Forum

Re Ivan C, Michael P and Andy K.

Ivan, Andy
I can understand how Michael P feels. Take the example of the Schools Cup Final at Muckamore this year. There was a lot of effort put into us hosting that day, and the reports in the papers and on the web were mostly about an uneven pitch. Yes it was a big thing for us to host it and it is indeed an honour (and always will be), but it's not fair to revieve knocks like we did.

On the hosting of finals....North Down should hang their heads in shame about the Junior Cup! I understand that at the beginning of the season, at registration time, clubs are asked if they would be interested in having their hat in the ring to host a final? If this is the case, surely the NCU should decide at the beginning of the year where each final will be and ban / fine the host clubs if they pull out at a later date! By ban, I mean dont allow them to host another final or representative match for 5 years. As Ivan says, it should be a privilege to host a game. I understand Lisburn's situ though as they were asked at the last mo, but surely North Down have no excuse!

re Michael Patterson - what? me? stir the pot? surely not! totally agree with Ivan. I think that there's more behind this than is appearing on forums - Can I take it from the official Lisburn posting on another forum that there was NEVER any indication - official or otherwise that the Junior Cup final was to be at Wallace Park??
Belfast Parks grounds? Only 2 - Danny Blanchflower & Mallusk - another sign of the decline of club cricket in the Belfast area - in the past we had Inverary Ave., Cherryvale, Musgrave, etc. Demand and supply?

Michael, believe or believe it not but the " for the good of the game " ethos still exists." Mr Muckamore" John McCormick has drummed that into all of us at Muckamore. Without that ethos the game just can't survive. If all clubs start putting themselves first all of the time where will cup finals be played ? Belfast Park pitches. Hosting a cup final should be seen as an honour and an opportunity to "sell " your club to the wider cricketing faternity. On another point would the Junior Cup final be an even more special occassion if it was to be played on a Friday? It's not that long ago we hosted a two day final between Academy and Woodvale 2nds and my memory says the Friday was the best attended day.

Andy, I think you are mischievously stirring the pot on hosting cup finals because most clubs who have done it now see such games as benevolence, hard work and with little appreciation by either union or players. Yes you'll get the traditional thank you but why would any club want to host a match and give up their ground and have their members work tirelessly for the benefit of others? What's the incentive? Don't come back with bar takings or love of the game. These competitions are sponsored and its time the union paid for hosting the games and stop taking most of the proceeds.

Here we go again with club versus country and Eoin Morgan's potential 'no show' for the Twenty20s.
He' in the mix for hundreds of thousands of pounds and dollars with Middlesex and some people are getting antsy about playing for Ireland. Let's get real there's nobody in Ireland going to turn down a pot of gold in these circumstances. Nobody.
Morgan is hoping to play for England and his days in a green sweater have been numbered for some time. Let's wish him luck and move on. He deserves all he gets.

i would just like to remind people that the festival of cricket involving the air india team begins on wednesday with a game against Canada at 4.30 and continues on thursday with a fixture against bermuda at the same time. Although the squad isnt known yet, there will be several players who played in the IPL.

Tim - Bertie got 7 stumpings in the innings against Dunmurry in 1997. I am not sure if there were any catches. I think Brian Millar took quite a few of Michael McCord in a game a few years ago including a hat trick?

Bertie Styles, the Queen's University wicketkeeper had 7 (or 8 Hiler?) stumpings against Dunmurry in Section 3 in 1997. Any more than 3 in the one innings is amazing, you would think that the next man in would try to ensure that he didn't leave his ground in light of what had just gone before. Didn't happen that way in that match!

Is six stumpings by Peter Shields in an innings a record in Irish cricket?
Can't imagine anyone bettering it?

was listening to BBC5 Live's buildup to the 20/20 final on my way back from Larne yesterday and there were comments about Pattinson, Peitersen and players switching counties at the end of contract, etc. It got me thinking about the status of "Kolpack players". I was wondering about the legal standing of the NCU rules on "overseas" players when set against the European ruling. As a layman I have no direct but I'm surprised that with the amount of money sloshing around some clubs, no-one has mounted any challenge. Has anyone any thoughts?

hope that the forecast is good as they predict very hot next week. few tips just for VANBURN .NAP ROARING FORTE.eway KINGS APOSTLE. cant back duke maralade at odds on so eway lucarno & macarthur 20 1 might just shock his stable mate.WILCAT WIZARD. good luck.ps hope not too see a lot of a TOP CLASS BATSMAN KEMETAR at moylena

my baldy barnett was scalded last week in the blazing summer sun. but maybe ballykinler missed it pat

Ronnie - are you umpiring in Barbados?

Where's the summer sun lazing that you refer to?

Nonetheless your poetic piece has brightened up this lousy place of work!

Has Strydom lost the plot?
Three runs in 21 balls against Norway isn't in the script. He's putting all the pressure on Gary Wilson.
Hit out or get out. This match is about winning convincingly not grinding out a result.
Great updates on the other channel for us that can't make it.