Forum

re jim: I dont agree with you at all,as this is a forum i dont need to get over it and get on with since im not playing, so i can give my opinion. it was an absolute shocker, and could cost ireland their place in the quarters. How he came up with it after the review is unreal.I hope you are right though about beating SA

gary wilson was out. it says that in the score book. get over it and move on! bring on the africans, I sense an upset again.

Have to agree although it is inconclusive either way looking at the replays. If that is the case then the batsman should get the benefit of the doubt.Umpire was adamant but which umpire wants to change their decision? Technology has shown how many mistakes are made and at this level it is supposed to rectify those mistakes. Big pity as Gary was going well and he might have done it. Who knows?

what can i say about da silvs decision today.... probably cant say what i really think on here. Absolute shocker how could he deduce an attempted push in to the off side forone was not a shot when we needed 8 and a half an over, absolute disgrace..

pp . ill post few daily but early bankers imperial commander gold cup fri/ hurricane fly champion hurdle tue/ big zeb champion chase wed / baby run foxhunters fri / good luck

Ed, Crisket aside for a moment, with Cheltenham looming can we ask that you put Jeff's tips up on this site as soon as you get them. There would be nothing worse than seeing Jeff's winning tips on here, long after the nags have passed the red lollipop in front of the rest.

Many thanks

Agreed, Clarence, but I consider the old boys part of my first grouping, while all the others depended on the munificence of landowners, most of whom - I believe - lent land to cricket for one of the two reasons I outlined.

Admittedly, none of this is relevant to today: I think cricket endures simply because we love the game itself!

Just to remind everyone that the NIACUS Annual Dinner will take place on Friday 8th April 2011 at the La Mon Country House Hotel. Our guest speakers are Andy Kennedy and Niall Crozier. Tickets are priced at £30.
Umpires should also note that if they wish to officate at NCU Premier League fixtures that they should attend the Open Meeting at Stormont on Monday 14th March 2011 at 7.45pm. If you do not attend you will not be given any fixtures for Premier League until you have been briefed by a Training Officer from Association or a member of the Executive Committee.

Mostly right Michael, as the mills played a huge part in cricket development in Ulster. But you need to add;
1 Old Boys Clubs (Inst/Academy etc)
2 Cricket/sports clubs-Clubs that originated because individuals genuinely wanted to play cricket in their area because they liked the game. They are the majority and include the village clubs so prevalent in the North-West and at one stage in the Antrim, Fermanagh and South Down areas. They played for the shirt! Still do according to Vic!
3 Social/lifestyle clubs-(CIYMS/YMCA etc)
4 Work teams-The old Belfast League teams etc.
The game has certainly moved on from the 1880s when owner John Andrews Jun led the factory workers in Comber in lunchtime matches!

Andy Kennedy :

No worries Andy I'm still here alrite, just because he wants to become an umpire like you and be taken seriously, he thinks his little plan of locking me away in the attic in the hope I'll never be heard off again & forgotten about.. Will do the trick !

Well I've news for him...it WON'T !!

The backside of the old case he puts me in has fallen out, so I can escape easily and even if he reads this later on and fixes it, I'll still find a way to escape....cause I'm far smarter than him, that's for sure !!

Infact he's to dumb to realise it, but without me he would be nothing ! Me.. 'Vic Johns', I'm the one that made him into a cricketer, a poet, a story-teller and now soon maybe an umpire too but he will never see it like that nor dare even admit to it !

While I'm on here, (& before he wakes up), D.K. says local cricket is dying..well maybe he gets out more than me, but around my patch it's alive and flourishing !

That evening last summer Andy when you gave up your time and travelled all the way from the land of 'Buckna' to 'the Cloney's' ground to officiate in full regalia and add kudos to a friendly match for surplus young players at both clubs.
There was an abundance of players there and you will note Donaghcloney now have entered a 3rd. team into the respective league and we have now a new colts team entered for this season as well.

Up at Lurgan C.C. last season, during a Primary schools competition, there were entries from all over the borough, I had a tough job finding my nephew who was playing for Moira Primary that day amongst the crowd and I noted that every school had more than it's fair share of Lurgan tigers sprinkled throughout all the many schools that were competing !

So on the eve of what could yet be another historic day for the Ireland cricket nation, I leave you one & all with this proposal..

"Think not what cricket can do for you, but what can YOU do for cricket" !

Andy,

The majority of cricket clubs in Ulster were founded for one of two reasons:

(1) The upper-middle classes thought that cricket was a gentlemanly and healthy way to pass the time, and that cricketers would therefore make for more disciplined, energetic, and competent leaders in society;

(2) With working hours cut down by government legislation, landlords and factory- and (as you suggest) mill-owners needed to provide some kind of distraction to keep their workers from spending all their new-found freedom in the pub!

RE Roy Young

Roy - thank you very much for your support of TCC U15s in the voting and also your kind words about TCC on the forum.

Ryan - thanks for your support also and good luck to NDCC U15s in the N Down awards.

lets keep flying the cricket flag

regards
Andy McCrea

Anxious Dad,

I've been managing the NCU RDS Squads for the U13s and the U15s and I'm in charge of the U11s as well.

Apologies for the delay in keeping you or any other parents informed and you'll be glad to hear that you haven't missed anything and details will be coming out over the next few weeks about sessions for the U11s in April and May.

Players will have been nominated by their clubs back in August/September and if the Junior Officers from all clubs but in particular Armagh, D'aghy, L'vale, L'burn, S'field, Ards, Bangor, Academy and B'mena would like to nominate any players, please feel free to do so... you may have unearthed a star at this years winter practices and it would be great to get them involved!! If you or anyone has any further questions about these sessions, please contact me directly - my details are on the NCU website under the NCU Clubs link and I can be found at the CIYMS section and I'd be glad to help in any way.

Cheers,

Hinky

The Templepatrick C.C. award:

My vote is away and I've put a mention of it on the forum section of our own website to get our readers/members to vote as well, wouldn't it be great to see cricket edging out football for once !!

(Yes Jim you're correct, I ammended that little gramatical error to read ameoba but happy all the same that my point wasn't lost and that I make you laugh!!)

Jim - the "wee" ground at Muckamore - according to John McCormick - is known as Harrigan's Hill which was an old bleach green so whilst I am much to young to have any direct experience of the linen trade I am very much aware of the significance of the "wigs" and the "bunchan inch" reference. Funny enough I was having a sherbet with a pal of mine (Hugh Jordan)and coming from Glasgow he was fascinated to know why cricket in Northern Ireland was played in the venues that it was. My theory is that it followed the linen industry i.e. the Lagan Valley and the North-West but others may have a different idea. By the way Flossie & I met Vic Johns at the Victoria dinner last year and I note that he has kept his head down since I made reference to their palatial club-house. But perhaps we should refrain from trivia in case we get DK annoyed again!!