kyle McCallan, Adrian McCoubrey, David Kennedy, Andrew White, Mark Patterson, Andrew Patterson, to name but a few. The one thing they all had in common was they made a big contibution to their respective teams, irrespective of their age, and why, because they were given a chance.

The problem we have now is that clubs are either not giving kids a chance in the premier league or the talent is not there. When is the last time you heard of an 18 year old fast bowler opening the bowling in the premier league or a 16 year old opening the batting?

The problem that I see is that most premier clubs (and certainly one Section One club) have now, as the norm, apart from their professional, 2, 3 or in some cases more players, that are in the bracket of Irish overseas passport holders or local blow ins.

These people chase one thing...MONEY. Clubs, and I include my own, should be under no illusion that this is the case and these people are only at their clubs in the short term.

If Ireland manage to get Test Status with using the Irish Passport route, no one should complain. It is just the way of the world and like other sports, cricket is just replicating this option.

The big issue I see, is that kids no longer get a chance in the premier league because of the pressure to stay in the premier league. This in my mind is what needs addressed and if the NCU clubs are to look at the bigger picture to develop cricket in Ireland,then urgent action needs taken.

Don’t forget stumpings roy they don’t exist either!!! Seen it a few times this year myself after moving clubs but the one thing that’s annoyed me most is travelling to play quite a far away mid week 2nd XI game late in the season to arrive to find 4 of the teams main 1st XI players playing now I went to the bother of finding the write up from their local paper the week before and alas the 4 players were all mentioned for scoring runs or taking wickets … and I know of another club who were getting it tight numbers wise their 2nd XI hadn’t won a game all season and a few guys weren’t starred cos their availability was better than other guys and they were told to get the players starred!!!

Sometimes I really think that its better to bend the rules the clubs that do seem to get more out of it

NCU league format.
Premier _ ten clubs
Division 1_ ten clubs.
Division2_ sixteen clubs.
Promotion/relegation_ two clubs.

Only 5 of the 18 teams that play in the senior 2 & 3 leagues do not have 2nd, 3rd eleven cricket teams etc.

So of the remaining 13 teams, I would have thought it a logical move if a 50 over match seems too long for a player from the remaining 13 senior teams, that they consider dropping down a league or two and play 40, 35, or even 30 over cricket for their respective club's junior teams ?

In an illustrious week when we all should be rejoicing and feel very proud of our little country's heroic sporting achievements on the world stage, and consider that in just a few months time our national cricket team will be mixing it with the very best in the world down under at the 2015 world cup, reducing the quality of local senior cricket matches does not bode well for the overall long term future of the game!

Trust me folks, the Cinderella syndrome is just a mythical fairy tale, neither you nor your Princess will turn into Shriek or the Wicket Witch if you don't get home before 6 pm every Saturday evening after a day's fun on the cricket field!

Totally agree with Jeff. All clubs have lads who eat, drink and live to play the game but we also have the lads who aren't going to make the top levels of the club and they are the ones we have to keep in the game. Early starts, meaning that they finish early will help. I also agree about schools cricket being played mid week rather than a Saturday, as the lads playing on a Saturday morning can see a 50 over game in the afternoon far enough. The kids are our future and we must do all that we can to keep them interested and enjoying the game. I have been dragged out of retirement over the past 2 weekends to help out and have thoroughly enjoyed the 2 games that I played at CSNI and Academy. Both games played in the right spirit, plenty of laughs, no contentious decisions and plenty of young lads to do the running around for me!!

ROY seen lot similar this year in seconds. DAVY D its all about opinions id say you in 10% who don't want early starts and ive RETIRED so makes no difference to me but ive talked to lots junior/u-15 and they all would prefer start at 11 and actually would rather play for CLUB and not school on sat as to long day play both . Schools no doubt be better played on wed after school but wont happen . The main reason Dundrum cc is 50 years in NCU this year and facts prove it has went from 58 to 38 clubs now in another few decades this will only get worse as the present young players will not stay in game as lots more to do now than when we started and there is no way to get kids join committees etc as most are involved in at least 2 of 3 other sports . NCU are doing there best by running the meetings to get what CLUBS want not individuals as even they realise that CRICKET is not thriving in every area or each club . The young players that make the TRIALS and firsts will no doubt be playing for 10/15 years but the 90% of others will not stay longer than 3 /5 years we all need to look at bigger PICTURE as we both love the game of cricket but lets try involve everyone and make our sport STRONGER NOT WEAKER .

roy I agree 100% I play in junior 3 and it is a disgrace why do they bother playing if they want to win that much that they have to cheat there is going to be a few words exchanged and I know a few people who would not hold back in saying what they think