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The only reason i see for the lack of fast bowlers is dedication, its takes a lot of fitness ( weights etc ) to have a body strong enough to cope with the fast bowling demands, then there is the hours of bowling required to have an action you trust ( run up, staying tall at the crease, wrist position etc ). This requires a lot of time which in an amateur support is hard to find. Im not overly convinced about the pitches as im not to sure if they have changed that much from when Patto, Eagy and Scooby were steaming in and bowling much quicker than alot of bowlers today.Still alot of fine bowlers playing NCU cricket though.

Lack of fast bowlers - possible reasons

(1) Slow Pitches
(2) The tighter interpretation of the wide rule (since mid 1990s)
(3) The 3 hr 15 mins rule
(4) Lack of quality slip / gully catchers (to catch off proper quicks in first 10 overs);
(5) Laziness - it looks like a lot of very hard work, training, dedication needed.

Anyone agree?

Can someone give me directions to North Down cricket club. I've an industrial sized box of Kleenex to deliver to a Mr R. Haire....

Why did you travel since the game had been called off the day before? Wuldn't be like you to look for something to cry about.

re Ryan McCarter - interesting that you don't mention the club so I have no idea to whom you refer! I suppose that the 2nds palyers must really enjoy that!! - A couple of years ago Derriaghy & CI were being lambasted on every forum for their spending and this one slips under the radar!

Unfortunately the pitches here will always encourage medium pacers who can nip it around. Thats why we struggle to find genuine opening bowlers for international cricket

Andrew , that would be great as i just need sort out transport & think 95% sure we travel & i will email you after ,thanks .

Hi Jeff

I tried emailing you but it wouldnt send,

Roger told me you where interested in a Under 13 fixture, would you be available on Wednesday 19th August for a Under 13 fixture at Carrick, we would be mainly playing a B Team.

Let me know your thoughts, my email is ajcowden86@yahoo.co.uk

Thanks
Andrew

coups playing on that wicket

you dont seem to know your home ground too well.the wicket which was uncovered and well prepared was perfect at 11am on saturday as you would have known if you would have joined the english umpire and many north down supporters who travelled to belmont.
ive been under the impression that belmont is one of the quickest drying grounds in the area, but thanks anyway to you and hughsey for thinking of our players health and not wasteing our time by adding another re arrangement onto our fixture list
sorry for being discourteous coups ,its just that i tend to say what i,m thinking, i know its a dying trait but there you go.

Re: Fast Bowlers

Gareth I totally agree. When I mentioned fast bowlers in my last post I didnt mean fast as in Guneratne or fast in county cricket. If we are talking about pure pace then Connell would be deemed as Medium Fast. Unfortunately there is a shortage of fast bowlers in Ireland and I think it is mainly to do with the wickets being a lot slower. There is more incentive and "buzz" for younger players when they see the ball having carry and pace on a nice hard bouncy track. I know when I was younger and bowled on a hard track I wanted to bowl as quick as I could but then the following week I put the effort in and it just held up. I reckon if kids got pace out of the wickets then they'd try a whole lot harder and aspire to be pace bowlers.

re: fast bowlers

I have to agree with Taito on this. All of the bowlers mentioned are good medium pace bowlers, but definitely not fast bowlers. I've seen 'Staffy' bowler a quicker ball than some of them!
Even in the premier league you could currently count the number of 'fast' bowlers on one hand (Peter Connell and the Waringstown Pro?) The comparison with the attacks we came across 10/15 years ago is amazing. Paul and Charlie McCrum, Mark Patterson, Waseem Haider, Rudi Bryson, Pulashti Gunaratne, Simon Redpath, Alan Donnelly...I could go on. There seems to be a real shortage of real pace bowlers at the moment which is a pity as it is one of the most exciting sights in cricket.

taito . heard that you get the points for tonights 20 over game at home to muckamore as they didnt want to travel ?ps do u think STRANGFORD ROAD will be playable sat?

big davy ,they go missing in action every week when they have bat in ther hand . will pass on the info as think they looking stay 2/3 hours. ps aftr ballyholland winning at 29/1 betfair ill try spend some of it or as EDITOR says waste it, all eway shakey scaffold 2pm , sualice 4pm goodwood + two eway in galway hurdle at big prices silverhand 25/1 & sarteano 70/1

Jeff:
The Chim on a sat nite has something for everyone, some of your guys might go missing in action!!!

Dundrum have had too abandone the chance too hold their first ever ICC under 17 game involving Netherlands V Guernsey on sat aug 1st after torrential rain caused flooding in east down

While studying the Sunday Life scorecards I noticed one Premier League club fielded a team with only 3 "local" players on saturday. By local I mean players the club has developed from under age level and came through their academy system.

In my eyes this is sad for local cricket and could indeed be the death knell for some clubs when these blow ins disappear and any kids with potential have disappeared or given up.

The real big clubs like Warinsgtown and North Down will always recruit the pure quality from other clubs (i.e Ivan Anderson Armagh to Waringstown) and I have no problem with that and infact would encourage it if a player at my club had potential to play for Ireland but its the imposters who are trying to be big time worry me.....