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Spent my afternoon working on the Victoria pitch in the park, but have only found out that the opening weekend of the season has already been scuppered. It seems that the new Victoria 3rd XI's opponents for Saturday only realised at 6.00pm on Thursday that their artificial pitch would not be laid in time for Saturday...

andy

say it ain't so. surely Esler hasn't retired. Maybe cricket's loss is music's gain

The News Letter previews the NCU and North West cricket seasons with an eight-page supplement on Friday. There will also be our usual Saturday features. Don't miss it!

on the "age" comments - in the years that I've been around cricketers I cannot recall anyone ever saying that they played too long but many said they stopped too soon. The likes of Harry Cook (Ballymena, etc.), Harold McCrory (Laurelvale), Frank Parkinson(Larne etc.), Esler Burke (Larne), Don Shields (North Down), John McCormick, Harry McFadden, Philip Dewes (Muckmamore) are a few who come to mind who continue to play or played well into their 50s+.

BUMPER DALE; Dont forget bumper during your cricketing career you coached in the same team..... Paul Stirling, Lee Nelson and James Shannon all in your NCU youth team!!! all of which have starred for ireland at verious youth levels and in the PL!! Credit to you sir!!!

If you play long enough everything comes to you.
League and Cup medals, NCU awards and now I am mentioned in the same breath as the one and only Brian Lara.
As long as I remain fit I will play the 'beloved game' of cricket.
Ironically the second half of my career has yielded a bucket load of medals and awards and I ain't finished yet!
I left N.Down in 2002 as the best team in the NCU and I left Instonians as double winners. If I have played a part in those sucesses then I am well pleased.
Saintfield- well just watch this space. They have a talented and hard -working pro in Marc Ellison, a youthful group of eager cricketers and a great committee. The young players are eager to taste Premier league cricket and Marc and I will be working hard to ensure they do just that- wearing a Saintfield sweater!!!

Vic,
With regards to injuries, footballer's knees go. In rugby - depends on where you play but shoulders, thigh and calf strains and cricketers, in my case, mainly bowlers, suffer from back pain. It's years of bowling in the street incorrectly and not learning to stay upright thats done it for me. Epidurals are a great invention and Dr Brown in Ulster Clinic in particular does a good job!! Not sure about snooker, but in darts I'm sure the liver get a pounding!

MUST – Match Update Service via Twitter

Some pre-season friendly matches in the North West at the weekend were reported on using Twitter. So far there has been a great deal of enthusiasm for the idea of reporting matches via Twitter with 14 clubs signed up to it out of a possible 21 clubs. Another 2 or 3 are likely to sign up before the start of the season.

You can look at the updates by going to twitter and typing in the search box the relevant Competition Code for the league or cup you are interested in. For pre-season friendlies type in #nwcfr for match updates and to view any results type in #nwcfrres. Limavady were playing The Nedd in a two night match starting last night. First innings scores are on.

Welcome to the Twicket season everyone!

More information on the system and Competition Codes can be found at; http://dazzlersden.wordpress.com/

A listing of the various club feeds and Competition Codes can be found on the North West feed; www.twitter.com/nwcricket

And would you believe it, Davis has just beaten King 10-9!!!!!!

Good-nite!

I certainly agree with the editor's latest feature... 'Age is only a number'.

Watching Steve Davis at the minute, 8 frames to 6 up on Mark King, some 20 odd yrs. younger and much higher ranked than 50 something yr.old Davis!

And the same comparison canbe made with cricket, I never picked-up a cricket bat or held a cricket ball, until 1994 aged 29 and now some 15yrs.later I feel I still haven't peaked just yet! (although I'm nearly there)

Footballer's legs start to 'go' around 30yrs of age and they soon afterwards are forced to quit,not so at cricket,snooker etc.

Like they say: 'If your good enough,you're old enough'or in Billy 'Bumper'Dale's case, 'young enough'! Form is temporary but class`is permanent, Billy's testamount to that fact and long may he and players like him continue to reign supreme!

And anyway,if had joined our club Victoria instead of Saintfield,some of our players would be calling him 'sonny',when he turned up for practise, but I'll mention no names??

It all starts this Saturday folks, its been a long winter,so good luck to everyone;from 9 to 90 and enjoy your cricket!!

Thanks Frog for your comments, however, I have made no decision about playing elsewhere other than at Mallusk, or indeed, what level I will play at, if at all.

Being in the twilight of my career at the ripe old age of 35, Im not sure I could stand up to 50 overs anymore

Bod

Ref: Players moving on.

Certainly Cliftonville would have welcomed Brian Anderson in their ranks this forthcoming season. Brian broke his arm last year and managed to play only in our penultimate second XI fixture, we fulfilled our fixtures and will do so again. Bod, played in only a handful of games , acquited himself well and was an integral part in keeping our second XI solvent.
If both players can play at a higher level in the twilight of their respective careers , why begrudge them it. They have both played their part in Cliftonville's recent history, have been friends of mine for decades and will remain so , irrespective of what differing paths we take.
I've to concentrate now on the Cliftonville players of the future, to paraphrase Chumbawumba, 'we get knocked down, but we get up again.......'

Re: Johnny

I am not familiar with the player or the situation you ar talking about, but... surely if a player has devoted 25 years of service to a cricket club and still has it in him to have one last go playing at a big club, one last chance to test himself, it should not be held against him. You say that him being there 25 years makes it worse? How? By the sounds of things he could have moved on whenever he wanted but chose not to. Credit to him for that! In footballing terms, would you hold it against Bobby Zomora for leaving Brighton all those years ago so that he could play in the Premiership? Or Tim Cahill for moving from Millwall to Everton?

I had also heard BOD was in discussions with CI over some dollars (and ladies) to join his mate B.A this season.

BOD would probably be a good addition to CI ranks - good luck to him if its true

Im sure Cliftonville will be fine this season - if I recall correctly, Brian didnt play much last year due to injury? Although he will be a loss, they done ok without him last year in the face of their ground problems too, so it's pretty much as you were. Fair play and good luck again this season lads!