Forum

Larne scored 179-7 off their 50 overs and dismissed Academy for 82

Remaining fixtures:
Larne play Armagh away on Friday and Templepatrick at home next Sunday

RE GARETH MCCARTER
Any idea who have the best net run rates?

Re William Lewis

Larne had a convincing win over Academy yesterday so it is now a 3-way tie at the top of Section 2 with Armagh, Saintfield and Larne all with 13 wins. Exciting stuff.

Not sure about the other results from yesterday though.

on the topic of results anyone know how clogher did at dungannon yesterday???

Does anyone know the results from Section 3 (or section 2 as it is now) from yesterday particularly Larne v Academy and Cregagh v Drumaness?

re gareth, yeah that isnt a misprint 44 all out yesterday against saintfield. Not much i can say about that really. Just congrats to dickie and his team and hopefully you can go on and get promotion.

downpatrick 44 all out against Saintfield?!

just to let Vic know I WAS at a game yesterday and it was a great bit of crack. PSNI getting home by 1 wkt with one ball to spare. Both sides took it in turn to try to snatch defaet from the jaws of victory! Brilliant weather, batsmen being "clapped in" by the fielding side, great tea, handshakes all round at the finish and not a lawyer in sight - yes Section 4 (or 3 depending which book you read) still has a lot to offer in the way of real sporting cricket.

Indeed saw that posting on the other site,one club threatening another with legal action over a game of cricket!

Paul Stafford wonders why club cricket is dying!! Need I say anymore?

Andy, should you not be away by now umpiring a game!
Hurry-up and get the hens milked!!!

I see the "legals" have started already in the North-West over the League decider. And there was me thinking that it was just a game!

re: Andy Kennedy
I would have to completely agree with you when it comes to there being too much senior cricket! With so many games games being played ( Armagh have four left!) it means other competetions suffer. For me (although I cannot speak for my club as a whole or other clubs!) the Senior Cup is a competition that merely interrupts an already hectic schedule! The same applies to the 20/20 competition, which is a form of the game that should be focused on in order to attract more people to the sport!

Thanks Paul. I'm not knocking your enterprise but I'm old enough to remember people like George Best calling for an all Ireland football team but the blazers in both associations buried it. You may not equate club cricket with football but both have declined a lot over the years. Club rugby isn't much better while hockey has probably not moved up or down. I don't think clubs will opt for an Ulster league just to try something different and maybe only the clubs with money will be interested. Sport is all about money these days. Club cricket is sinking and you are right to highlight the apathy amongst clubs. Most of them don't have the money to burn on paid players so maybe they think an Ulster league won't benefit them either?

Paul Stafford - "why not" an Ulster League. It would need a radical rethinking on the part of ALL clubs in order to free up time for Ulster league games. I have always held the view that between League & cup fixtures there is too much senior crciket for the temperate climate that we enjoy(!) Also take into account the option available to clubs to rearrange for the loss of International call-ups. I note that, at the time of writing,North Down have 5 games to play. It will be interesting to see how many clubs vote in favour of the 8 team sections. I have spent too many weekends hanging about for the weather to clear, walking wet grounds or getting calls about games off. Or is my thinking of a season that runs from May to August with September available for the odd rearrangement too utopian. This would also free up time for the "tour" - an institution that appears to have almost disappeared. I am sure there are some more senior forumites who can recall trips to Blackpool, the West country or to Dublin - ahh happy days!!
On a separate issue - which side has shown the more enthusiasm - the Windies earlier this season or England in the present 1 dayers??!!

Brendan
Re: Ulster League
Cricket is organised on an all-Ireland basis which means there is no real comparison to football. However many grants relating to national funding (UK) must be done on a Northern Ireland basis and I believe that is why the NICA was formed. It seems a nonsense to me that we have two Governing bodies for such a small country and for such a minority sport.

It is no surprise to me that the NCU have chosen to ignore this matter but you must remember that for most clubs the overriding emotion is apathy. Most clubs won't respond to Andy's questionnaire no matter what is proposed.

Club cricket is in a perilous state and someone has to set out a vision for the future. That's what I am trying to do as I believe that something dramatic must be done to stop in the decline in the sport. The question should not be "why have an Ulster League?" but "Why not?"

NCU Statement regarding start times:
http://www.theulstercricketer.com/news/ncu-start-times/233