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Shucks Andy. I thought I was your boyhood idol!

re the Challenge Cup - my point was that the representatives of the clubs voted for the changes. To be pragmatic the days of sponsors such as Touche Ross are long gone (I recall a fantastic day at Downpatrick meeting my boyhood idol Colin Cowdrey)and I won't mention 1983! I have been away for a couple of weeks so I'm only picking up on what has been happening and I was interested to see on the other forum a posting that there was no-one working on the Lisburn ground to try to get things sorted out. Funny enough Ronnie McAlpine & I had a similar experience earlier this season and look how that was reported on the social networks and the media! I understand that the School's Cup final at Muckamore went ahead because of the efforts of the ground staff up there with a whole team on hand to help with covers etc. Hiler - I met Herbie at a recent Limavady rugby dinner and we were remembering that particular cup final! He still makes a major contribution to sport in that area. And Bumper - don't get me started about T/20 cricket!.

Andy-three weeks is too long and half an hour for a bowl-out is too short and at the end of the day it is not a cricket math. Same as penalty shoot out at the Europeans. The difference there is that they need a result. We are not debating the One Day Final which has plenty of merit. The bowl-out has none.
As for Herbie, he once told me he never took a day's holiday to play cricket. Never! The Northern Bank was very supportive of cricket in those days or was it just North? Great guy Herbie-saw him last year at the Limavady-North Down match and he hasn't changed.

Ok Andy lets take it the other way and dumb the Challenge Cup even further.
Lets make it a one day spectacular!
First round bowl out- 10:00-12:00
Second round bowl out- 12:30- 13:15
Quarters- 13:45- 14:15
LUNCH
Semis- 15:30-!6:00
Then wait for it a T20 FINAL. @ 16:45
THAT IS OF COURSE WEATHER PERMITTING OTHERWISE A BOWL OUT @ 18:00

Taito:
The NCU meeting that took place last night was the regular monthly scheduled meeting of the Competitions Committee not an Emergency Committee.

jeff.. the ulster shield isnt run by the NCU.

Anyone know how the emergency meeting went last night?

re Neal & Bumper and the dumbing down of the Challenge Cup. I can clearly recall the AGM when the decision to reduce from 2 days to 1 day was taken. One of the points made was that it was easier to "sell" to a sponsor as a one-day event. And the representatives of the clubs voted for the change. I'm old enough to remember Herbie Parkhill talking about becoming almost a full-time cricketer by playing in a cup final that went on for about 3 weeks!!

RE ulster shield semi finals and this isnt a dig at the NCU but the semis this sun july first and if off its a bowl out yet the final isnt til august the fifth so really no excuse for dreaded bowl out until after all teams get at least a 20t played midweek surely some common sense cand be sorted too suit all four teams?

Lisburn CC create cricketing history!!
Yes - all Waringstown supporters will be cheering on fierce rivals North Down for this week's semi-final game!
My friends in Waringstown fear not they will not let you down.
Unless it goes to a BOWL OUT!!!

Just to acho the praise for Brett Lee. I thought his first over was one of the best I have seen. The first ball cut back throught Porterfield's gate. The secone was swing in to Ed who missed it. The third appeared identical, but cut away and hit his off stump. If anyone wanted a classic example of a thinking bowler, that was it.

Re - Stormont

I too would like to echo Michael Shannon's remarks regarding Philip McCormick...

You would assume Cricket Ireland know all to well how lucky they are to have someone with his work ethic and expertise.

The whole thing is beginning to develop shades of an " Elephant in the Corner" scenario...

I know both the pressure he puts himself under - and is put under when these matches come round.

To echo CCC - I'm sure cricket Ireland will do the right thing

I have to say I really enjoyed playing against North Down against a lot of old mates. It was nice to challenge ourselves against the best.

I think there will be a lot of people in the NCU supporting North Down in the semi final after yesterdays happenings. Even a few from Waringstown will be behind the boys from the Green.

Have to echo the comments regarding the work of Phil McCormick and the Stormont ground team. Of course everyone was disappointed that there was only 10 overs of play but I think anyone who seen the BBC Newsline coverage on Firday night and the amount of water that was on the outfield will acknowledge the efforts of getting any play at all. I was fully expecting the game to be postponed after the early morning pitch inspection. £4 per over might seem expensive, but I guess Brett Lee's opening over was worth the admission fee alone.

Cricket Ireland have to be commended on their initiative to let ticket holders attend the Afghan and Bangladesh games as an alternative and hopefully that will see these fixtures being well supported.

Would like to echo M Shannon's comments re Philip McCormick & his ground staff. But for this hardy bunch we wouldn't have seen any play at all. Well done all involved. Im sure Cricket Ireland will do the right thing !!!

Shameful stuff by Lisburn CC yesterday,

Pitch wetter than the outfield, no effort to improve the playing conditions and worst of all, a blatant refusal to switch the game to a perfectly fit ground (15 mins away)

Tells you much about the mentality of club when they set their stall out for a bowl out rather than playing a game of cricket,

Shame on you