Forum

davy, thanks for explaining that cheers. That wasnt yesterday!

Sorry Ivan, cannot agree with your comments regarding youngsters and the calling of wides. The bye-laws actually deal with the situation and specifically requires a greater degree of tolerance:-
(m) Umpires are instructed to apply a strict and consistent interpretation of the Law on wide bowling, in order to prevent negative bowling wide of the wicket. As a guide, if the ball passes either side of the wicket sufficiently wide to make it virtually impossible for the striker to play a normal cricket stroke both from where he is standing and from where he should normally be standing at the crease, the Umpire should call and signal eWide ballf.
Players umpiring matches involving teams from the Second, Third and Fourth Divisions should apply a somewhat less strict interpretation, remembering that the purpose of the Bye]Law is to prevent deliberate negative bowling rather than to over]penalise young and inexperienced bowlers for lack of control.
Unfortunately too many umpires try to impose the standards seen on top class matches on TV. I have too often witnessed adults over-zealously "widing" kids with the effect of upsetting and disillusioning them. I was particularly suprised last season when a 13 year old leg spinner was told by an adult umpire he was "widing" him because "he turned it too much". God forbid we should encourage young spinners to give it a rip!

Taito, when Lisburn CC employed John Solanki as a professional he used to spend quite a bit of time at Friends School coaching, where he coached not only members of the school who played for Lisburn, but also Jeremy Ogle (Donaghcloney), Peter Sanford (Waringstown and then Lurgan), Myself (various clubs) and Dan Clarke (Downpatrick), so by my reckoning those clubs profited by Lisburn employing their coach by getting better players (well apart from myself who wouldnt listen to anyone at that age :-))

That's rite Ivan, it's the only way there're going to learn, sort it out at practice not on match days !
Anyway, I don't bowl 'wides' so I don't expect anyone else on my team to bowl them either, as you say; runs should be hard earned, not given away for 'free' !!

And anyway, I never seem to face too many wides whenever I'm batting ?

Wides at 3rds/4ths.

Why should we not call balls bowled down the legside as wides ? If it's a youngster who hopes to move up then it's unfair NOT TO CALL HIM because he will be called at the higher level. Surely the more senior among us have a duty to help prepare young players for a higher standard of cricket.
A few extra nights in the nets and knowing you aren't going to get away with it would sort it out. I think it actually makes it easy and consistent if we say " down leg side is a wide ".

I hear of the same people in our club do it week in week out. I would sort that out very quickly. " if you are going to bowl wides and no balls every week I'm not giving you the ball. " End of . We play limited overs cricket and at club level will never play anything else so " every run's a prisoner " ( a bit like the £'s in Ballymena ).

Sorry Davey wasnt referring to myself ive been bowling the biggest load of "poop" this year wides are the least of my worries juat have fielded slip and some of our younger guys have been wided harshly, as you say stevie we should know beeter at our age ........ well your age anyways :P

With regards to wides been given, am I not right in saying that in 2nd/3rd XI cricket, where unpires from the batting team are standing, that if a young player is bowling wide (especially leg side and within reason) a bit of leniency should be given? I certainly disagree that a seasoned campaigner, myself included, should have the same leniency. We should be more accurate at our age!!

Davy, what do you mean we (Downpatrick) have had the benefit of their "hired guns" in the past? confused......

Jim... Me ! What did I say ???

Jason, If you did'nt hit the ball, but decide to walk cause the W/Keeper roars at the umpire, even though the umpire agrees with you (No contact). Goodness me, must keep that one in mind, next time I'm bowling at you mate !!!

Davy and Co.
My post regarding cheating etc. was in reference more towards the highest echelons of the game, when compared to other high profile sports, ie. Football, athletics even snooker (Heaven forbid) and many others.

Cricket seems largely free from alot of this skull-duggary, thanks mainly to the modern use of technology, ability to change when change is called for, but most importantly... a 'wee thing' called:
' The Spirit of the game' !!!

" Lest we forget " !!!!!

Alrite Vic?? Just disagree with you on one part of your post regarding the cheating ive played most games for our 2nd eleven this year and one part of 2nd eleven cricket is the inconsistency in the umpiring now im not talking lbws here im talking about getting wided harshley and on more than one instance run outs given not out when the batsmans been out a couple of feet or more, to edges behind not given ive witnessed three times (all the same team) a batsman edging it behind and starting to walk having a look up to see if the umpires given it which in this case there was no finger up and the batsman turned and walked back into his crease now keep in mind here that the umpires a member of his own team ...... is this cheating???

Maxi, I was standing in the non strikers role when you decided to change from a spin bowler back to your normal medium pace, and at least two of the three consecutive wides you bowled I would have given, I have walked on a couple of occasions when i have been caight down the leg side, and could have stood my ground, I have umpired and seen oposition players scream at me about a caught behind, and get most upset at me not raising my finger until they realise that the batsman has walked,
Like you there are cubs that i traditionally expect nothing, but why should I change my beliefs for those that dont believe?
(& for those that want to ridicule lisburn CC, I know of players from Waringstown, Lurgan, Donaghcloney and Downpatrick that had the benefit of their "hired help" in the past.

I wasn't referring to games with "official" umpires - I was posting about games where players are putting their own teammates under pressure to "cheat". My dictionary defines "cheat" as "use unfair play" and I can put it no better. I recall a "heated" aftermatch exchange of views with an opponent (who was old enough to have known better) who told "his" 15 year old umpire that he couldn't be out bowled as the bowler - a certain Ronnie Cook - had broken the wicket at the non-striker's end with his heel in the delivery stride. Thank goodness that I've calmed down since those days!! P.S. just finished watching the Ireland - Canada game on a link posted on the Cricket Europe forum.

RE Davy Gilpin

I am not going to get into a debate about paid players but take Kyle McCallan out of Waringstown matches this season and you would have won very few games. All teams have their own match winners.

Andy

As you say the "umpiring" has been going on for years it even gets to the stage where before you get in the car to go to some places you know your gonna get nothing from who your playing where others are honest and play the game properly, was just thinking about what i said yesterday and the team i mentioned we beat them on the 3 occasions the incidents happened ..... on the subject of walking i was playing against academy 1sts a few weeks ago went to play a cut missed and the keeper went up and i walked but the further i got from the middle i thought to myself i didnt hit that, when meeting the standing umpire after he also asked why i walked as he wouldnt have given it ........ thats stupidity on my part!!!!

I have been reading some of the posts in relation to umpiring and would like to suggest that teams use this opportunity to attend the training organised by the NIACUS. The clubs must realise that if we have more qualified umpires then we could cover all games. You can still play on a Saturday and umpire on a Sunday or during the week. The training course is excellent and is facilitated by Keith Smith, Trevor Magee and Alan Waugh who do a splendid job. So instead of moaning on this forum contact the NIACUS and come and learn more about the laws and umpiring.

Sorry was hear-hearing to the response from Editor not Gary's comments!!