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I don't really want to defend the England cricket team but if you check out the highlights on YouTube of the Irish win over England in the 2011 Cricket World Cup you can see in some of them that Strauss does applaud Kevin O’Brien’s 100. It's very brief but he does acknowledge it. You cannot see most of the other England players in the clips so we can't see if they did/didn't acknowledge it.

Caleb - you'll be taking over from Jeff Maguire soon! An interesting passage in Kevin O'Brien's book where he describes that none of the England team acknowledged his big 100 on the field. Mmmm!

Two test matches over well within the 5 days, wins for the Aussies and S.Africa.
Clarke & Kallis awesome for their respective teams and ofcourse Man-U blown away at St.James Pk. Only down side, Sachin still can't get that elusive 100th hundred (20 runs short this time).

All predicted here previously, by 'yours truely' !

Andy I may have to reconsider taking up calling these results professionally....it could prove very lucrative indeed!!

Now what's them six numbers going to be tomorrow nite ? Let me see !

Is it not near time Fergie was put out to grass??? He should take Mr. Rooney along with him !

Better still, someone tell them there's a couple of brilliant Test matches on T.V. at the present time, if they care to sit up to-nite........I'm fairly sure they both can afford satellite television and it may help take their minds away from troubling times !!!!

quite right Caleb - having said that about soccer I have fears that Super Spurs will get a nose-bleed soon after being so high in the table. And I wonder how Andy Mccullough feels about the "noisy neighbours"? He must be over the moon. Heavy scoring by Messrs. Kallis, de Villiers, Ponting % Clarke. Glad I'm not in the England squad!!

Powerful knocks afterall last-nite, by the Aussie skipper & ex. skipper and fantastic after all these years, still to hear the dulcid and lanquid tones of that great doyen of cricket commentary Richie Benaud.

Hard to believe after a very successful international cricket career, he retired and took up cricket punditry in 1964 (before I was ever thought off) and has been an instuition ever since.........Long may he continue !

I believe even he would embrace the shorter version of the game, despite coming from a more traditionalist generation & background.

Like I've said before I enjoy hearing the football men at work or down at the 'local', talking about that exciting game of cricket they watched on T.V. the other day and my reply to them is always the same....

" Yes football can be boring, but I suppose it's Okay if there's no cricket on" !!

Another first day of a Test match and 11 wkts fall, whatever became of the good old fashioned 'stone-wall five day draw'?

Seems to be the trend now for these matches to finish (weather permitting) well within the allotted time, with a win or lose result always the outcome.

Could this be the T20 effect seeping through, which is now so prevalent throughout the game of cricket, batsmen not building innings or partnerships together?
Groundsmen encouraged to create bowling friendly wickets etc.

Either way it does make for exciting viewing and great to see such great crowds watching and cheering on their teams at these games, never mind the millions more watching on T.V.

( Roll on April )

Thanks Dick. I knew you would have a story or two about Mullingar, and probably every other town in Ireland. It couldn't have been the Sabbath as it was 3-30pm on a Sunday afternoon and you could hardly get a bet on as the lines were full of local padre!
Actually we met some of the bookies later in the local hotel and they said we has "pulled off a coup and we had better be on our way!" Nice fellas bookies when they lose.
Good to hear from you mate and Happy New Year.
Best wises,
Clarence

great to see Ivan Reid out & about on Friday - and looking so well after his operation. Looks good enough to be back in the blue coat in 2012

YOUTH CRICKET - PROPOSED CHANGES

The Youth Committee recently met to consider a number of issues that have been raised regarding cricket at under age level. In short:-
� That there is too little competitive cricket
� That teams are discouraged from entering competition or remaining in competitions if they find they are �out of their depth�
� That the NCU representative teams are not as competitive as they once were
� That the league system has become somewhat �stale�
� The perennial problem regarding the different age group qualification in the NCU as compared with the rest of Ireland.
We have taken the views of league officials, team coaches, interested parents and representative coaches. This was by no means everyone with an interest in or input into youth cricket. Nevertheless it has allowed us to put together an outline plan for the future of the youth game �
1. A new entry level league for �new� teams, returning teams, �B� teams and teams who would benefit from playing at an entry level � likely to consist of around 8-10 teams.
2. Current regional-based structure to remain for 2012 � likely to consist of 4 groups of 5 teams with 8 league matches on a home and away basis. (20 teams)
3. A system of relegation/promotion for 2013 and thereafter � with a definite aim to reduce the first division to 16 teams (two sections of 8 teams) with similar numbers in the second division.
4. Teams from both divisions in the Graham Cup.
5. League age qualification to remain as is � the school year.
6. Graham Cup age qualification to change to the September 1st date as with the rest of Ireland.
7. To permit teams to re-arrange fixtures (by agreement of both teams) on Sundays to play longer matches of up to 40 overs.

All interested parties were invited to a 'roadshow' kindly hosted by Derriaghy CC on December 8th. After very positive discussions it has been decided to recommnend the proposed changes at under 15 level for the forthcoming season, with the likelihood of further roll out to under 13 and under 11 cricket the following season.

It is very important that all those with an interest in youth cricket take the time when the full rules are issued to digest (assuming passed by the Management Committee)

The new set-up should make it more attractive for clubs not currently fielding an under 15 team to enter the league, possibly for the first time.

I will be happy to respond to any posts concerning the new set-up. If the discussion at committee and the 'roadshow' is anything to go by - there may be a few.

Happy Christmas to everyone involved in Cricket Ulster and to all in NCU cricket.

Winter well.

Neale Matthews

That's you, Clarence, lovely piece on the All Ireland "Shield".
Running a North Down horse on the Sabbath (albeit down south)..really Cl.!
Your/our beloved Grasshoppers did a "world tour" to Mullingar one weekend, led by Muckamore's own Andy Clement(S.P.).Team included P.Weir(j.p.), "The Reluctant Blazer"(Harte)& Waity(50*).

Merry Christmas everyone.
Clarence and Peter

mark maybe your correct but some of the squad are not regular first eleven players and most did not do a lot when they played and nathan burns scored a lot more runs than any of them

Matthew I'd imagine it's because he is playing 2nds cricket

irish u19 squad why is nathan burns not in the squad? any selector care to say?