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Just a note to say that the Club Facilities Grant is now open for applications and Cartwrights Sports would be delighted to provide Clubs with competitive quotes if they are going to apply for this grant.

All Clubs who obtain a quote and finalise business with Cartwrights Sports will be entered into a draw and the winning Club will receive £100 worth of cricket balls for the 2020 season.

Full details can be found in the article in the Features section of the Ulster Cricketer website.

Young Cricketers Preparation for 2020 Underway
As the 2019 cricket season becomes a memory, preparation for the 2020 season has now commenced, with the Northern Cricket Union (NCU) facilitating a number of different winter initiatives for boys and girls in their respective age categories.
Coaching Camps
The NCU received over 350 applications, from over twenty five cricket clubs, for boys and girls aged 8-17, to attend in excess of 70 coaching sessions at the University of Ulster Jordanstown Campus, Wallace High School, Lisburn and Campbell College, Belfast. With the help of over thirty coaches these sessions commenced on Sunday 13th October.
Performance Groups:
Initial training squads have been selected for Under 11, 13, 15, and 17's with each age group receiving four dedicated sessions between now and Christmas.
Specialist workshops:
In conjunction with Cricket Ireland, the NCU is running specialist workshops for pace bowling, spin bowling and wicketkeeping. Sixty-six boys and girls from the NCU Pathway Programme have been invited to over 24 hours of specialist coaching before Christmas.
The Northern Cricket Union is grateful for the use of the three facilities to provide the young cricketers with the opportunity to enhance their skills during the winter months, and to the dedication of the participants, their parents, and the coaches.

Just a word of thanks to the NCU for the invite to last nights Annual Dinner & Awards. Much appreciated. A very enjoyable evening and good food. Guest speaker Angus Fraser, I thought, did very well.

Thanks again NCU.

Derriaghy Cricket Club are celebrating their centenary year in 2020 and recently we have teamed up with local mental health charity, Emerge Counselling Services, as our official centenary charity partner.

Throughout the next 8-10 months Derriaghy CC have various events planned and we will keep you informed here on the UC site

Thanks to all who supported the memorabilia sale for the Wooden Spoon Charity. Over £200 was raised. Still plenty of cricket items left if anybody wants to make contact me at 07799 711914. Again, all proceeds to the charity.

Just a reminder of the sale of signed and unsigned Sporting memorabilia items at Belfast Harlequins from 7 to 8 on this Thursday night, with donations for the Wooden Spoon Childrens Charity.
There will be over 150 items (mainly photos and prints) with cricket items in the majority. Most are Test Cricketers from over the last 40 years or so. But please do not expect any current players from the recent World Cup or Ashes series!
Any enquiries to 07799 711914.

Just for the record Woodvale pro Dario Boyce hit 36 off an over in final game of the season at Cregagh. 38 off the over with 2 no-balls!! Great season for the club and looking forward to going face to face with the big guns in the Premier League without the finances that most of them have!!

Picked this up on a usenet feed. I'm no climate change warrior just passing on someone else's observations.
Considering the wet we have all had to deal with this past few seasons it's probably worth thinking about.
"All around the cricketing world the climate emergency has started to bite, affecting everyone from elite players in their air-conditioned hotels to the two billion fans who play and watch in some of the most climate-sensitive places on the planet.
"And yet – despite the cancellation of club and school cricket in South Africa in 2018 because of drought; the movement of IPL matches because of lack of water; extreme flooding in the UK; the suspension of play due to air pollution during a Test in Delhi, and hurricanes devastating the Caribbean – cricketers and cricket authorities have shown no great inclination to stand up and shout about this threat to the game.
"The gold medal Olympians Helen Glover and Etienne Stott, who was arrested in April at the Waterloo Bridge Extinction Rebellion protests, were among 19 sports stars who wrote a letter to the Guardian last month calling for sports to reduce their climate footprint and sportsmen and women to lead the fight. No cricketers signed the letter.
"Nor have the ICC or any member boards joined the UN Sports for Climate Action Framework – which has members as varied as the Rugby League World Cup 2021 and Bowls Australia."
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2019/sep/10/cricket-climate-crisis

Update on Templepatrick Cricket Club Auction
Bids have started coming in and we have also had an additional item donated.
Item 8 - Training boxing gloves signed by world champion Carl Frampton ( gloves are brand new )
Again please get in touch with Andy McCrea with any bids on any items - 07811737047
or mccrea.a@sky.com

Templepatrick CC 50th Anniversary Auction - in conjunction with raising money for our Charity Partner - Sport Changes Life
Bids are now being taken.
We are delighted to announce that the following auction items are now available for bidding on. All money raised will be donations towards club funds and also our charity partner for the event - Sport Changes Life ( further information on SCL is below.)
Anyone wanting to make a bid for the items below should contact Andy McCrea on 07811737047 or mccrea.a@sky.com
The auction will be finalised at our 50th Anniversary Dinner Celebrations on Saturday 14th September at the Hilton Hotel Templepatrick when all bidding will be closed.
Auction Items
Item 1 - Ireland team signed cricket shirt from Ireland's first ever test match.
Item 2 - Ireland team signed cricket bat from Ireland's first ever test match.
Item 3 - North Coast Golf package – fourballs at both the Portstewart ( Riverside) and Castlerock courses.
Item 4 - Grand Central Hotel package - overnight stay and afternoon tea.
Item 5 - County Antrim Golf package – fourballs at both the Galgorm and Templepatrick Hilton courses.
Item 6 – Templepatrick Hilton Hotel overnight stay.
Item 7 - Greater Belfast Golf package – fourballs at both the Clandeboye ( Ava or Dufferin ) and Dunmurry courses.
About Sport Changes Life
The primary goal of the Sport Changes Life foundation is to provide an opportunity for raising the aspirations of young people so that they can live out their dreams and guide them as sport changes their lives.
SCL work in local communities and help raise the aspirations of young people. Many of these young people know more about conflict than friendship and have few or no role models in their lives to help them find inspiration in their world. Through their EHOOPS program, SCL use a healthy mix of sport with alternative education, to give young people the opportunity of a brighter shared future.
Their professional team of sports mentors deliver one of the most empowering, innovative and inspirational youth engagement programmes that help motivate young people to a brighter future.
Templepatrick Cricket Club C have benefited from the EHOOPS program and in turn would like to give something back to Sport Changes Life.

Many local cricket people know me well for my signed sporting memorabilia collection.
At Belfast Harlequins Club, Deramore Park Belfast on 19 September I will be giving away a substantial amount of my collection in return for a for a small voluntary donation to the Wooden Spoon Charity.
This will include signed and unsigned cricket, rugby, golf and other sports items.
This will take place from 7 until 8pm.
Wooden Spoon has made contributions to many causes relating to sick children in NI over the last 25 years, including the Childrens Hospice, Mencap and the Cancer fund for Children.
Happy to take any enquiries at 07799 711914.

I herad there is going to be 10 teams in ncu premier league next season. Can someone confirim is it true ! If it is true,2 teams from section 1 go up to premier league or muckamore stay up for an other season. Or this news is completly falls. !!!!

Lol
Games should go ahead regardless of knights. Maybe it would stop teams wasting money and play at the level their club players are comfortable playing.

Is it just me or is it crazy instonians have played 8 league games all year and its september?????

NCU Women’s Squad in Cornish Challenge
The Northern Cricket Union Women's squad has travelled to England for their first ever tour, taking on their counterparts from Cornwall, in the Newquay area from (today) Wednesday 21st to Saturday 24th August. This tour has been made possible due to increased links between the NCU and Cornwall Cricket Board over the past four years.
Uel Graham, NCU Cricket Operations Manager, explains ‘the relationship started when the NCU Under 14's went to the West Cricket Festival at Kings College, Taunton, for the first time in 2016. This festival was managed by Malcolm Broad, who is heavily involved in Cornish Cricket. Cornwall Boys Under 16's have been to the NCU Belfast for two years now and Andrew Jones, their manager, introduced key people in Cornish Womens cricket to me and we took it from there'.
Match Itinerary
Wednesday 21st: at 1600 - (T20) versus Cornwall at Grampound Road Cricket Club
Thursday 22nd: at 1100 - versus Cornwall at Ladock Cricket Club
Friday 23rd: at 1100 - versus Cornwall at Truro Cricket Club
The squad will be accompanied by Tim Simmonite, Women’s Lead Coach and Simon Johnston, Senior Knights Coach and NCU Pathway Manager.
Squad
Amy Benson (North Down)
Alison Cowan (CSNI)
Amy Caulfield (Muckamore)
Nikhita Gondhia (CSNI)
Becky Hall (Muckamore)
Susi Keates (Muckamore)
Abbi Leckey (CSNI)
Charlotte Lyons (Waringstown)
Molly Mathers (Donacloney Mill)
Naomi Matthews (Waringstown)
Staci Maxwell (North Down)
Beth McCrea (Templepatrick)
Nikki Niblock (Muckamore)
Tim Simmonite, commenting on the tour, said, 'we are really looking forward to the Cornwall trip. After a successful summer programme, so far, the matches on the tour will provide a fresh set of challenges which the squad have worked hard to prepare for. I’d like to thank the NCU and Cornwall Cricket for creating the opportunity for us in what will no doubt be an interesting few days'.