Forum

Before Tuesday nights meeting regards the structure of leagues for the 2019 season I would like to personally see 4 leagues of 10 where we would see plenty of cricket.
I would also like to see all leagues open so that strong 2nd X1s could go to as far Section 1 if they were good enough to beat teams in Section 2 and Section 3.
I do have a personal reason for bringing this to a public forum as when I last played over 10 years ago we always discussed if some of the great 2nd X1s we played against like North of Ireland Woodvale and Warringstown would actually beat our own 1st X1 when we were in Section 2. Maybe in this structure we might see a strong 2nd X1 climb to those mighty heights. Thoughts from the Ed.

Fixtures for Saturday (matches start 09h30 local time; matches involving the Netherlands and Nepal will be classified as List-A matches as the two sides don’t have ODI status coming into this tournament

Windies v Ireland, Harare Sports Club, Harare (Group A)
PNG v Netherlands, Old Hararians, Harare (Group A)
Zimbabwe v Hong Kong, Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo (Group B)
Afghanistan v Nepal, Bulawayo Athletic Club, Bulawayo (Group B)

"Ballyclare" you hide your identity with a false name and a stupid remark.
However, I will reply once you clear your name. Otherwise don't waste our time and resource. Go somewhere else.

Ireland v Papua New Guinea at Harare Sports Club.
Ireland win by 4 wickets.
Papua New Guinea 235 (50 overs) (T Ura 151, C Soper 25; A McBrine 3-39, B Rankin 2-41, K O'Brien 2-53)
Ireland 237-6 (49.1 overs) (W Porterfield 111, E Joyce 53, P Stirling 27; A Vala 2-39)
Now two up and topping the A League table.
West Indies now on 10 March.

World Cup Qualifying
Ireland v Netherlands (Group A)
Put in to bat, Ireland scored 268 for seven in their allotted 50 overs. All the top order batsmen got decent starts but only Andrew Balbirnie was able to cross the 50-run mark, scoring 68 from 75 balls with four fours and one six.
Wicketkeeper-batsman Niall O’Brien (49), opener William Porterfield (47) and one-down batsman Ed Joyce (32) were the other notable run-getters, while the 101-run fourth wicket partnership between Balbirnie and O’Brien was the biggest of the Irish innings.
For the Netherlands, fast bowler Timm van der Gugten was the most successful bowler with three for 59 even as Ireland collected 76 runs in the last 10 overs for the loss of four wickets.
Chasing a revised target of 243 runs in 41 overs, the Netherlands started poorly when they lost Maxwell O'Dowd on the third delivery of the opening over and then continued to lose wickets at regular intervals until they were bowled out for 149 to fall short by 93 runs.
Tim Murtagh, who started the riot when he dismissed O’Dowd, was the pick of the Ireland bowlers when he finished with three for 28, while Boyd Rankin and Barry McCarthy took two wickets apiece. For the Netherlands, van der Gugten (33), Scott Edwards (26) and Ryan ten Doeschate (21) were the notable contributors.

Cricket Ireland has revealed plans to develop a new permanent stadium in west Dublin.
The board has voted to pursue the creation of a new national cricket stadium at the National Sports Campus.
Irish internationals have traditionally been staged at Malahide or Clontarf in Dublin, Stormont in Belfast or Bready in County Tyrone.
The board has also announced an additional six limited-overs matches against Afghanistan in 2018.
The three Twenty20 internationals and three one-day matches will be held at Bready and Stormont from 20-31 August.
The board, which has also approved its largest annual operational budget of 9m euro, has announced a number of significant decisions in the wake of Ireland's elevation to Test status.
"Cricket in Ireland is entering an exciting new phase, as we begin to understand more and more the implications and obligations of becoming an ICC full member," said CI chief executive Warren Deutrom.
"We anticipate that the new future tours programme [FTP] will be finalised by the ICC in April this year. It is likely to involve the senior men alone playing about 60 home matches over the next five seasons.
"What has become abundantly clear to the board is that this dramatic increase in our home schedule means that we will need to share the load beyond our four existing international-standard grounds around Ireland."
Stadium relocation
The decision to relocate to the National Sports Campus follows a review of Cricket Ireland's previous plan to redevelop the Malahide cricket ground to become their main national stadium.
A report recommended the move to the green-field site where it will be located next to Cricket Ireland's new administrative office, which is under construction, and other world-class training facilities already available on the campus.
"The report informed the board's deliberations around a number of important issues around venue access and future-proofing," added Deutrom.
"When we selected Malahide as the location for our main stadium in Dublin a decade ago, Irish cricket was in a very different position with a much smaller fixture list.
"By achieving Test status and joining the FTP, we've had to ask ourselves the tough question of whether that decision is still fit for purpose."

CSNI firsts are looking for a friendly on Saturday 21st April or Sunday 22 April against NCU opposition home or away.
Contact Jim on 07719553733 or pop.bloomer@gmail.com

A belated thanks to Brian for his information about the 8 clubs sharing £12k. I'm just wondering does that mean that only 8 clubs applied or that 8 clubs were successful and did the other Unions get £12k as well for sharing out?

It has been a while since my last posting on this site and I hope everyone is well and to all persons and clubs who have lost family and friends my sympathies.

Well is everyone ready for the CWC Qualifiers to come, encouraging signs in beating Holland and on top of Scotland in the abandoned match and all players standing up to the situation. Is this down pure and simple to our new coach or is it a case of putting the foot down on our opposition to drive home the wins.

Our group looks winable with a disjointed West Indies side, Holland you never know what your going to get, UAE we know about from the recent tri series and PNG we should win against. Then the other Pool is tricky but Afghanistan, Zimbabwe and Scotland coming through as Nepal and Hong Kong will be to weak. Then you have to beat 2 of the 3 sides to reach 2019 in the super 6 stage, Scots should be a win whilst Afghans is 50/50 and Zim will be under to much pressure on home soil

A few questions re 2018 season
Will Waringstown continue the dominence in 2018?
Will Lurgan Ladies dominate again in 2018?
Who will surprise us in all divs in 2018?
What thing would supporters like to see change in 2018?

Northern Cricket Union - Winter Youth Programme
Since last October the Northern Cricket Union (NCU) have been busier than ever, with their programme for youth coaching (boys and girls), sponsored by PwC. Every Sunday at the Ulster University, Jordanstown Campus, there are six sessions for all age groups from Under 9’s upwards, utilising both the Sports Hall and the excellent 3G surface.
NCU Representative Cricket Director Brian Walsh says, ‘we are delighted that each year we are seeing more clubs nominating boys and girls to our winter coaching programme’.
Tremendous investment is being put into youth cricket in the NCU area, with lead coaches Peter Bates, Andy McCrea, Callum Atkinson, Uel Graham, and Nigel Jones (Under 9, 11, 13, 15 and 17 respectively), and a lot of other excellent coaches assisting. This year a new dimension has been added with Eugene Moleon taking all age groups for Functional Movement Skills, including agility, which is an impressive addition to the cricket coaching.
Eugene says, ‘cricket has evolved so much recently as cricketers are also athletes. We witness balls being hit further and harder, bowlers bowling quicker, and fielders becoming quicker at moving and reacting. Movement skills in cricket allows cricketers to run faster, change direction effectively, and have the ability to react to various aspects of the game either whilst fielding or batting. We focus on individuals and how they can move effectively’.
In conjunction with the Under 9s, 10s, 11s, 13s and 15s, this year the NCU have formed a Development Group for cricketers who have not made the main squads at Under 13’s and 15’s. This provides coaching to an even wider range of children who still have an opportunity to impress and make the squads. As well as the aforementioned groups, the Andrew White Academy is also being coached, as are the Boys Under 17’s and Girls underage squads.
Lead Coach Uel Graham says, ‘the strategic view of involving more players deeper into our programme has worked extremely well with development groups at Under 11/13 and Under 15 ensuring that more players than ever from more clubs are getting more intense and concentrated coaching. Club coaches have also been welcomed at many sessions with sharing of best practice a key element as part of our regional and club coach development. One of the big benefits is the number of coaches from a variety of clubs who are assisting the lead coaches, up to twenty, and who are then able to use the experience back at their own club’s youth schemes’.

Northern Cricket Union - Upcoming Courses
The Northern Cricket Union (NCU) Development Team are delighted to announce that they will be delivering the following three courses in advance of the 2018 season:
• Safeguarding (Child Protection)
• First Aid Training
• Designated Officer Training
These courses follow the recent Emerging Accreditation Workshops and act as further support to the clubs, ensuring that all the relevant club members and necessary coaches are skilled and qualified in the respective courses.
The NCU will be offering these courses FREE of charge which will hopefully support clubs further in accessing the relevant resources as part of the Emerging Accreditation Scheme and in general best practice standards.
Course Details:
Safeguarding (Child Protection)
6th March (Tuesday)
Lagan Valley Civic Centre (Oak Room)
1800 - 2100.
First Aid Course
13th March (Tuesday)
Lagan Valley Civic Centre (Oak Room)
1800 - 2100.
Designated Officer Training
20th March (Tuesday)
Lagan Valley Civic Centre (Oak Room)
1800 - 2100.
Due to expected high demand clubs are limited to TWO places per course. Please email your NCU Clubs representative asap to register your places on these courses. We will be working on a first come first served basis.

Downpatrick 1st XI

Anyone available for a pre season friendly on Saturday 14th April. We are willing to host or travel.

If anyone is interested, please contact me on boulty_27@yahoo.co.uk or call me on 07702085138.

Many Thanks,
Ross

The match that never was..

The sun shone bright on cup final day
spectators numbered many,
when came the call to play
none flinched nor spent a penny

First ball bowled a half volley
and duly thumped for six,
as it rose high, the crowd jolly
almost caused a solar eclipse

What goes up must come down
thus the ball fell into a tree,
players gathered all around
who would fetch it from tall canopy?

The captain scratched his head
and called the coach for inspiration,
who joined and promptly said,
"Get the groundsman with leaf-gun!"

But it was beyond his jurisdiction
in breach of health & safety rules,
so the chairman made a prediction
"get this sorted or we'll look like fools!"

He thought long, then had a plan
phoned the assistant executive for advice,
but his secretary said, "no Mr Chairman,
he's busy raising salaries thrice"

She put him on hold, he waited
then spoke with a financial controller,
who was counting his pay inflated
no interest in game, crowd, batsman nor bowler

The chairman became quite cross
"how can we retrieve the ball"
this guru replied, "speak to my boss,
the chief executive, you must call!"

And so continued an awful melee
while Sarah a tomboy, shinned up bark,
like a foraging squirrel, climbed easily
and threw the ball down by the bowler's mark

But no one noticed such was the cackle
the crowd had invaded the ground,
the match never concluded, a debacle
and still today, the chief executive can't be found?

Muckamore 1sts are looking two friendlies on Sat 21st and Sunday 22nd April at Muckamore.

Any takers please email me on neilgill@hotmail.com or call me on 07802705101.

Cheers

Andy

All eight clubs who applied in 2017 shared a total payout of £12k.

2018 process is underway.