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High Performance Committee
The formation of a High Performance Committee (HPC) – a refinement of the High Performance Advisory Group, the committee will be responsible for the oversight and strategic implementation of men’s and women’s high performance areas – including selection – and will support as well as ‘check-and-challenge’ performance personnel. It will comprise internal and external expertise and report directly to the CI Board. The Chair of the Committee is former Director of the Irish Institute of Sport, Gary Keegan. The full Committee is:
Gary Keegan – Chair; former Director of the Sport Ireland Institute of Sport
Alan Lewis – former Irish international cricketer and CI Board Director
Kyle McCallan – former Irish international cricketer
Jo Hopkins – former head of performance planning, Sports Institute of NI
Frank Sowman – CI Board Director; Chair, Leinster Professional Game Board
Richard Holdsworth – CI Performance Director

The dates of Ireland’s inaugural Test match as an ICC Full Member – against Pakistan – have been confirmed as Friday May 11th to Tuesday May 15th. A decision on the venue will be announced in the coming weeks.

Recognition at last from Cricket Ireland that the arrangements for the West Indies weren’t good enough. I suppose that “On reflection” is as close to an apology that the fans will get.

Porterfield leaves Warwickshire
Ireland captain William Porterfield has joined Liverpool Premier League side Formby CC as player/coach for the 2018 season.
The 33 year-old was released earlier this year, raising speculation that he might return to play in Ireland as several clubs were keen to get his signature.
However, he has now moved close to Liverpool at Formby CC to play in England as the financial package was more attractive.
The move may limit his ability to play in the 2018 inter-pro series for the NW Warriors, although Porterfield is keen to play in the Irish first-class championship format.

Belfast funding.......
Clubs are invited to apply to BCC for Support for Sport large £5k and small £1k grants alongside EBA £2.5k grants plus other funds www.belfastcity.gov.uk

any word of a report on the AGM on the NCU website?

Ian
I hope you are not suggesting that the game took place in 1947!!!

Surely there was a 12 month warranty on those stumps Bumper?

YMCA ground was mentioned in an earlier post.
Great memory.
A young Billy Dale yes I was young a long time ago was selected for his debut game for North Down firsts.
At this stage of my career I thought there was only one way to take wickets and that was to bowl fast.
I raced in and delivered and fourth ball beat the opening bat, clean bowled but with such pace that the batsman left with bat and broken stump under his arm.
The team gathered around clearly impressed with the new opening bowler.
Perhaps the beginning of my legendary status was then.
I should finish the story there but on closer examination the set of stumps dated back to 1946 and some dry rot had weakened them.
Anyway good story and a true one.

NCU Dinner
To Bryan Milford and his team, well done at the NCU Annual Dinner. It was excellent and especially Geoff Miller the Guest Speaker. What a performance. It will be a tough act to follow!
Over 200 people shared the experience.
Well done the NCU.

Interesting to see the Grounds Committee report and I note that Roughfort doesn't appear anywhere in it!

Definitely one for us country people Caleb! the townies wouldn't have a clue!! An interesting one from rugby that a referee had the authority to order a disruptive spectator away from the side of the pitch - and its the home club's responsibility to ensure that they leave.l

Editor, I think you need to get out more, a Wyandotte is a breed of chicken, I thought everyone knew that??

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wyandotte_chicken

Andy,

Not something neither the umpires nor the union can control, the onus is on the clubs to keep a lid on this sort of nonsense, themselves alone, must get to grips and nullify the threat of any likely, unruly behaviour, irrespective of cup final, lower league or whatever level, and certainly not something anyone wants to see at a cricket match!

Like you say, there's passion and then there's ' Passion' just like sanity/insanity, a very thin line, me thinks?

Perhaps those so inclined need to get themselves a calming hobby during the off season, to help curb their boisterous behaviour and remain rational?

May I recommend one?

I talk to Chickens..

Don't think me bananas, cause I talk to Brahmas
Sussex, Leghorns and Rhode Island Red,
all breeds of chicken, scratching and picking
from early morn, till they go to bed.
Each bird has a name, no two the same,
Pinky and Perky, each as big as a turkey,
Jenny, Henny-penny, just a few of many,
hilarious, gregarious and quintessentially quirky.
I have no human friends, just a large flock of hens
and my wife ran away some years ago,
once cheek by jowl, she threw in the towel
when my Rhode Island rooster began to crow,
with stern scowl, she said, ' me or the fowl?
So alas, I had to let her to go!
No, I'll not renege on a hen or fresh egg
and if one should talk back, I'll know I'm 'crackerjack'
for though chickens are clever, they cannot whatsoever
converse in two way conversation,
except for Winifred my Wyandotte, who tells me,
" it's people who have lost the plot"
and I totally agree with her astute observation!

Donemana fined £125 for failing to 'control' their spectators. A bit of 'previous' in the All-Ireland Cup as well! I suppose there's passion and then there's passion! Could be some crack when the red cards come in!!