Forum

Jeff

Re: Co Down, don't worry haven't forgotten them.

Re: Grasshoppers
just putting finishing touches on a few dates and grounds so should have full itinery of matches very soon and can get full squad now if you want. I think Clarence is doing a feature about the trip very soon on this channel so looking forward to that. This is easily the most challenging tour to put together for a host of reasons and both Alan Waite and Feherty travel have been superb.

staffy, think the comp directives should have meeting & agree too change that rule? just too add your series on the other channel is top reading & are you doing a team in COUNTY DOWN or is it just the north down 11 from RICH side of our great county think maybe even some off their seconds be in the frame? ps anyone know the full grasshoppers squad?

Robin

That is my understanding too. The first 9 games you have 2 Match 1's and then Match 2 which is a 20 over affair.

What I am asking is that flexibility on the start times is agreed now before the season starts before someone has 4 points deducted for the wrong start time which could affect the League title or a relegation match at the end of the season. Nobody wants that.

is it true that during the first 9 games in the premier league the 20 over bash does not come into effect until match 3.an inst legend told me this was the case and as he was the person who proposed the change at the agm i have no reason to doubt him.

I don't know if it's because he threatened to buy me a drink at the North West dinner that I'm saying this but I think Staffy's posting about start times being sorted out now makes a lot of sense.

Fair point re shorter matches.

Regarding the start times of Match 2, 20 over matches I disagree with you. The order of the Proposals to the AGM in itself creates anomolies. You could never ever be able to sort out those anomolies at the AGM because no-one knows what the clubs will pass and what they will reject. Therefore the whole point of Competitions Directorates is the ability to sort out the problems thrown up by the AGM.

If we waited until the following AGM to deal with it there would be a continual state of flux fixing things from previous years and creating contradictions with new proposals which is where we are now.

Every captain would welcome a more flexible approach. For example Rule 21 (b)making teams play a 20 over match at 12 noon start on a Sunday in July when 2pm would suffice is silly.

Also making a 20 over match in August which could be played over two nights start at 5pm is even sillier.

Adopting a more pragmatic approach on this matter rather than a dogmatic approach would go a long way to restoring some credibility, especially with beleagured captains and match secretaries. Doing nothing will store up massive problems once the season kicks off.

I genuinely don't think you need a mandate from the clubs to sort out these difficulties as the start times are there to deal with 50 over rearrangements which now of course do not apply. Better to let the captains sort out and agree start times and let League Secretaries sort it out if they cannot agree.

Re Staffy
What I was suggesting was that 3rd and 4th XI's are given the choice of entering a league that plays 40 over cricket or one that plays 20 over cricket. I agree that 40 overs is probably plenty for 2nd XI league cricket and leave the Junior Cup at 50 overs.

Interesting point about the new 20 over Match 2, makes good sense and needs to be looked at, but we won't be able to do anything for 2009, reckon it's an AGM job.

Roger

Shortened versions of the game down the clubs is essential. A simple way of doing this would be to make Division 1 all sections 50 over cricket, Division 2 all sections 40 over cricket, and Division 3 all sections 20 over cricket.

PS

Please scrap all starting time restrictions on Match 2 games which are now 20 over matches.

Re Practice facilities

Chaps/ladies would anyone know of any practice facilities that Woodvale could use for pre-season nets. Unfortunately we have been let down by the school we used last year and after trying numerous leisure centres we are still 'drawing blanks' - Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Roger
As one of a dying breed playing on into my 50's I think your proposal is spot on.Thirty overs per side with tea at the end would see us finished by 6pm.The social scene has changed and certainly doesn't revolve around after match "bonding" any more.The postings are spot on about who are the "missing players ".Earlier finishes might just encourage more of them to turn out.I also think earlier starts should be encouraged if not neccessarily mandantory.

Other transfer rumours :

A. Haire - Carrick
C. Boultwood - Saintfield
B. Anderson - Carrick
G. McKee - Civil Service
P. Sterling - Instonians
P. McCrum - possibly retiring

I think Wayne is absolutely correct regarding the main reasons why 20-35 year olds are tending to drift out of our game nowadays. I had suggested at a recent Competitions/Development meeting that we might consider having a Saturday league or leagues available at the lower levels for teams who just want to play a shortened game of 20-25 overs. Similar to mid-week league but played at the weekend. Does anybody think there would be a demand for this to try to keep these people in the game /bring them back, especially in view of a number of 3rd and 4th XIs pulling out of leagues for 2009?

In my view the problem with cricket now is not kids. There are a lot more kids playing cricket and that has been due to the success of Ireland and many pros going out to non-cricketing schools to promote cricket plus the hard work of the development officers over the years. It has been raised on numerous occassions on this forum the problem is adults tend not to play on in their late 20's/30s and beyond which has seen dwindling numbers in junior cricket. I have spoken to a lot of mates of mine who over the years have stopped playing. Main reason is the length of games in junior cricket. 20-30 over league matches and 50 overs for cup might get more adults playing albeit not for the traditionalist?

Andy
I think most clubs will confirm that they have many more kids taking part in youth cricket than at any time in the last 25 years.
This, however, has not led to more adult cricketers (slightly less in fact), but that is probably down to a number of social reasons, few if any of which I'm sure can be blamed on paid players, either local or overseas.
But I think the 'pros' have probably helped bring through some really good ones...

re Wayne Horwood - I have no problem with the paid players and I am aware of the contribution that they have made to the game at several levels. My point- and I have made it on many occasions- is that we have seen a reduction in the numbers of sides being fielded year on year in the NCU - and yet we heard, each year at the NCU ASGMs during the debates on the usual Waringstown proposal re pros, that clubs were hiring first rate coaches and the number of kids being brought into cricket, etc. when the reality was very different - and I'm talking about 25+ years. Think of the amount of time that would have been saved at the AGMs if people had "let the cat out of the bag" sooner! Maybe I'm still "bitter" after all these years that Sunny Singh didn't win the Senior Cup for Ballymena against North Down all those yoears ago!! You see I am really old!!