Forum

Jim - stay down the loanin'. You query why there should be 4th XIs. The answer is quite simple - if a club is serious about club development then a group of young players mature to the stage where they need to be introduced to "adult" cricket and they find this in the 4th XIs. In my time I descriibed this as the combination of "decripit old age & youthful exuberance" where a couple of senior players/drivers who can drive will bring young guys into the game. I recall a comment from the late Tom Kyle at Ballymena saying "if you don't have wee lads you'll never have big lads" - and that was long before we had "professionals". This is a totally different concept to having a "paper" 4th XI (or even a 5th XI) that we have all come across in the past. I saw a classic example on Saturday with Waringstown 2nds on Saturday with Alan Waite & Geoffrey Heyburn and a host of great young cricketers - Mitchell, Kennedy, Wilson, Dennison & Hall to name but a few - what a combination they will be in a few years. So Jim - a club with a proper focus will use a 4th XI for progression.

Played cricket 40 years but witnessed some best hitting you could ever wish see as Woodvale were all out for 76 and after Indian Raviraj Patil hit the the first ball over extra cover for six it lit the touch paper for what was a remarkable 53 runs of just 15 balls including 6 sixes 4 boundarys in what could well be world record?

Re Neil Fullerton...

Last posting - Clearly if Ballymena are unfulfilling fixtures, then you don't have enough players - not unlike many other clubs I might add - the days of clubs having four and five teams are just about a thing of the past - fast becoming anyway...
It seems almost a 'badge of honour' to enter as many teams as possible, almost as if you'd be in 'demise' if you throttled back to reallity...
Putting your bottom teams captain under ridiculous pressure to get 11 'anybodys' on a pitch does not advance the game in this country - I would infact suggest it have a serious negative effect...?

Maybe Neil it's about time Ballymena also moved into the 21st Centuary - and started to play on Sundays ?

That alone would help you massively with your inability to play matches...!

Stevo

What planet do you live on? If you have 55 senior players you certainly don't enter five teams. In fact I would suggest you don't enter four.

We register between 70-80 players every spring and still struggle to get four teams out during school term. (I refer you back to my initial post).

Although I do agree with you that times have changed since the 70s (although I'm much too young to remember). People wanted to play cricket back then!

Regarding clubs having up to 4 teams.
I don't understand why clubs have up to 4 teams. During the fixtures meetings, you hear the usual cry, "Our 2nd XI" or "Our 3rd XI" are playing that day and we can't get a 4th team out and "We can play you Sunday though!" Why have them then? Is it because the leagues are now structured in such a way that the biggest clubs aim is to have each of their sides in the top divisions? If so, I'd love to see the 3rd XI play the 4th XI, who would be awarded the points if they couldn't field 2 teams. Since the new league structured was implemented I've never played on so many artifical wickets. Its a farce now and I'm glad I'm nearing the end of my playing career!

Re: Neill Fullerton...

Neill, in a nutshell...

If you have 55 senior players then enter 5 senior teams, 44 then four - 33 then three...work it out mate!

Times have changed, it's not the 70's...

Muckamore relaid half our square 3 years ago thanks to sportni. Last night we played on a new pitch v cliftonville and the bounce and carry were noticeably improved and drew compliments from
cliftonville. Credit to groundsmen newly trained michael kennedy and veteran "moley" craig. How are other clubs getting on with their new pitches?

congrats to woodvale back home after a lot of hard work by a number of people played there on sunday wicket fine no demons always enjoy playing there good banter with players and supporters

Great to see Woodvale back on the ground! The wicket will take a few years to bed in but the square and outfield look superb. Well done to all a great achievement!

Downpatrick CC are running the UPS T10 tournament on Monday. Should be a cracking day out. It is the battle of south down, with Downpatrick, Dundrum, Saintfield and Drumaness taking part. It should be a great family day with a bouncy castle, face painting, BBQ and a burger chips and a pint in the restaurant for just £6. So if you are doing nothing else come down for a fun packed day and hopefully loads of sixes. Check it out on our website downpatrickcricketclub.com

Good to see Woodvale back at their beloved Ballygomartin after two years as Nomads !! How was the newly relaid outfield and wicket - much improved or will it take a while longer to bed in ? Congrats to all the stalwarts at Woodvale for all their hard work !!!

In a nutshell, Steve, that's exactly what we should be trying to avoid... "clubs not entering teams."

And if you're club can do without schoolboys then you're in very fortunate position.

PS: So far this season our 4th XI should have played three times. They've taken to the field once. And our Thirds should have played four league games by now. Two of them have happened.
Hardly stats that should be ignored.

July and August is also peak holiday season, which can also have an effect!

Our 3rd XI chose to not have many fixtures for the first few weeks of the season, but this has led to older and younger players coming down to practice and getting frustrated at not getting much cricket.

Surely with teams in the Junior Leagues arranging their own fixtures, surely each club should have a fixture list which best suits them!

does the NCU have a view on whether Twitter or Facebook would be regarded as "public"?

Re: Neill Fullerton...

Neil mate, as a Adult 3rd/4th IX cricketer may I, as suspected ridicule your Idea...

In a nutshell, if you don't have enough players, then don't enter a Team...

Senior leagues are not there simply to facilitate 'schoolboys' - that's what the schoolboy leagues and cups are for...

Oh and by the way, I believe your 4th IX under the excellent stewardship of Colin completed their entire league program last year finishing a close second...!
I believe there was more than the mere 14 games this year as well ?

Is there anything else I can ridicule for you :-)