Forum

Div 3 shambles:

In my opinion the NCU should scrap div 3 as there seem to be only 3 teams who are interested in playing and organizing games...this is reflected in the league positions / games played. There are teams who cannot field teams are not interested in making the grounds playable and are generally not interested....scrap div 3 and make div 2 bigger

Just back from a disappointing u15 interpro series for the NCU boys. Thanks to the large number of parents for the support given to the boys over the 3 days. It's a pity one of the Leinster boys described the NCU team as "The New Munster" in earshot of the majority of these parents. Pretty hard to take after all the time and effort invested by the boys and parents over the 3 days and indeed the last 6 months.

Just a couple of questions about rain interuptions and reduced overs

1. Why wait until 1.30 before starting to reduce overs - that is half an hour wasted straight away
2. Why reduce overs at a rate of 1 every 8 minutes. If you bowled your overs at 4 minutes per over you would incur penalty extras for bowling too slowly. If you are off for an hour the game is only reduced by 7 overs per side. Even test matches require 15 overs an hour to be bowled.

Surely the whole point of reducing overs is to try and ensure that the game finishes at roughly the same time as it normally would. Games finishing at 8.45 is a farce. The weather is already making life difficult for everyone and these rules are not
helping

Academy Cricket Club received news this morning of the sudden death of one of our rising stars, David Hawthorne. He came to us as a young under 15 opening bat who proudly hit his first ball as an academy cricketer for six. Two years later, he scored an impressive 20 runs on debut for the 1st XI in difficult conditions at the Cloughan. However, what Davy will be remembered for most will be his ability to make those around him laugh. He was always fun to be around and could lighten the mood in any situation. Just last Sunday he had most of the 3s in stitches with his usual jokes; all said while wearing his RBAI top. Although none of us will get the pleasure to play alongside him again, I know that he will never be forgotten. As a mark of respect, all this weekend’s Academy CC matches have been called off. Our thoughts and prayers are with David’s family and friends at the difficult time.

I am trying to chase up a number of scorecards from the Inter Union competitions.

National Cup
Killyclooney v Laurelvale
St Johnston v Cliftonville

Ulster Shield
Woodvale v Newbuildings
St Johnston v Dundrum

Ulster Plate
Brigade II v North Down II

I am happy to accept a photo or photos of the scorebook or I can send a proforma via email.

If anyone can help either way, please contact me at d77doey@btopenworld.com

I think we should retain 50 over cricket but with 12 or even 11.30 starts once schools are finished. Personally I don't enjoy shorter games and don't think it would encourage people to stay in the game. I start every season with the hope that Donaghcloney will get promoted however unlikely that may be.

Great to see that the Enterprise will be stopping at Malahide for the England game.
http://www.northerncricketunion.org/database/2013/news/articles/article290.shtml

(am i allowed to post links?)

As much as I respect KYLE I totally disagree im saying try 40 over cricket below the PREMIER(which is virtualy a professional leaque and that's not a DIG) JUST FOR 1 SEASON then the clubs can revert if they think not a success. I AM not having a go at clubs but theres possibly only 2/3 teams in section one that want or GOOD ENOUGH go into premier which says it all ,AS MOST NO IM A BETTING MAN AN WILL WAGER 100£ IF THEY TRY 40 OVER CRICKET THEY WONT REVERT BACK if they do ill give cash to Lords Taveners . AND I DEFINITLY WILL PROPOSE AT AGM

You're welcome Andy, just as any good batsman worth his salt has a shot in his armory for any type of delivery, I like to keep a poem on tap for every occasion!

Clarence agree with you about guys staying in the game. I left a few back copies of your Ulster Cricketer magazine - still had them until Flossie ordered that the drawer had to be cleared!- at Moylena and some of the guys have been commenting about the number of teams that were in four divisions. My earlier point was that if we lose the same number over the next 30 years as in the past then it will be 'switch the light out' time. The magazines themselves make interesting reading- especially the debates about the introduction of pros - nothing changes there!- but the photos are a social history of Ulster cricket. There's a great one of Raymond Moreland playing for the Lords Taverners! Not forgetting the 1981 Cup Final!! P.S. thanks for the verses Caleb

On Friday 21st June Ireland Under 19's play an MCC XI at Muckamore . Starting at 11am , 50 overs a side. Spectators are always made welcome at Moylena.

Some excellent points from Kyle and Davy and there's nothing negative about discussing the pros and cons of any aspect of our cricket. I attended the NCU AGM last year for the first time in a few years and was very disappointed at the lack of debate. Most of the issues were signed, sealed and delivered before the meeting. The fact is players have been leaving the game for years but their places are filled by another generation. I looked at a photo of the 1981 North Down 1st and 2nd XI teams in the Senior Cup book and with the benefit of hindsight looked at how many of these players stayed in the game or dropped out after playing senior cricket. It was roughly 50-50. At least 50% of the 'drop outs' went to golf and I don't think any of the others would cite spending more time with the family as a reason. On the plus side the Shields brothers Ian and Don, Robin Haire and Billy Dale were great examples of longevity and have given local cricket tremendous service. Although I'm looking at 30 years ago I don't think a lot has changed so I suppose it is different strokes for different folks. If kids in their late teens leave the game for girlfriends they need a pep talk from the old bull who told the young bull to take his time and he can have all the cows he wanted. I think there are a few old bulls around our clubs who could offer the same advice.

Al C:

Thanks, I'll catch up with you at a game soon.

Andy Kennedy:

Here's one I prepared early for you to mull over before arriving back to 'sunny wee Norn-Iron'

I am Zeus !

I am Zeus God of gods,
the omnipotent one,
all immortal and mere mortal
bow in reverence,
to my almighty power, awesome!

I could make you a king,
ruler, over land and sea,
or I could take it all away again,
just as easily!

I can crush a mountain,
just as you a fly,
or send a multitude of shooting stars,
across the midnight sky!

If my desire a princess royal
would relinquish,
a much coveted, cherished, chastity
There really is no limit,
to my ability!

But you tiny, insignificant, mortal man
I am envious of thee
as what you know, I know not off
and it burdens me!

Why doth the lady's cheeks glow red,
when you pass each other by?
Or when you gently clasp her hand,
why that sparkle in her eye?

If this is what you know as Love
then I must decree!
It has more power than I above,
for it is unconditional
and esteemed by parity!

Kyle,
Even 20 years ago there were still a LOT of players dropping out of the game when they went to university, started work, discovered drink and women and other such vices, some then find their employment situation changing and return to the game, some dont.
Quite a few after playing senior level for a number of years then decide to devote more time to their family and with more and more two day weekends this I fear will only get worse, the NCU AGM has cut the number of overs at Senior three level and at all but Junior one in the hope that this would have encouraged more players to continue playing or start playing, it is an experiment that I feel has failed.
The idea of only requiring four bowlers will IMHO only lead to more unsatisfied players as if two or three of the front line bowlers are also all-rounders......
Possible solutions that I feel are worth trying, some I have already stated, make the grounds more family friendly, a bouncy castle or small play park for the children, where space provides, a net for the aspiring cricketer, or the children of those playing (I can recall many a time sitting at the lawn watching an Irish International bowling and his son pestering his mother to bowl to him, last saturday his father was bringing drinks onto the field as his son was fielding).
If players are saying get ready as WE are heading to the cricket, rather than I am away to the cricket, it will lead to more people staying involved in their clubs after they quit, and if their childrens memories of their childhood are of the great days at the cricket, then progress through Under 12's Graham Cup sides and then into the thirds etc...
I also think that CI or the NCU should work more closely with local councils to improve the facilities (squares, wickets and outfields) of council maintained pitches, as a lot of junior cricket is played on council pitches, and if third fourth and fifth's are playing on better wickets then it will be easier for them to progress into second 11 and first eleven, heck, it might even encourage them to continue to play the game.

So for all the negative and complaining lads where's the solutions? Surely between us we can come up with something better than more reductions in overs, which I don't buy to start with as many of our guys down the leagues would love more gametime, to stop the apparent drain in players?

I don't think it's too many overs, we're losing players at 17/18. if you're lucky out of a clubs u17s team there's 3 or 4 still playing cricket when they hit 20. How many of these guys have gave up when they hit a brick wall due to a lack of gametime, clubs having a rotation policy for these guys meaning they play decent standard cricket once every 2 or 3 weeks if they're lucky, there an option there to make some of the extra competitions a case of having 6 or 7 players u21 or something along those lines, decent level for those making the step?

Even when they do make a decent breakthrough the guys at the top are much less willing to drop down a league or two and just quit instead, I'm still too young to have this issue yet, but surely there are many guys out there in this situation, but I'm sure some of the older guys could tell us why they played on when they dropped down or why they dropped out.

As for CricketIreland telling us more people are playing the game, I think there is still an enthusiasm for cricket in many local schools, certainly I've tried to get in to coach in a few more this season and there's plenty of young people wanting to play, both girls and boys! We've averaged 20 girls from 1st-3rd year at school practices who weren't playing before, numbers are up, it's just a matter of how we interpret them and work with where they are.

Also, let's look at the fact that CricketIreland are employing Nigel Jones to develop cricket in the area. He seems more than happy to help where he can if clubs ask for it, he's not going to change your overs played, but he's there to help.

Overall, we have more competition for players from other things than we did 20 years ago, a change in overs isn't going to bring back those that we've lost, we need to look at bringing through what youth there is to come through in future and not letting them drop away so easily