Forum

Well done to those clubs who have secured funding to improve their grounds and practise areas. It's refreshing to see that cricket isn't totally forgotten about when it comes to funding.
As a member of a small club in a largely GAA funded area, I would welcome any advice as to how we in Dundrum can secure funding for our club. We are in dire need of funding to improve our playing area, practise facilities, club house, and maintenance machinery. This is in addition to help needed with kids coaching equipment and to aid us in stopping the 'Obese children' syndrome currently in the media presently. It seems to me that because we own our ground, we do not need any grant aids. If anyone from those clubs where funding has been granted would be interested in helping a small club please contact me at the above email address, we as a club would appreciate your input. The funding we hope to get will benefit visiting clubs to Dundrum too! You can remain anonymous if requested.

great to hear of Woodvale securing the funding for ground devolopments. Muckamore have also secured funding for 6 new clay wickets, new astroturf, 2 new practice bays and drainage work on both grounds.its great to hear of clubs getting funding and long may it continue!

Ballymena's pro :

Alphie is the only one that ticks the boxes mentioned. He is a quality bat that will definately add to Ballymena's middle order along with DK and James. Saw him score a near flawless century against CI a couple of season's ago until he was unfortunately run out in the last over, and is very useful too with the ball.

Van Niekerk is a left arm spinner, and Tillakaratne a leggie!

sorry lads - its not a quiz to which I have the answer. I was quoting from the Ballymena Times so I'm as much in the dark as everyone else. Also I see on the Ballymena Cricket website the Hon. Sec. takes a wee swipe at "dubious umpires" in his annual report as posted on the site. Bit rich coming from a club that hasn't had an umpire on the panel for a while - apart from Carl Williams' recent recruitment!!

Andy - you have got us thinking there!!!

Gareth - quite right could be one of the Van Der Merwes. I think both played here for longer than three years though - Marty was at Dunmurry before his stint at Derriaghy. My money would be on Pete Van Niekirk from Derriaghy. Bangor's Tillakaratne could be an option too. What a bat by the way! If Downpatrock hadnt got promoted I would have perhaps threw Jac into the mix.

Maybe it could be yasas tilakaratne from bangor???

I think "Alfie" has only been at Derriaghy for two years so that might rule him out. Chance that it could be one of the Van der Merwe's though??

Struggling to think of anyone else.

Andy kennedy;

Only one i can think of is that guy aphale from derriaghy??

has anyone any idea who the new Ballymena pro is? very secretive report in the local paper - "The player's name cannot be released at this stage, but he has considerable experience of cricket conditions in the Province, having played here for three years for a team that is no longer in the premier division. He has a second string to his bow as an off spinner". Anyideas?

RE: IJAZ AHMED JNR
Ijaz has asked me to post a message to say he would be keen to return to NI as an overseas pro next year. He's still playing first class cricket in Pakistan (think he's still skipper of Faisalabad) and by all accounts had a great season last year in England.
I can let any club interested have a contact number.

John Busby,
If you willing to head north on the M1 as far as Derbyshire/Yorkshire border, there's a team up near Dronfield called Old Whittington. If you are interested, drop me an email and I will give you contact details

sorry Vic but having been around a long time doesn't mean that I am all that old - I started early! Still I do recall, as a young lad, playing against Willie Andrews at Comber and George Orr of YMCA. 1930 would be a bit before my time but the late Eddie Mulholland spoke on a couple of occasions about playing for Muckamore against a team called Ophir - from the conversations they didn't seem to be around for too long (Eddie was certain that Muckamore dismissed them for 8 or 9!) but that would be the same area as Hyde Park. Don't know if there was any connection between them & the rugby club of the same name that is still "alive and (I hesitate to say) kicking" - that would be more relevant in the Smokey McKeown/ Marty Morrison era of the 70s & 80s! Oh no - there I go again. But thinking back on the level of scoring in the not too distant past - and hearing all the adverse comments about the standards of pitches - still recall Ian Callendar's comments about the School's Cup final pitch at Muckamore and smile when I saw Jason Van Der Merwe get 100 2 days later on the same one! but what would I know? - but I digress. 35 years ago 120 - 130 was a competetive score and anything over 150 was almost a guarantee of victory. Nowadays scores of 180 - 200 are the norm.

Thanks Andy, think I will move my post over to the other site although Micheal Taylor was good enough to get back to me with some info. Unfortunatley I will be writing my masters dissertation next summer so wont be back playing, hopefully I will be back the year after (If I can get a job!). Think I remember the occasion that you refer to although I didnt get his wicket as I recall!

All the best

John

Previous to my last post,
The full name of the Cup my late grandfather's team won in 1930 was the McMullen Memorial Cup !
If that helps stir anyones memory ?

(Boy Clarence,you don't hang about with the postings! Great stuff).