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Clarence
You asked the question 'What is the benefit of 10 teams over 8?'
You can follow that logic through: What is the of 8 teams over 6 (good argument at the moment)? or 6 teams over 4, or 4 teams or 2? Where do we stop?

What is that really matters? The strength of North Down, Waringstown, CIYMS, Instonians and CSN or the strength of the NCU as a whole?

Should we care if Downpatrick, Lurgan Bangor, Carrickfergus, Woodvale and Cliftonville (all recent top flight clubs) dwindle and diminish?

If those clubs continue to have their best players cherry picked then other remaining good players tend to quit rather than join another club. The gap widens to the point that they no longer can compete. At this point the club merely exists rather than having any great driving ambition to move forward.

Those clubs that do want to move forward are left with no choice but to throw money at it. Helping young players develop is a long term strategy and won't yield results short term. In the meantime top clubs can pick off those young players and pass them off as their own in a few years if they succeed. If not well no loss if they drift away from the game, someone else is bound to produce a cricketer for us.

Thus we have the law of the jungle. 8 team top league has shown very quickly that the top players go to the top clubs. That was exactly what it set out to achieve. But at what cost?

League fixture are sacrificed for 20 over competitions and Ulster Cup/Shield competitions that by and large people and players don't take that seriously.

Let's grow the Union for the benefit of all clubs not just a few. Let's create space to develop young players so the sport here has a future rather than for the benefit of the mercenaries with their hands held out.

It's good to hear from Staffy again. Some good comments. Where do you start on these issues?
In agreement with the 10 teams 100%. Why should there only be a couple of teams fighting it out at the bottom. Obviously clubs do have their own interests at stake. Lurgan will see themselves in a similar situation if they go up as in 2013. They brought in a second and third overseas player to try and stay in the top league and probably will do the same again. In their defence however, they are no worse than any of some of the top teams who do it for success.
It's hard to understand any of it coming from my background. Dinosaur, has been and washed up are all comments thrown at me in the lower sections, but everyones entitled to play the odd game and have an opinion. I come from a village which didn't need a pro, played with great successful teams like Lurgan, North Down and Strabane who only had one overseas player so could somebody please explain to me what's going on in local club cricket. Maybe the prize money has increased dramatically because the crowds certainly have not.

Totally agree with Paul Staffords post in its entirety... apart from about the NCU Development Ofiicer, he has been down at Armagh several times and has a real interest and passion for the job if the clubs want to work with him. Running about after Kwik Cricket tournaments, youth coaching and Ladies cricket isnt the most glamourous of roles but it shouldn't go unnoticed.

Clarence I'm not too sure about the 8 team league better preparing players for rep. cricket because as Staffy points out a lot of these players are coming through passport control. A 10 team league would at least give the bottom 5 sides a chance of a few victories when they play one another. Whereas at the moment the bottom 2 in the Premier League are getting stuffed week in week out, and as we all know getting beaten week after week is no fun at all.

Don't even get me started about Cricket Ireland!!

Just noticed the last word of the second line of the last stanza should read ..
'' throng '

Typo error, my mistake !

Please support Neale's appeal regarding the Graham Cup Final. Well done both teams, but particularly Cregagh who have struggled in the past few years but appear to be fighting back at all levels. I'm sure several premier clubs would be delighted to have a team in the Graham Cup Final.
Good luck to both teams.

Have to agree Gareth, Staffy has hit a lot of contentious things on the head. Not sure how to deal with some of them particularly the money involved as I think it is madness in the current environment. If I could highlight one point Staffy where is the benefit of 10 clubs over 8? Like many people I was swayed by the argument that the best should play the best to prepare players for representative cricket and I think that has been achieved. There are at least six competitive teams at the top as opposed to three a few years ago. Bringing another two weaker teams into the fray doesn't convince me we are moving in the right direction. However, I'm willing to listen to your argument as I did with the pro-8 advocates a couple of years ago.

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.