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the nights are fair drawin' in and I reflecting on the season that has just passed. One of the innovations was the introduction of "Power Plays" and I was wondering if anyone had any thoughts on what sort of impact it had on those Divisions where they applied.
Can I ask, is there any concessionary price for young cricketers wishing to attend the NCU dinner this year?? £27.50 seems a lot for schoolboys (even though they probably eat as much as the adults). Im sure there are many young lads in a lot of the junior teams who would be keen to attend.
Re Start Times
Can all clubs please be fair and adhere to the start times as set out in the rules of the NCU. My club has a crucial away match on Saturday that we need to win in order to avoid relegation - we have been told by our opponents that it will be a 1.30pm start ! If we don't accept the start time they won't be able to get a team and will scratch the match - but if there has been any rain they will say their ground is unplayable and not give us the points !!
What do you do ?????
To all groundsmen
If you have some wickets that have been unused this year make sure and scarify the life out of them. Treat them as a used wicket rather than an unused wicket.
Do not think because you have not used them that you can leave them and use them next year. If you do, you will have a major thatch problem.
Isn't it just typical, after the met-office announced last week it was officially the wettest summer on record for 100 years and with a frustrating cricket season, now practically in it's dying embers, the kids all back to school and the footballers as usual taking over the whole place again!
The country-file weeks weather forecast now tells us we're in for a good week, with high-pressure moving in over us all from the west !
Where was it in the months of April/May/June/July & August ?
And congratulations from me too on Muckamore C.C. fine win in the National Cup. Well deserved indeed !
Congratulations to Muckamore on making history by becoming the first winners of the National Cup - 2nd national trophy on its way to Moylena
another Raymond Moreland vignette - last Sunday a select group of the North Down regulars were enjoying a 2nd XI game at The Green with a degree of decorum. Then the good gentleman appeared and mayhem ensued with discussion centred on his trenchant views! Even carrying the walking stick hasn't made any difference! But good to see him looking so well.
Good luck Muckamore!
Let's see another cup at Moylena.
Bumped into Don Shields today and we chuckled about an infamous run out when we both met in the middle of the wicket and passed pleasantries- 'Yes, wait no!' and I was out. As I arrived back to the pavilion I was greeted by Raymond Moreland who declared,'In the name of God Bumper there must be 100 years cricketing experience between you two and you are run out like an eleven year old!' lol
Also learned that my old new ball partner Billy Adams broke his arm playing last week.
Hope the golden arm is on the mend Bing!!
All got a request from the skipper of bisc who I work with. They are struggling for a ground this sat as the ground they play at has been taken up for footie. If anybody can help then please could you give Mohamed Ismail at phone on 07799583556. They need to fulfill the fixture so if any club can help it would be greatly appreciated.
With the BKIC final on this weekend if anyone's travelling down, I wouldn't go leaving the wife or girlfriend (or both if that's your fancy) alone at home for yet another Saturday ! Here's why,
Sissy & Ida bumped into each other the other day and I over heard the conversation :
Sissy How have you been keeping ?
Ida Very well I got married you know !
S- That's good !
I- Well it's not good, he's very old !
S- Oh, that's bad !
I- Well its not bad, he's very rich!
S- Oh, that's good !
I- Well its not good,he's very mean!
S- Oh, That's bad !
I-Its not bad,he loves to watch cricket!
S-Well that's good,(very good)
I-Its not good,he never invites me along
S-That's bad (very bad)
I-Well its not bad,he lives in a mansion
S-That's good
I-Well its not good,it burned down today
S-Oh dear, that's bad !
I- Well its not so bad, he was in it !
(Don't say I didn't warn you)
Andrew...money can help!An ICC cash injection should go on buying every primary school child in the land a plastic bat and ball!!LOL
In all seriousness grassroots cricket remains under-developed and until we get this right the top of the pyramid will remain thin.
RE: Clarence and Caleb
You are right in terms of worldwide attendances, but in those countries the importance of test matches seems to have diminished. You aren't going to go and watch your team when the best players are in India playing T20.
I understand the reasoning behind needing it to get the ICC funding, but I don't see a cash injection massively progressing cricket over here.
As it stands, in a second tier test league we would be competing against Sri Lanka, West Indies, NZ and Bangladesh. In all of those countries the sport is either the most, or second most popular. In this country we just have too many more commonly played sports to allow cricket to get to the required level, which is first class status. Is a cash windfall really going to combat the lack of interest in cricket in Ireland? And would the likes of Boyd, Eoin, Paul etc come back to play in an Irish first class league competition?
Personally I would love Ireland to be a test playing nation, but I can't see how it is possible, or how it would benefit those outside the top leagues.
The crowds would come out all right, maybe not right away, but you can't expect full houses right from the off!
Like everything else it would take a little time and the dam sun to shine, but that's maybe hoping for too much in our 'wee' country !
And many of the test matches too Andrew.Earlier this year at the Kensington Oval Test Day 1 there were less than 200 spectators in the ground at the start. Other islands were just as bad. Outside the big 3-4 cricket nations the crowds aren't there. However, you have to appreciate that to get the big ICC annual payouts you need to have test status. Playing wise we are miles away from the top test sides but if there was a 2nd division of test teams we could get into it and onto the second rung on the international ladder. More funding will get us better facilities and players.
