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I suspect Ballymena will be the only team not playing Sunday cricket next year.

As for the North West the rearrangements works by playing a 20 over match irrespective of the weather usually within 8 days. This is possible because the region is so much smaller and most clubs are within a short travelling distance of one another.

Yes James I agree with you, but why should we have to take a day of work to play on a Friday, just because 5% of clubs don't want to play on Sundays, what if clubs decide they don't want to play Friday cricket!! Whats the difference!!

Neal - Acadamy are in a different boat from others in the non-fulfillment of fixtures argument in that they sold their ground for housing, with no plan to re-invest and purchase a new ground. No doubt it would be hard given the land prices about here, but it is, like Lurgan, thier own doing. If they hadnt sold their ground they would have a pitch! They are in the position of being second class citizens at New Forge as it isnt their ground. They will always have to work around the PSNI teams (multi-sport), IFA training / coaching etc.

Stephen, 95% of clubs do play Sunday's and 95% of players can get Friday afternoons off if they really want, and this is key to the argument.
Ok, no replays at junior level
But at Premier league level if players don't want to commit to the odd day off work then they should stop playing!
That is the sort of commitment that is required at the top level, and rightly so...

James, perhaps a dozen games a year isnt too bad! I see there are teams this year who have only played 5 or 6 games. They pay the same fees as those players from the same clubs who play 18+ games.

From my recollection, Dundrums ground was flooded last year as well. Armagh, Waringstown, Downpatrick and several other clubs suffered the same problem this season. Perhaps with a no result, 2 points each should be awarded - I think this should be open for debate instead of being dismissed outright. If this was trialled next season, there will be problems and clubs will take bend the rules but if nothing changes we are going to have the same problem year after year. It is very easy for those clubs who have the money for ground improvements including drainage, etc to push this idea to the side because they have a nice dry ground to look at with rose tinted glasses. But at the moment, the structure of the Leagues favours those clubs who have the money to spend on improvements, whilst others have 'no option' other than travel to opposing teams and lose their home advantage, or incase of Dundrum, get criticised for not doing so.

Everyone is entitled to their opinion on this forum including Stephen from Downpatrick and Michael, who was unfairly criticised by Paul Stafford. Maybe those people within the NCU will see the debates here, and realise there is a strong feeling about the way we govern our game.

Re James

Well if teams aren't forced to play on Sundays and people cant get of work to play on Fridays, that only leaves about 20 Saturdays to get the season played, if you have 18 league games not to mention numerious cup games, what is the solution?

Still don't think sharing points is feasible, umpires can only decide on the morning of a match. The cant be their on a Thursday night to ensure that the covers are being put on a quickly as possible, we need rules which encourage both captains to play the game. Sharing of points does exactly the opposite and in my view it will lead to only bad blood between teams and more conspiracy stories

To be honest I think there is alot to be said for the North West way of doing things. They seem to get all there games played no problem - why dont we adopt some of their rules

Thank goodness Stephen in Downpatrick isn't in charge or we could all just retire! We would end up playing a dozen games a year if his proposal was accepted - if thats what you want, play on the 4ths!

RE Lurgan.

I think it is disappointing for Lurgan not being able to get a team out on Friday but probably more disappointing is the fact that matches have to be played on a friday because clubs dont play sundays.

Secondly people are saying that Dundrum are hiding behind the rules. I find this laughable, would North Down or Dundrum or anyone take the chance to play their HOME match away at someone elses ground in a first match scenario anytime during the season? It's rediculous, of course they wouldnt. Dundrum had good reason to believe that thier ground would and still will be playable for the rearrangement. People need to be realistic and accept that Dundrum, in their dangerous position in the league are not going to give away home advantage especially when they believed they could get the game played at home. If people have a problem with this then they should put it forward at the AGM for a rule change but you know that it would be laughed off.

What's this rubbish about deducting points for teams who don't fulfil fixtures in september??

So your saying that Academy who are actively seeking grounds to play their remaining matches should be deducted points due to the weather in june, july, august and up to this point in september!

Also they should be punished for winning the Junior Cup again which may I remind you took 3 WEEKS to even get started never mind finish and during the cup run had to re-arrange cup games to the following week which then means having to find another day for the league games that should have been played that day!!

I know there is some unrest with the Cooke situation but the game between the two at shawsbridge has been started twice and called off once due to the weather!

The NCU need to work out some sort of way for next season to stop this happening otherwise cricket in this country is going to die quicker than they think due to players just becoming disenchanted and walking away from the game! The fact that the game in question is outside the top 2 sections where the NCU have no interest what so ever proves it!

Why can't Duckworth Lewis be brought into all 4 sections either? It's not because everywhere will not have computers because even at test grounds it's the 3rd umpire who makes a phone call to D/L's HQ with the match scores and it's worked out from there! So why not the same in ulster??

John I think that Pauls view of sharing the points for rearrangements is a sensible idea but needs to be well policed. The home club should not call the game off. All players and officials should still turn up and the Umpires (who should be Neutral) make a decision about wether the game is to be cancelled.

In the case of Derriaghy and North Down both teams need the points for different reasons. In the Premier League umpires make the decision on whether the game is playable, so if North Down travelled the umpires could call it. If both captains wished to play then they could get on with it. Perhaps 1 point each is the best way forward for no result. However the situation at the moment is simply too stressful and are causing people to pack it in. My feeling is however that if Derriaghy and North Down have made two attempts to play the game and it hasn't happened then they should split the points. If Derriaghy benefit then that's the luck of the draw, but you can't accuse clubs of manipulating results because it is raining.

What's Paul Stafford on about?
The comments were reasonable yet he comes on with personal insults. Start looking at the facts Paul and as for Lurgan doing favours you have got to be joking. They have to re-arrange games under the rules. And as for sharing points you should earn them on the field not the committee room.

As Chairman of Lurgan CC, I am very disappointed that we were not able to field a team against Holywood today. To my knowledge this is the first time the 1st XI have ever had to 'scratch' a match. It is not something that was done lightly and I can fully understand the frustration of the other teams in the lower half of the league. In fact, we are not yet mathematically safe.
However, some of our players have already taken 4-5 Fridays off work (not all these games were completed)and cannot get off any more. We have players on holidays, some work outside of Northern Ireland from Monday to Friday and all our schoolboys are back at school and can't get off.
Myself and our captain Neil Anderson have contacted every possible registered player this week but we still couldn't get anywhere near 11 players.
This season along with last have been exceptional in terms of Friday fixtures (In fact, we could possibly have 2 more Friday fixtures) and it is something we will have to look at.
We did not arrange this fixture for a Friday with no intention of playing it. However, with Holywood already having a fixture tomorrow, we had no other Saturdays to play on. We play Armagh and Dundrum on the 20th and 27th. Therefore, it had to be a Friday and unfortunately at the end of this very trying season we have not been able to field a team.

To Paul Stafford.
If you want some negativity and bitterness read back your articles on the NCU. Is this the pot calling the frying pan.......?
For your information it is not a fair re-arrangement if you agree a date on which you can't field a team and then concede the points. That's futile.
Also for your information I am only negative and bitter when I read emails like yours.