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NCU Intermediate Cup Final
The NCU Intermediate Cup Final takes place between Donaghcloney Mill Seconds and Carrickfergus Seconds, at The Meadow, Downpatrick Cricket Club, on Saturday 12th August (Noon Start). This competition is between teams playing in Junior Leagues 2 and 3 of the Northern Cricket Union
The Road to the Intermediate Final
Junior League 3 side Donaghcloney Mill received a bye in the first round, and then beat CSNI Thirds by 69 runs in the Second Round helped by a massive 150 by Colin Hylands. In the semi-final they had a much narrower victory by seven runs against Academy Seconds.
Carrickfergus Seconds, of Junior League 2, had a narrow three wicket victory against Armagh Seconds in the first round, followed by a comprehensive 154 run defeat of North Down Seconds thanks to an undefeated century from Richard Hood. In the semi-final a thrilling contest ended in a one wicket win against Instonians Thirds.
Supporters from the participating clubs, and all other cricket followers from across the Northern Cricket Union and beyond will be warmly welcomed to Downpatrick Cricket Club.

Aug 13th @ 1pm
Chambers park
Taverners V Grasshoppers.
Don't miss it.

T 20 Finals Day

What has happened with Armagh ? Has their bus broken down again ?

Speaks volumes of the commitment shown by most clubs beneath the Premier League ! Worrying signs .......

Ulster Grasshoppers CC

Afternoon all, the Ulster Grasshoppers CC have a friendly fixture (30 overs) organised against the Portadown Taveners CC on Sunday 13th August at Chambers Park, Portadown.

The game is scheduled for a 1pm start and will include Grasshoppers legends including Michael Turkington & Paul Stafford plus new members from Lisburn CC, Ballymena CC, Cliftonville CC, Lurgan CC & Waringstown CC.

The Grasshoppers are also touring this Autumn to Malta for a long weekend with 2 games scheduled. Results and reports will follow in due course. The intention is that this will be the start of annual occurrence.

Should anyone be interested in becoming a member please feel free to contact me on richard@finlaygrahamproperty.com

Cheers
Ricky Finlay
Chairman Ulster Grasshoppers CC

President McMorran's words-
Among the details of his 'doings' and visits to date did anyone else get the impression that also in there he was passing on the CI message that we need to manage the expectations of Unions and Clubs regarding the ICC funding.
Clubs/grass roots last to get a mention in where the money goes.
Don't get your hopes up is what I read between the lines.

I met an old rugby pal while at Ballyclare on Saturday and we were chatting about the state of rugby at junior club level. He mentioned that he had seen that Ireland had achieved Test status and he commented 'that's the club game gone then'. When rugby 'went professional' the top Irish players went to English clubs for crazy money - so crazy in fact that former leading English clubs found themselves in penury. The creation of the European Cup generated the finance that gave the IRFU the basis to offer meaningful financial packages to attract them back. The dearth in club rugby in Ireland is reflected in what's now happening in France with the national side being affected by the imported players playing for big money in the club game . I have posted in the past my concerns about the future of cricket in Ireland and unless the change is handled properly, the decline that has already happened will continue. I have read Peter's report carefully and note the implied warnings therein. The provision of proper facilities has already been highlighted by Eoin Morgan and I read that alongside the difficulty in recruiting a groundsman for Bready. On a local level, again we have clubs unable to turn out sides and there is a strong rumour coming out of North Belfast about a merger. I await the influx of 'foreigners' whose grannies were on bus trips to Bunratty Castle and qualifies them for Irish passports! In a conversation in the North West a couple of weeks ago I was asked 'where do you see Cricket Ireland in 5 years?' My answer 'exactly where it is now unless we have the ability to take on board the lessons of what has happened in other sports'. Rant over - and this is me on a good day!

Moral boasting, edifying words from the NCU president in his summer surmise on all things cricket here, especially heartening to read his acknowledgment of the importance to support grassroots cricket.

Yes, there are one or two clubs struggling for numbers at present and their plight cannot be ignored or they may quite simply perish and disappear into the ether, and such profound losses do indeed impact upon the local game as a whole as in the grand scheme of things, the knock on effect and fall out from such travesty can and will be seriously debilitating to all who play and enjoy the game!

Keith Montague,

Some great calls on last weekend's match predictions, you're obviously a gentleman of noble merit and vastly knowledgeable on the local game, and I see you also posses admirable taste in the literacy arts of good writing.

What more can I say other than keep up the good work!

The T20 days are being held as a compromise after the competitions were being phased out, with the NW citing fixture congestion.
ULSTER CUP T20 FINALS DAY - SUNDAY AUGUST 13
North Down v Bready at The Green, Comber (11.30am)
Waringstown v Coleraine at The Demesne, Saintfield (11am)
Final at Comber (4pm)
ULSTER SHIELD T20 FINALS DAY - SUNDAY AUGUST 13
St Johnston v Holywood at The Boathole (11.30)
Strabane v Armagh at Strabane Park (12pm)
Final at Strabane Park (4.30pm)
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The Ulster Shield Finals Day takes place in The North West Cricket Union, on Sunday 13th August. This competition is between the finalists of the Twenty20 competitions contested by Second Tier cricket clubs in the Northern Cricket Union and North West Cricket Union.
Semi-Final Fixtures
St Johnston v Holywood, at the Boathole (St Johnston CC) (11:30am)
Strabane v Armagh, at Strabane Park (Noon)
The final will take place at Strabane Park (Strabane CC) at 4:30pm
The Road to the Ulster Shield Finals Day
In the final of the NCU Twenty20 Trophy Armagh defeated Woodvale by five wickets, with Jarrod Barnes turning in an all round performance taking three wickets for five runs and scoring thirty not out. Due to Woodvale withdrawing from the Ulster Shield their place will be taken by Holywood Cricket Club. Holywood lost to Woodvale in the semi-final of the NCU Twenty20 Trophy.
St Johnston beat Strabane by two wickets in the final of the North-West Cricket Union’s Eric Cooke Plate competition.
Supporters from the four participating clubs, and all other cricket followers from across the Northern Cricket Union and North-West Cricket Union and beyond will be warmly welcomed to both St Johnston CC and Strabane CC.
Richard White
PRO

Ireland Squad

There is no chance of Ireland ever developing as a cricket nation as long as the sickening stench of nepotism surrounds selection for all the provincial teams and also the full Ireland team !

This is the case for all underage and senior teams - pathetic to say the least ! If you keep giving people an opportunity they are bound to have a good performance every now and again !

Eddie Richardson must now realise he isn't mixing with the right people ! If only one of his relatives was on the full Irish selection panel ..........

A Few Tips
CIYMS v CSNI Home win
Instonians v Carrickfergus Away win
North Down v Lisburn Home win
Waringstown v Muckamore Home win

Academy v Bangor Away win
Armagh v Woodvale Home win just
Downpatrick v Cliftonville Home win
Holywood v Donaghcloney Mill Away win just
Lurgan v Derriaghy Away win

Also I see a Mr C Boomer on this site hope he is still writing his poetry and tell him I miss the poetry postings thanks

Colin, the youth cricket has been very slow this season, at least it seems that way. We no longer have a youth section at Portadown. However, every club should do what they can to promote youth cricket, and this week the Taverners coaches began an intro to cricket session for 7 to 12 year olds from a local youth club summer scheme. 25 kids cricketing indoors on rainy day (thunderstorm brought them indoors actually) was quite a handful, but it went well. Only four more sessions to do. Then we'll begin our disability cricket programme.
Almost every town has these 'youth summer clubs' operating during the school holidays and even term time evenings and weekends, and they are always looking for activities for their children. There is usually a small amount of funding available for expenses for providing the 'coaching' (probably the wrong word) as well..
Don't expect kids to just come to a club because a club has a youth section. Awareness is the ticket for promoting cricket.

Peter Woods Great chatting to you and lots old friends at cup final
Saturday final with all the fixtures on a sunday (only 3 team dont play sundays) with the right marketing there be over 1000 supporters as NCU have the product we just dont sell cricket enough it we serious about our sport we must get our juniors to the big days as even our 78 year old groundsman never stopped clapping for the quality of fielding Shane Getkate and Allen Coulter were superb as was 90 %.The point is whats wrong with trying ONE year and make our SENIOR CUP FINAL something that junior and senior cricketers thrive to play in .Was great match James Shannon Nicklai Smith Nigel Jones and my man the match Ryan Hunter shot selection and even at 60 that excites me want play .MASSIVE respect to all North Down ground staff and to see there chairman Peter Shields be involved from picking litter to getting his band helpers be 100%on making it great day means we deserve to support North Downs efforts with a bigger crowd and day as could not fault a thing .PS COULTER bowled two superb YORKERS but amazes me not more bowled as even the short of length stuff was going for boundaries cant wait see next years SATURDAY FINAL living and spared .and even had thumb it home to Dundrum as wanted see CIYMS lift the cup and celebrate .

Re my last post, better to get your clubs to commit to more youth cricket rather than vomit.

First time posting a message on this forum as I regularly post on the Cricket Europe Ireland site and often give tips on matches but with not a great strike rate this year.

I am just wondering as I am into stats big time where I could find scorecards from the Ladies Premier League and Cup matches please apart from CSNI whose cards are up, it would be nice to see how players do from week to week.

The NCU should be congratulated for introducing new clubs to the League 1 along side a North Down 2nds along the sides Instonians, Laurelvale and Templepatrick from last year.

May I also add my congratulations to CIYMS on the Cup win on Saturday v Insts and well done to Waringstown in winning and North Down on a valiant chase in the T20 Final last Sunday along with Armagh winning the T20 Trophy v Woodvale.

Along with Waringstown, Clontarf, Cork County and Bready it will be a great day at The Lawn to showcase T20 cricket in Ireland