Please click here to leave a message.
The Ulster Cricketer reserves the right not to publish submissions written under pseudonyms or which make gratuitous personal attacks.
Lost grounds.
Orange field
YMCA Bladon Park
Allen Park?
Academy pitch at clubhouse
Deramore Park collegians and harlequins.
Upper Galwally?
Post Office ground Derriaghy?
Always a shame to think of cricket clubs which have disappeared. There are a few from looking back through past league tables.
Chanced upon this article about the formation of Newry and Mourne. Seems such a shame that 10 years later they no longer exist.
http://www.cricketeurope4.net/CEIRELAND/NORTHERN/2001/NEWS/001.shtml
A quick google search found a few of their scorecards, all heavy defeats. I'm sure that this didn't help.
Is anyone aware of when or if the draw for the quarter finals of the Ulster Plate has been/will be made? The fixtures are to take place next Sunday (3 July) and it would be rather helpful to know opponents, and more importantly, whether our club has a home or away game. If the draw hasnt been undertaken yet it would be helpful to have some sort of explanation.
The debate about starting times seems to be gaining momentum on the Twitter feeds. A lot of people wanting 11am starts.We may not be able to accomadate schoolboys in Senior cricket during school term and if thats the price so be it. If we don't catch the mood of the current players we are going to lose more and more people to either mid week cricket or worse golf.
I left Eaton Park at 8.45pm last night as soon as the Ballymena v Waringstown match ended. The Waringstown players and supporters weren't probably home until 10.15pm. That has to be a killer for a club with so many teenagers coming through and also a loyal band of spectators who add so much to the game. I know it was a rain affected game but under the current playing conditions that was the time it finished.The game at Comber was finishing at exactly the same time.
I see in another Tweet that Dundrum are intending proposing 40 over cricket below the Premier League. If that was successful maybe those games could start at 12.30. I suppose we focus on starting times. Maybe we should focus on the finishing time and work back accordingly. If we aimed to cut off at 6pm then 11am for 50 overs, 12.30 for 40 overs and 1pm for 35 overs or less would work. Do away with the no overs lost in first 30 minutes rule and shorten tea intervals to 20 minutes if time doesn't allow the full 30 minutes.
This compromise might cover most eventualities and should suit players and spectators alike. Premier League clubs need to start marketing the game better on a local level and I think we could see improved crowds with guaranteed 6pm finishes. That mid afternoon 2pm to 6pm could become a very enjoyable way for a lot of people to spend at a game.
Don't lets use the red herring of schools cricket dictate the wishes of the majority. If you analyis the scorebooks of the games played this season how many games did these schoolboys play in Premier League cricket even with 1pm starts ? And if you work on a Saturday morning you may have to play in a team that plays only 35 overs on a Saturday and you can start at 1pm.
Well here is one shop owner heading for 35 over cricket then Ivan!
Lost grounds
What about YMCA's lovely ground for years at Bladon Drive, Belfast?
Over the years many great local cricketers played there - I am sure a lot of our readers will remember some of them with fond memories.
Lost grounds
Another one to add to the list would be Newry and Mourne at Newry Rugby Club.
With regards to the start time, one more thing to take into consideration, today we were supposed to be playing Ards seconds with a 1pm start time, I carried out a pitch inspection last night and there was doubt about the ground with water lying in a couple of spots in the outfield.
Knowing that Ards would be leaving about 10:30 - 11am I got up about 8.30 and arranged to go in at 9.30 to make a decision about the game, pitch was unplayable with quite large areas of water lying in parts of the outfield, but if the game had been scheduled for an 11am start, what time would the pitch inspection have had to taken place? 7.30am, so getting up at 6.30 on my day off work?
yeah right.
Many congratulations to Saintfield U15's in their Graham Cup victory. Well done to all involved over the years as i believe the first Graham Cup in the clubs history.
Lost grounds
Warren Gardens, Lisburn (Leisure Centre car park)
Ormeau Park (Parks pitch)
Several at City of Belfast Playing Fields
The Dub
Cherryvale?
Inverary Avenue
Shorts
ICI
Holywood on A2
New Forge Lane (Cooke)
Lost grounds - how could we forget Greenisland????
Big one of the clubs and grounds that is missing is Ormeau Road - North of Ireland CC
Re : Steve McChesney
Bod you dont want to start that rules and regulations stream again. I said exactly the same thing way before the start of the season about playing ODI rules with powerplays, coloured gear etc to help NCU plays feed into the Ireland set up easier if selected and also to help bring a bit more excitement back into the game.
As usual though there were plenty out there who thought cricket as it is now works and that no-one is walking away from the game because they are stuck in the same 100 overs a day game that starts at 1 ( until July ) and normally finishes by 8 then home by 9 if your lucky ( unless you have a freakish game ).
How could we ever cope if something changed? It could be the end of the game in our wee country!!! I THINK NOT!!
latest finish i have ever played in last night: Our game last night finished at 9.50pm, crazy time to be finishing a cricket match. Has anyone played in a game without floodlights that finished later?
Davy - add to your list Cloughfern, Academy at Mallusk, St. Mary's in North Belfast, the grounds of the "Parks League", Cliftonville on the Cliftonville Road, Musgrave Park.
Grounds lost (and club if you can remember)
lord lurgan Memorial park - first home of Victoria CC
Shane park - Instonians
Lurgan park (upper pitch) - Crossbows
Blaris - Lambeg CC / Lisnagarvey hockey club
Deramore Avenue - Collegians
Deramore Drive - Park or whatever the name was - ?
The Meadow - Crossgar
Fix the mistakes or add grounds that you can recall playing on that are no longer listed (i.e. show your age lol)
P.S. I can also recall seeing Lambeg playing at ballykinlar army camp in the early 1970's but not sure who they were playing against, anyone help?
Yes - hats off to Jeff and co at Dundrum CC. I noticed in last week's Mourne Observer a photo of Jeff and club professional receiving "cead mile failte" at Bunscoil Bheanna Boirche in Castlewellan as they introduced cricket to the young pupils at this school. This school in case some of you hadn't worked out, teaches in the medium of Irish Language at primary school level. Talk about taking cricket to the very grass roots.
"Maith thú" Dundrum
