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The NCU are preparing a press release on the postponements of the two cup games this weekend that should be out later on this evening.

However I will try to detail the timeline for the match postponements:

The NCU were contacted by Waringstown on Monday evening at about 8.00PM.
I was made aware by Billy Boyd of the existence of a ruling made in 2004 by the NCU Management committee that clubs were allowed to postpone cup matches (but not league fixtures) if they had a player (singular) involved in Irish matches. On Tuesday I received a copy of this and contacted a number of senior NCU officials and discussed this ruling and how it affected Waringstown. We agreed that Waringstown could indeed postpone their fixture because they have three players involved with Ireland. This was conveyed to the Waringstown and Woodvale secretaries by email late on Tuesday evening (around midnight). Part of the reason for this is that I was attending a Northern Ireland Cricket Association meeting at Coleraine RFCC and did not arrive home until 11.30PM.

On Wednesday morning I was contacted by the Instonians Chairman, Brian Walsh, letting me know that they were thinking of requesting postponement of their game against Bangor. We received an official request from him at 5.15PM on Wednesday evening. I then contacted the same NCU officials and it would be fair to say that not all were in favour of allowing the postponement. However a majority thought we had to abide by the previous ruling and I made the decision to allow Instonians to postpone their game. Both Instonians and Bangor were contacted on Wednesday evening at around midnight. I also spoke to the Bangor chairman who thanked me for the call and did not object in any way to the match being postponed.

The NCU plan to look at this ruling in the coming weeks to see if it needs to be changed in any way for next season and will also try to avoid scheduling our cup matches on the same weekends as Irish matches. This is not as easy as it sounds with the number of matches Ireland play in early May.

Forum posters should also be aware that all of us are volunteers with proper paying day jobs and it is not easy for most of us to reply instantly to messages posted on forums during a working day.

Wylie McKinty
Chairman, NCU

PS if Ivan would like to sponsor my phone bill for the last three days I am open to offers!

Roger at least you had the decency to address some of our concerns and thanks for that.
Why is it such a big issue for the NCU officials to answer the questions on postponements? The longer the silence the more the plot thickens.
Communication is transparency.

R.E Junior Interpro

I think in theory this is a good idea to continue to play this game but what is achieved by playing guys approaching or into their 30s? What do they get out of it is my query?

Why dont both Unions decide to reward the young guys playing 1st XI Cricket in Section 2 by making this a Under 20 fixture?

rodney

We will have to agree to disagree on this one. Firstly your comment regarding not being good enough to play in section 1 you have to accept the arrangements in section 2. Of course we accept the arrangements in section 2, we play cricket in any section and do our best each week , hopefully to get back to section 1. This is a forum and i am airing my personal opinions , not those of downpatrick, im sure there are probably guys on our team who would like to play in a junior inter pro. The point i was making is that there is no actual point in it other than another sunday where clubs cannot rearrange fixtures. You can hardly compare playing for ireland to play in a junior inter pro so if you are 100th choice for that team it would still be an honour??.
Fair play to you for having the passion rodney but personally i think the young kids can aspire to playing for the clubs first xi and getting as high up the league as possible.
I dont think my views on this are isolated there are quite a few boys out there who would agree.
with regards the junior inter pros being able to compare standards between the unions, then we already have the ulster shield for that , where north west and NCU teams can be compared.
No one is undervaluing of forgetting about section 2 , because it has probably had more chat and publicity than in any other year, and will be one of the most exciting leagues in years. I dont think a junior interpro would add to that.
But we are all have different views

taito

I agree with most of your selections although I havent seen a few of them play.

With regards the reason behind having a junior interpro. I totally disagree with you. Are you saying if you were 4th choice to play for ireland or even 100th choice, you would turn them down because you thought there was no honour in being less than first choice? I think its rediculous to make such a comment. Also I think your post signals everything that is wrong with NCU cricket at the moment. You place importance in Senior Inter Pros whereby the supposed best players in the country play against each other. I think this is a good indication of the different league standards however does it really represent the standard of the lower sections, sections were grass roots cricket is at present undervalued. Having a junior interpro allows a comparison to be made between lower level cricket which gives another good representation of what the standards are like. Too many people forget about cricket below section 1, perhaps if there was more effort / emphasis put into clubs in the lower leagues then it would improve the state and strength of the union. Look at Dundrum for example, there is newcastle, dundrum, castlewellan, seaforde, clough, kilkeel, annalong etc that is untapped. Junior interpros are a first step for the youth of today to aim towards and I think most people would see it as an honour to represent the union, I know I would. Readers will notice that the people who undervalue junior interpros have indeed played at senior level and play for clubs who should be section 1 clubs. It is obvious that these clubs / players are only interested in themselves. Well I say, if you arent good enough to play in section 1 then you should accept the arrangements in section 2 etc.

SECTION 2 TEAM

1. Johnston (Woodvale)
2. Sharkey (Holywood)
3. J Kennedy (Ballymena)
4. Dunlop (Muckamore)
5. Kirkpatrick (woodvale)
6. McCormick (Holywood)
7. Donnelly (Woodvale)
8. Cleland (Woodvale)
9. Gill (Muckamore)
10. Glass (Ballymena)
11. Shannon (Holywood)

I have left out players from Saintfield and Dundrum as i have never played against them and players from Lurgan and Downpatrick as i havent seen them in quite a few years.

Roger

Fair play to you for leaving a comment on the forum to hear other peoples opinions, perhaps something the NCU should consider going forward. What date will the team be picked on?

Rodney

See what you started Ivan?
I'm not sure Junior Inter Pros is the correct name if the team is from section two as players like David Kennedy would be automatics in a senior interpro team. For many years players outside section one were picked on senior representative teams. Junior interpro teams were selected from clubs that particiapted in the Junior Cup.
As for Rodney, you are picking a County Down team!

forgot a couple
r owens (saintfield)
s sharkey (hollywood)

junior inter pro team: a few names

neil gelston (downpatrick)
james cunningham (downpatrick)
andrew kirkpatrick (woodvale wk)
Van niekerk (Lurgan, assuming he is eligible?)
b baguley (muckamore)
p mccormick (hollywood)

these are just a few which going on form could be there or there abouts

Good to see someone from the NCU on, congrats Roger! - However regarding my earlier question regarding the postponement of our game this Saturday, do you know when Waringstown made the initial request to have the game postponed - As I've already said I fully agree with the decision.

Rodney re people who don't play on a Sunday, I know of some people who don't play Sunday credit, namely David and James Kennedy of Ballymena - I fully respect their stance however they would probably make most peoples team.

I have to agree that junior inter pro's are a waste of time, i am one who is in favour of bringing back the senior inter pros but because they can be used to see more players on the fringe of the ireland set up playing against the best.

The junior version has no such purpose and i can see where rodney is coming from in that some guys might see it as an honour to be picked for an inter pro side, but i can guarantee you that the team that is originally picked doesnt even closely resemble the team that finally takes the field. Many people will pull out or become unavailable , so really if you come in as a replacement or a replacement for a replacement where is the honour in that?

Junior Inter Pro

I always welcome suggestions from clubs re in-form players we should be considering for the Junior Inter-Pro. Please feel free to email me any recommendations, otherwise we just have this year's result forms and successful performances in previous seasons to go on. I would also be interested in seeing what Section 2 cricketers reckon is the strongest side we can field (no ex-Ireland internationals allowed)

Paul

I agree with most of the points in your last post. With regards Senior inter pro, thats another topic but I think interpro cricket (if top players are selected) is a good indication of the standard of the different unions. It is good to know what the standard is like at junior level as well as senior as it could be argued it is a truer reflection of the state of the unions.

I only know of one player who would not player due to sunday cricket (ok i dont know enough about the other teams) but that is his choice and I dont think this is an argument to cancel the interpro. I agree entirely with you about playing the game so soon. THis favours the clubs that are in the section last year as new players from promoted clubs don't have the opportunity to push for a place. I think the inter pro should be picked based on facts from this season, even if its only 5 games in. This way everyone plays on merit and not for the fact they are a big name.

I also agree with you on Sunday cricket, I dont like the fact of playing sunday cricket every week and I have done it lots in the past, but I think there are other reasons why this is happening and it shouldnt be blamed on one single inter pro match.

As you say Paul, everyone is entitled to their opinion so I'll respect yours.

Ivan, it would be interesting to pick a team from section 2 as their are lots of good players. Barring the pro's what would your team be?

I'll start off by throwing a few players into the pot for consideration.

1) Leon Moore - Batsman - Hollywood
2) Seamus Sharkey - Batsman - Hollywood
4) John Tormey - WK - Dundrum
5) Lee Connor - Opening Bowler - Dundrum
6) Joel Maguire - Off Spinner - Dundrum
7) Ray McCavery - Batsman - Saintfield

As you can see these are all players that play alongside me or who i've played against however the teams are from the lower half of the table and by no means will get into the side but I feel they should be considered.

R

Please no Ivan. Don't invite a lot of meaningless selections upon us. I agree with both Rodney and you in that they have a benefit and teams should be selected on merit. A trawl of all the clubs would be the most democratic way but we know it will be passed to appointed NCU selectors to make the picks.
Meanwhile the silence from the NCU men is deafning!