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Any club worth its salt should be investing in youth cricket not just for its own benefit and future, but to provide opportunities for the talented players to achieve representative recognition. The former is much more important than the latter in the bigger picture and it doesn't matter whether a club is fashionable or not because every club needs young players coming through or they are dead in the water. Waringstown do it better than most clubs and they deserve all the recognition their young players get. And if we are being honest don't they do most things cricket better? The club is not successful by luck or being fashionable but through hard work and a great cricket ethic. Well done.

Seahorse, clubs only nominate up to U15 level. U17 level is picked without the RDS trials, was the case last season as well.

As for the less fashionable clubs having talented players, they're as entitled to nominate as the rest, Holywood have 3, Donaghcloney have 4, Cregagh have 3 and there's a few others dotted around in the squads from other clubs that traditionally wouldn't fit your fashionable clubs label, and I'd imagine there's plenty more in the development squads that didn't make the cut.

Peter, in response to your post, to the best of my knowledge it is the responsibility of the individual clubs to nominate. Well done to Waringstown on great numbers on the representative squads.
If the "less fashionable clubs" as you call them put time and resources into coaches and development, there's no reason why they too can't be successful.
Look at Inst/CI youth set ups and how their clubs have moved on recently. These things don't happen overnight.

ref mr whittens comments

last year waringstown won both the graham cup U15's, and colts cup U17 so there in fact might you find your answer. Plus winning the graham cup the year before last also.

Is it just me or is anyone else wondering how Paddy O'Hara finds time to manage Man. City?

Much as I admire Waringstown’s commitment and success in developing young players, I was a bit surprised to see that they have 17 young players in the NCU squads U11/13/15/17 including a remarkable 8 out of 20 in the U17s squad! Give the club’s record, I’ve no doubt that they are all good young cricketers but I would have thought there may be other equally promising youngsters out there in less fashionable clubs who would benefit from high level coaching? The other thing that strikes me is that it is a bit worrying that we are so reliant on one club for our future talent?

I thought that we were about to witness the green shoots of an England recovery but the wheels came off again. A few guys at Jordanstown last week were commenting that England had managed to beat Australia 2nds but I couldn't possibly agree with this view! Good to see Morgan bolstering the batting but I honestly feel that England cricket has, to a degree, lost its way and I fear that their next move will be to trawl again through the likes of Cricket Ireland with the promise of contracts - and the knock-on effect on our national side. On the subject of Jordanstown - what a terrific tournament with 29 games over 3 days - a tribute to the admin skills of tournament director Murray Power. It was also good, during the breaks, to see the buzz of the various groups ranging from wee lads to the more mature guys attending various sessions and courses that were going on at the same time. Certainly lots happening in cricket in the NCU area. Now we just need a few more guys to volunteer as umpires and everything will be ticketyboo!

Andy,

I thought 95% was being kind!! ;-)

Bottomline it is a step in the right direction, even if some of it is old teams returning. In 2005 CI only had 2 senior teams, and hopefully, if another pitch can be found, we will be launching our first ever 5th XI.

95% Steve? I'm positive that I'm not as negative as that! Of course it's great to see teams coming in but there is a long to go to replicate the days when every senior team fielded at least 3 and in most cases 4 sides. I realise that era has gone - despite the £million odd that was spent on coaching! The Waringstown initiative is a refreshing step in the right direction and I wish Mr. Johnston well.

Andy,

I can read fine!! 95% of your postings are negative, must be old age! :-)

Your like the media, quick to be negative, and say nothing when things are going well!

As for England, much like Man Utd, too many great players are now the wrong side of 30 and past their real best. Stokes & Ballance look decent prospects, but cant understand how Hales & Wright aren't in the ODI side.

34 year old SA Level 3 player/ coach looking for another stint as player/ coach or club coach abroad. have over 10 seasons experience of playing& coaching in UK& Ireland. updated Sporting CV available for your perusal. get in touch

Stephen - I wish you would read the content of my postings - not your perception of what has been written. I recognised the increase by Monaghan & Muckamore but perhaps you could explain to me how 2 teams "rejoining" the League is true expansion. As for negativity about England - where have you been for the last couple of months?! Or maybe you see some positives that the rest of us are missing!

Andy,

Wouldn't be like you to put a negative spin on something positive happening within the NCU!!

Just focus that negativity on England!!

I don't quite share the europhia displayed on the NCU site about the expansion of new teams. While it is good to see cricket being developed in Monaghan the reappearence of Cliftonville 3rds (anyone remember them as Dunowen?) and Carrick 4ths is only a retrenchment of sides that folded a while ago. However, its good to see them back. Maybe Tonto will be persuaded to be captain again! Now that would give me the incentive to start playing again!! On a different tack, I was at a Sports Lunch with George Hook yesterday and while he is a rugby pundit, he was complimenting cricket in general on the selection of captains. His point was that one doesn't have to be a great player to be a great captain and he referred to Mike Brearley in particular. Interesting to hear this from a guy who can be a bit outspoken on almost everything!!

1.CIYMS
2.Waringstown
3.Instonians
4.CSNI
5.North Down
6.Lisburn
7.Ballymena
8.Muckamore