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I have read on this and the other forum discussions about the Ireland team and provincial cricket in general. The set up within Irish cricket should, in my opinion, follow that of my home county cricket side, Durham. During the 70’s & 80’s Durham was one of the leading minor county sides in the country who had occasionally risen to the big occasion and beaten a 1st class county. They were finally given first class status in the early 1990’s and embarked on an organised structure of youth development. Initially the signing of the big guns like Botham, Dean Jones, Simon Hughes and David Boon helped generate interest in the area. Results were disappointing to begin with , with a lot of people rightly thinking the superstars only turned up to take the pay cheque. The real work was being done behind the scenes with a long term plan to turn the youngsters into top professionals. It took a hell of a long time but is you look at the Durham team now you’ll see the likes of Steve Harmison, Paul Collingwood, Neil Killeen, Liam Plunkett and Phil Mustard who are products of the set up.

Ireland’s success in the world cup should be a stepping stone to something better. I think its fine to have ‘hired guns’ to generate interest in the game but the main focus should be a 10-15 year plan to develop and train the future players. It starts at school, and if someone shows promise they should be the subjects of top class centralised coaching from that point on.

I also think that for Ireland to compete on the world stage is a case of running before you can walk. In the north east of England there are more leagues and clubs than in the whole of Ireland, and it took us years to be competitive. Maybe it would be better for Ireland to apply for entry to the county championship, and at least then it would stop the problem of the players being poached by county sides and not releasing them for Irish games. They would also be able to progress as players by playing high standard cricket on a regular basis.

I recognise that some slubs and some individuals are already doing the things I'm advocating. This extra money being dished out by the ICC to Ireland, Scotland etc is any of it going to make it's way down to grassroots level. I read somewhere yesterday that the International squads of these countries could maybe full time soon. Let's make sure we don't go the same way as the football where an elite number get rich and the small clubs go to the wall.

It's an interesting debate about the pro's and I'm surprised that Andy has said he could count on one hand the number of pro's who have brought young players through the ranks. I am not slagging andy for this because I don't really know what is happening in other clubs but I can speak for our club and we are delighted with our professional. He hasn't set the world alight with his performances but his coaching has been great and the enthusiasm, commitment and determination he shows in trying to improve our kids has surprised a lot of people. I also see that Saintfield have a lot of good young cricketers coming through. My point is, are section 1 professionals getting paid too much to worry about coaching within clubs? Is it to do with their culture? Is it to do with clubs wanting the professionals to provide a short term fix rather than looking at the long term? If this is the case then I agree that the NCU will continue to over promise and under achieve. Professionals should be brought over first and foremost to develop the club. Second priority should be contributing to the team and leading by example. At Dundrum we do not want a professional who will score 100's every week as it would negate our achievements as a club. The only way for the union to move forward is for clubs to recruit recruit recruit and to develop develop develop. That's were the LCU are ahead of us. I remember going down to play youth cricket in leinster and being astounded at the support of parents, the number of members in clubs and the number of youth cricketers.

RE Brendan - All very cryptic! Just adds to my curiosity :-) Anyone going to say what happened to get this ban? If it was something so serious I would have thought that a press release from the NWCU would have been in order.

Re the postings from Staffy and Ivan (both of whom are experienced enough to voice a considered opinion) and Michael Patterson (I've been around a wee bit longer than 35 years and I don't know him either but there you go). The standards of NCU cricket are not improving and that is despite the amount of money that has been paid to the so-called "professional coaches" that have been around in the past 25-30 years. I can count on one hand the number of such guys who made an impact on the development of young players in clubs. Has anyone ever totted up how much money has gone out of the country over those years - must be well over £2 million.
And Ivan is right - 100 kids "running around" isn't development - its "baby sitting".
I have had the opportunity over the past season and a half to see Div 1 Sections 2,3 and 4 at close quarters and there is definitely "room for improvement" - I put it no further.
As I have posted previously on another forum 30 -35 years ago alomost every senior club at the time fielded 4 teams - not now - and yet we sat at NCU AGMS and listened to the "pro" debate and the main reaon for their retention was "the great job that they're doing with the young boys!"!! The facts speak for themselves. Or maybe I'm just becoming a grumpy old man - sorry - I can hear the comments already - you always were grumpy Kennedy!!

No jibes at all Ivan, just comments in reaction to both yours and Staffy. I disagree with them and quite frankly I'm getting tired of the anti-NCU ravings and pro North West stuff when behind the pros there's very little to commend. No mention of the lack of player discipline, insults and threats, increase in suspensions, dissent etc that appears to be happening more often in NW cricket. The NCU is not perfect but it's not the mess some of you guys portray.

Cricket in the NCU region is all about developing youth to feed the senior club structure. A very few senior players "appear to join" clubs senior ranks. Were the senior players next year and the following years come from? Without the youth teams most clubs will surely die over the next number of years. Yes the standard is getting poorer at senior level. But with proper youth development in each, and I mean each club, the future does not look very good for cricket in the NCU region.
PS Why do we not have a regional development officer for say every 3 or 4 clubs working in the schools 52 weeks a year and not just the summer time? Our current overseas player must, and I mean must, be good coaches and made to contribute their time to coaching.
PPSS Scored a game tonight that would fill you proud to be associated with youth cricket. U13 quarter final at Lisburn v Saintfield. Lisburn 79 versus Saintfield 77 in reply. Genuine club youth showing real enthusiasm for the game and proud to represent their clubs.

Why does it have to always get personal on here?. I thought most contributors were first and foremost cricket lovers.Knocking Staffy for the sake of knocking Staffy isn't going to develop cricket either end of the Glenshane ( and I think we have both been guilty of trying to score points of each other in the past ). But he's as well placed as anyone to judge the standards having played in the NCU senior one for a long lomg time and now playing in the NWCU and being kept out of the Birgade team with that bowling attack isn't any disgrace. As for Michael Patterson's jibes ( and being around the NCU for 35 years I've never come in contact with him but I think he is a Lisburn follower ) I think my remark was justified. For all the numbers at clubs until we get some coaching structures in place I don't ( and haven't ) see the standards improving.
Over the past ten years the Ireland set up with Hendrick, Birrel, Walsh, O'Rourke etc have done a great job in developing young talent highlighted by the success at under age level and the guys playing County cricket.
Surely this blueprint needs repeated at club level. With qualified coaches at each age level,club academies,winter nets,mini tours,schools programmes,mentors for youngsters in senior teams,mentoring,even a tie up with a county etc.Lets stop knocking those with the interest of the game at heart and put those energies into improving the game at club level and this will raise the standards at international level.

danny . you shouldnt done that bad nap won backed from 6/4 til 1/2. next best won 8/1 then 4 eways all placed 2 beat in photos at 12/1 2 didnt run but anyway we try get a few for weekend as im off too chester. COLLECTION will win the john smiths magnet cup at york(if gets to run) fancy SPEED SONG chester fri night if runs and think infallible win tomorrow.ps have too say be nice too see the UNDERDOGS CSNI win THE SEMI FINAL but VANBURN mighten want us BETTING on it. monday 14 july DUNDRUM V SAINTFIELD START 1PM

Some people say it should have been a longer ban. What about Johnny giving us his version of events?

Just read Staffy's email and have to say it's OTT on the state of cricket in the NCU. Are you really that bitter about your NCU committee experience? As for bringing up Ivan's silly comment on 100 kids running around a field not being development I'm sure any club in Ireland would love to start with that base. You can develop two ways; either bring the young players through the ranks or buy hired guns. Who does what is up to any individual club to decide but don't tell us North West cricket is stronger than NCU cricket because that argument doesn't stand up. The only person in denial is yourself!

Vanburn

Any odds on CSNI beating North Down in the semi final of the challenge cup? Its not like you to not have an opinion on something.

Just wondering if anyone can shed any light on the fairly hefty suspension handed out by the NWCU to Johnny Thompson? Must have been a pretty serious offence if a 6 match was dished out!

James, don't get carried away with a few wins this year as nobody is fooling anyone in the NW versus NCU stakes. Pros dominate NW cricket and paying players is their current culture. And guess what it works. If NCU clubs want to have the best teams they will have to buy them like North County,Brigade,Strabane, Limavady etc.
Yes they have pros but buying success is not really their culture. But that may change if a rich sponsor walks through the door! Getting beaten by hired guns is hardly an indication of a better standard or a better union. It reflects buying power. Ask Russell and Dalzell if they play in a better team right now than the one they left.

Stu Daultrey appears to be anti NCU and particularly North Down where there is obviously some baggage from the past. Staffy has a love-hate relationship with the NCU but has some good ideas mixed in with a few grudges. Both are entitled to their opinions but there's a lot more good things happening within the NCU than bad and plenty of hard-working people trying to promote cricket. They're not perfect but I think we should get off their backs and support them.