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With the recent fine summer weather we've all been enjoying and our cricket season in full swing, why would anyone want to pack up and head off on a foreign holiday ?

Beats me......

A Perfect Holiday !

They say a relaxing vacation, to a far off, exotic location
will chase those blues away.
Roasting daily in the sun, till you're baked and overdone,
for many, is a worthwhile holiday!

Or perhaps a foreign cruise, is even better news
to boost that flagging drive?
Indeed what could be finer, onboard an ocean liner,
watching playful dolphins, leap and dive?

Yes, no doubt it is pleasure, to recreate at leisure
on golden sands or becalming, deep blue sea.
But what if I get badly burned, seasick and interned?
Alas, neither destination is for me!

So I've conceived a master plan, I'm renaissance man
to fill my summer days with blissful glee.
Guaranteed, cheerful fun, neath a temperate sun,
and all are very welcome, to this jamboree!

Dressed in white glad rags, my kit in zipped up bags
I'm setting off to join a merry throne.
For my golden holiday ticket, is spent playing cricket,
why don't you pack your case and come along?

What a brilliant post from Staffy, he hits all the pertinent nails on the head. I couldn't agree with him more!!

Billy - nowhere did I say they were playing for free, simply that the figure quoted was by no means realistic.
If you are that interested in how Muckamore spend the vast majority of the money we work so hard to bring in, then swing by the club some day and look around!

GRAHAM CUP FINAL

The Graham Cup Final will now be held on 13th August at 2pm, and hosted as last year by Holywood Cricket Club.

The finalists are CREGAGH and CSNI.

Everyone welcome.

Would it not be a good idea for more clubs to try and keep twitter updated in the league they are in, especially as we are getting to the "meaningful" stage of the season, it might just lead to a few players whose game is over early deciding to stop off for a pint on their way home

Templepatrick Cricket Club Golf day 15th August.
This years event at the Hilton Hotel Templepatrick will be part of Tcc's fundraising efforts for their chosen charities this year (Macmillan Cancer Nurses and the Donkey Sanctuary )
All support from the cricketing family is welcomed , contact me at marketing@templepatrickcc.co.uk to book your tee time.
The price is £30 per person for your round of golf and BBQ after.
Thanks

Passing on the news that Jackie Banford of Donaghadee Cricket Club passed away this week, Jackie successfully captained the 2nds and 3rds and captained the 3rds to Minor cup glory in 1984. A true clubman and allround sportsman who will never be forgotten and a fantastic character. RIP

The former CSN professional Ewan Thompson warned against an 8 team league claiming they tried it in New Zealand and it resulted in a reduction in participation in the sport.

How right he was. We are in danger of seeing the disappearance of some smaller clubs and an elite that cares little for those outside of themselves.

Why do we have an NCU Development Officer who has never been seen at any other club doing development other than his own?

Many clubs are going from 4 teams to 3, 3 teams to 2 and some are existing by there fingertips. Many clubs only exist because of the incredible commitment of a few individuals.

Section 1 clubs lose players to Premier league clubs under the sleazy argument that 'if you want to get noticed you have to play in the top leagues.' The knock on effect is that good players being left behind at other clubs drift away as their own isn't as competitive. The result is a lowering of the standard overall.

The NCU top flight is not an elite of 8. It is an elite of 6 and that number is reducing year on year. Will CIYMS be the new Limavady when they stop throwing money at their team? If so, then not to worry say Cricket Ireland there will be an elite of 4 to hoover up their best players. Meanwhile others will just walk away from the game.

This NCU top flight is a joke. There is little respect given to other players or umpires with some of the 'sledging' really offensive. It is cricket with very little joy within but is costing the clubs fortunes to stay in the league.

Eight teams leagues were formed to provide space for Inter-Pros. What local players have been discovered through them? You might as well ask passport control at the 2 Belfast airports to ask people if they play cricket and pass the names on to the selectors.

I bring this up to ask people who care about the sport at grass roots level to have their say. There are three or four elite clubs that couldn't care less about others. But I know I will strike a chord with many others.

I believe we should stop this exodus from our sport but reinstating 10 team leagues (at least for 1st xi)with immediate effect. For 2014 there should be no relegation with 2 promoted from each of the sections. It will not make the slightest difference to those people who are available for Interpros but could arrest the steep decline within our clubs.

Many thanks to CSNI who hosted us in the Senior Cup semi-final yesterday in what turned out to be a cracking game.

But what a pity that the NCU saw fit not to send anyone to the game to make the presentation and adjudicate the man of the match award. Both teams, umpires and supporters stood around at the end wondering what was happening and thankfully Peter McMorran, who only was able to watch part of the game was persuaded to step in and present Andrew Cowden with his well deserved award.

Strange that, despite the fact that both semi finals were taking place less than a mile apart, only the one featuring two premier league teams received any attention.

Seems to me in this world of trouble and strife, the safest place to be is on the cricket field, hostile bowling and all....

Beware the beast !

Shun the tiger, silent and stealth
searching for its quarry,
stay indoors and mind your health
or you'll be very sorry!

Don't dip your toes, in the water cool
where the crocodile patiently waits,
for you will look like a silly fool
if swallowed whole, in front of all your mates!

Watch out for the wolf, on the prowl
when walking through a leafy wood,
run away, if you hear it's ghastly howl
don't be naive, like little red riding hood!

Heed the hyena's deceptive, comical laugh
for it prefers its meat, red and raw,
don't allow yourself to be chewed in half
by a powerful, bone crushing jaw!

If playing the fine, colonial game
in the land of mahout and elephant,
guard against the mosquito's aim
and rebuff it with insect repellant!

Avoid the snake in the grass
hiding out of sight,
keep on the path, don't trespass
or you'll receive a poisonous bite!

Step over the ant, small and placid
is my firm decree,
for it is armed with formic acid
just like a million brothers, from the colony!

And beware the beast, trust the least
a bloodthirsty creature, known as man,
no rasping claws, fearsome jaws,
contagious,venomous bite, nor acidic might
but he may kill you... Just because he can!

I note Nile Smith comment that 3rds are in a cup final - I assume that is the Minor Lindsay Cup correct me if I am wrong but there is still a semi-final game to play - does he not rate their opposition in that game

David Irvine, so these guys are at Muckamore playing for free? that is so refreshing to hear in modern sport.

Nile Smith - I see that Billy Dobbin is somewhat selective in his reply and he ignores the points that you make about the other good things that are happening at Moylena. You didn't mention the improvements in the seating arrangements. Perhaps he will call in sometime (if he knows where it is!) and see for himself. Compare this to the amount of money being expended on players in some Premier clubs with abysmal facilities such as electronic scoreboards (note the plural!) that don't fully function, poor pitches, inadequate sightscreens, poor changing facilities, the list goes on & on. During a recent inter-pro series a player from outside the NCU was asking "where do we go for number twos?"!! And this was at a "Premier" ground! Compare what happens in Scotland where clubs achieve senior status not on playing record alone. Other standards must also be achieved. But the reality is that the NCU grounds committee must take a firmer line in dealing with the present inadequacies of the infra-structure of some Premier clubs. I also accept that there are clubs where there is no desire or the resources to seek "senior" status. Indeed I would suggest that there is only one Section One club that could realsitically "afford" to go up. Unlike Billy I don't quote from undisclosed "sources" but repeat what I hear going round the grounds and also listening to colleagues, remarks such "it takes £x thousand to keep this club going". From my experience of that particular club, that £x thousand clearly isn't being spent around the club. My problem is that I'm getting grumpier as I age but I have been "beating this drum" for many years and it never improves. And before anyone "gets at" me - these are my personal views, not on behalf of NIACUS, Muckamore or Flossie - just me. But then again isn't funny the things that exercise one on a cricketless Saturday!

This comment is not aimed at one club in particular. I have no issue with a professional coming over and getting paid a small fortune to win teams matches. Anyone who complains about this, usually does so because their pro isn't very good. My issue however is not the pros, it's not even the people getting paid who contribute week in week out, it's the players getting paid who are at the very best average cricketers. It's going to get to a stage where Under 15s are getting paid to stay at certain clubs !

Billy,

£20k.....make it £30k or £40k or why not go the whole hog and make it £50k!!!
If someone is going to make up fictious figures we might as well make it a big one!