Forum

I would remind Mr. Ramsey that the said player had already played in the NCU Premier League for CSNI in previous seasons - hardly someone who doesn't know one end of a bat from another. Further, the level at which I umpire has no bearing on my right to express PERSONAL views. I am also aware that some clubs have placed an embargo on any of their members commenting on this or the CI forum. Are you suggesting that there is no right of free speech? Further, I don't believe there is such an entity as a "Premier umpire". We go to whereever our extremely hard-working appointments secretary sends us. I'm due to be at Saintfield & Cliftonville this weekend - neither of whom were in the Premier league the last time I looked! But what has that to do with my right to comment? As I stated in my earlier post I thought that I had seen an anomaly in the action of the NCU and I commented accordingly. I am now aware that the Newsletter report contained inaccuracies that I'm sure will be corrected but I'll not hold my breath.

Re Andy Kennedy

What part of the following NCU Registration Guidance does Mr Fisher qualify for Ireland under?

(i)demonstatrate (by possession of Irish passport)that they are an Irish National
(ii)were born in Northern Ireland or Republic of Ireland
(iii)have resided in Ireland for a minimum of 183 days in each of the immediately preceding four years

NCU are correct so end of story - perhaps Muckamore should have done more homework into their winter signings instead of just taking anyone who could hold a cricket bat and claimed to be Irish.

As for you you are a Premier League umpire so you shouldnt be commenting on this or any other topic on this forum.

MEA CULPA. My earlier posting was based on the information as published in the Newsletter and I was querying how the situation had changed that action appeared to be taken so arbitrarily. I am not on the "inside track" of decision-making at Muckamore. I have since been appraised of ALL the facts and I accept that the story in the Newsletter did not give a proper perspective of the events. As I said earlier "mea culpa"

Andy if Ossie said that he wasn't living in the real world. It's a bit like a suggestion someone made to me a few years ago to tear up the rule book and let the captains play their own games.
Can you imagine the chaos?
I see Neale has made a balanced reply but perhaps the NCU should make an official statement as I suspect all the facts have not been released.

Re: Andy Kennedy
I'm amazed that an Umpire of your standing can take such casual regards to Rules and Regulations.
I fear you have extended the premise 'If in the opinion of the umpire....' beyond its usual boundary and are now applying it as you see fit.

I give you credit for suggesting you understand the current registration situation with Muckamore has something to do with the player previously being considered a 'local player'.
I understand this is indeed the case, him being here in the past I believe as a teacher and not a cricketer.
Regarding the NCU Rules, Ossie and yourself choose to ignore that most Rules have been brought in to stop 'sharp practice' by Clubs and a read while waiting for the rain to stop would benefit most of us.

An Infant-teacher friend once told me how she challenged a pupil who had an 'accident' as to how this had happened:
"It wasn't me Miss, a bad boy did it in my trousers and ran away!"
Probably as believable in most circumstances as, "It's in the post!"

RE: ANDY KENNEDY - PLAYER ELIGIBILITY

Andy, if I understand your post correctly, you are advocating that the NCU should have allowed a currently ineligible player to play in an official NCU match? Your comment:-
"Common sense would suggest that the notification could have been held until after the weekend".
Really? Say he had played and Muckamore won - would you support the opposition's appeal on the basis of an inelgible player playing in the match?
Further - what of the NCU? We get criticised for actually applying the regulations, I find if hard to imagine we would be applauded for not applying them.
It does not matter a jot when a club is informed of an ineligible player. It is up to the club to ensure eligibility not the NCU. In this instance there was no other option and to criticise (even impliedly) those who took the decision is unjusitifed.

Interesting timing for Muckamore to be advised of a player's eligibility - less than 24 hours before the start of a match - if the facts as per today's Newsletter are correct and I quote "it appears that the NCU had little alternative but to act. Fisher was granted permission to play at the start of the season..." Strange timing indeed. Common sense would suggest that the notification could have been held until after the weekend - especially since the same guy played for CSNI in the NCU Premier League a couple of seasons ago. As his mother came from Templepatrick was he previously regarded as a "local player"? I always remember a trenchant comment from Ossie Bailie many years ago - "the mission statement in the NCU handbook is to promote cricket and every rule in the book militates against that!"

I have been playing senior cricket at one club for over two decades now and the majority of those seasons have been spent playing in the 'top flight' of NCU cricket. It's for this reason that I mainly refer to the premier league in this posting.

I pose a number of questions, some which require an answer and others which are perhaps rhetorical.

It is excellent to see the enthusiasm of the powers that be in Irish and NCU cricket that have reintroduced the Inter-provincial tournaments and are striving for test match cricket. The work that they have done is excellent and they should be applauded for it. Despite this, I still feel that there are major issues within NCU cricket that are not being addressed or worse still, have not been noticed.

Check the scorecards of the 8 NCU Premier League teams in the Sunday Life any weekend. There should be 88 PL players. Physically put a line through the overseas players, the unofficial overseas players i.e. Irish passport holders, the North West players, the Leinster players and any other players who did not come through the NCU club or school system. How many NCU prospects under the age of 26 are there? Is the standard of cricket in the NCU as strong as we like to believe? If not then what can be done to improve it?

I would like to see an interesting tweak to the NCU T20 competition for next season..... Each team is allowed two players over the age of 27 and one overseas player or unofficial overseas player with an Irish passport. The remaining 8 players should be local NCU cricketers aged 26 or younger. Could your club get a competent team onto the pitch? Could they even get a team out at all?

I realise that this tweak is unlikely to happen as it's supposed to be a showpiece which has attracted good sponsorship but the reality has been and still is that a number of PL clubs struggle to get a full team on the pitch for midweek T20 matches. Surely we should be more concerned about developing local cricketers rather than worrying about the sponsors who in reality would probably still continue to support the competition.

I'm not so sure we are as strong as we think we are. If we achieve our goal of playing test match cricket in 2018 will there be any NCU cricketers on that first team sheet.

It is vital that the ICU and the NCU do not ignore the junior leagues and schools' cricket. They are extremely important to the strength and depth of NCU cricket in the years to come.

I hope my observations are wrong and I am interested in other opinions. I would prefer this to be an unbiased debate, therefore I have not included my name or club for the very simple reason, this is not about me or my club but about the game at all levels that we love.

Things in NCU cricket may change but one thing has remained constant - the superb teas at Lisburn! A big thank you to the ladies concerned

Alan C
Sincere apologies for not getting back to you. Send me your number as I can't find the text although I do remember receiving it. I think Taveners is another great idea clubs should look to embrace although maybe on a regional basis. Even among our enthusiasts I might find it difficult to get a team from Antrim to Pprtadown in a Friday night. Sunday afternoon's are a possibility but cancellations soon put paid to free dates. Let's see if we can do something.

Ivan.
Great things happening at Moylena for sure, but when I sent you a message asking if you could raise a mixed ability team for a game at Chambers park, you didn't even reply?? Even a bog off, would have been fine. I thought for sure that the most progressive team in NCU would have been able to provide a team.
The Taverners at Portadown are committed to raising the profile of all cricket, especially in the areas of disabled (accessible) cricket, social (Taverners)cricket and women's cricket.
Call me if you can raise a team and we'll arrange a BBQ bash, and raise a few quid for accessible cricket.

Rob, do you want to cite the sources of your info? "Will be turned into a social league", well Rob that just rolls off the tongue so easily, combined with the elusive 'sources' it almost appears to be an attempt at some kind of authoritative remark.
For years and years I have heard what you have said. It hasn't happened and it won't happen because it can't happen. The simple reason for this is because there is no possibility of migration between jnr and snr leagues. There is no possibility of a 1st XI playing in the jnr leagues and there is no possibility of a jnr (2nd XI) team playing in the 1st division in any section. Sec 3 is already and always has been a 'semi-social' league, some teams are simply happy to play cricket whilst others have higher aspirations. Of course sec 2 teams don't want to be relegated and this generates good competition at each end of the divisions. So there simply has to be a basement league for 1st XI teams. Get rid of sec 3 and then sec 2 becomes 'your' social league. I don't know what the actual solution is but even way back 2001ish Newry and Mourne would have been competitive in a jnr league instead of struggling along in a fairly competitive at the time sec4 until it's eventual death. Portadown could have maintained a competitive team in jnr 3 or even 2 but of course there was some other issues at work there as well.
If you are so keen on commenting 'social cricket' with your derogatory attitude, it's probably about time you attended a mixed abilities cricket match. Rob, you know, it is absolutely clear that you don't have a clue what social cricket actually is!!

'Also who writes this garbage S.V Cricketer...I would be wise in who you call a troll!!'

Harsh words indeed. Almost threatening some would say. Yes you are indeed entitled to your opinion but rather than simply accepting mine as different you have appeared to be rattled and resorted to a personal attack. It is not my fault that people have responded to my writing in a positive way. By all means write your own blog, I'm sure you will be a much better writer than I.

As far as my identity, the majority of people at my 'social' level know who I am. You see I don't just sit behind a computer screen. I am heavily involved in local cricket. I am coaching at a high school, I helped organised a kwik cricket tournament for next week and will be running the follow up coaching. Oh yes I am also captaining both a first and second xi. I hope you continue to read my garbage, the more readers the better. Have a good season.

Everyone is entitled to their opinion...believe me after speaking to a few people within the NCU DIV 3 will be turned into a "social " league sooner rather than later. According to my sources the 3 DIV above this league is enough and plus they have the junior leagues.
Also who writes this garbage S.V Cricketer...I would be wise in who you call a troll!!

Re Ivan McCombe
I have read your post with considerable interest and full credit to everybody at Muckamore for making all this happen. I just hope the weather is kind to us all on Saturday as it is usually wet when the NW200 takes place!
I am not entirely sure, however, that cricket is the fastest growing sport in Ireland. Some clubs in Senior League Sections 2 and 3 are probably struggling a bit. Cooke Collegians used to have five teams, now have two. Dunmurry used to have four, now have one. The list can go on and I appreciate that there are exceptions with Academy back up to four teams in recent seasons.
In many ways I see the Premier and other "big" clubs maybe getting larger and the smaller clubs beginning to disappear or playing "social" cricket only. When I played, usually (pretty badly) at 4th eleven level, we had great craic against the 4th elevens of similar clubs. These days the opposition could be anything from a 2nd eleven to 6th eleven.
Even then the weather seemed to be better and nobody whinged about late finishes!