Forum

Re C Boomer

Perhaps Caleb we could gradually reduce to a one over aside competition before resorting to rounders (which would take longer than a one over game with a tea interval).

The Muckamore back pitch seems to be a bugbear with some people and it is not perfect and courtesy of its shape and topography would be difficult to make it so. I've played there a few times and it is my opinion that there have and indeed still are worse grounds. Does anyone have fond memories of the mat wicket laid on a concrete slab at Antrim Grammar?

Curtailing overs, artificial mats, no teas, people looking home early, dearie me what's next...A game of rounders?

Ed. - perhaps Mike will offer his services to Mr. Hunter and his Grounds Committee! His experience will be invaluable!. On a different tack, I'm not sure that too many bowlers will favour all-weather pitches. The 'natural' pitch offers the opportunity for cut, spin and movement in general.

Ivan -,that guy Mike certainly has a bee in his bonnet about Muckamore's 'back pitch' as he uses every sensible posting to vent his spleen! Did he get a bad tea or something that day as well because he seems obsessed about Harrigan's Hill! Dare I say that if he is playing on that pitch then he doesn't play at a particularly high level and must have experienced many other poor pitches!! But then he hides behind a 'nom de plume'. Perhaps he'll come on and give us the benefit of his opinion on all the pitches that he has played on?

Ivan,
£8000 is a heap of money to spend on a cricket square each year. That must include the cost of more than a few 'man hours and a bit of machine servicing and every consumable item as well??

I wonder what the average annual local club budget is for keeping grounds and preparing pitches?
What's the story clubs? Yes or No answers only.
Do you have a full time groundsman, or some dedicated volunteers?
Does your club have a budget for grounds and pitch prep?
Do you have a plan if a machine breaks down mid season?

Mike
It might be the batters batting in the back ground that are the problem rather than the pitch . Last two games have seen 850 runs scored on it . Very few people get bowled on it and in my very humble opinion the bounce on that pitch is as true as any other I have witnessed.
My fifty five year old brother scored 170 of those 850 runs so he hasn't found it difficult to bat on.
That said it is on our radar for this close season and it's simply a case of a pitch being used every day for years including over the winter. There has been inter club games there in October and February / March. Good old fashion wear and tear.

re Mike -
you clearly didn't play at Waringstown second pitch at Tanaghmore Gardens. The mat is like a rotten strip of carpet set on a rockery and an outfield with grass long enough to give cover to a tribe of pygmy warriors.
However this is a local council issue rather than the club's. Nevertheless, I am surprised the ncu permit matches to be played here.

Ivan mats should be the very very last resort to play on I think your wrong about improving players grass is always the priority for players and by the way your back ground wicket is the worst I've ever played on and the worst in the country.

Ref. NCU Stats.

Loving cricket stats as a boy I find myself still checking the NCU stats at the end of every season. Some great performances and I would commend Hall and Thompson of Waringstown in particular.
One observation however that seems to go unnoticed in recent years is the demise of the Medium Pace Allrounder in the NCU.. I am of course referring to the home bread NCU players. JT of CIYMS is a very good player whom I enjoyed analysing as a team mate is a North Wester.
I don't think the NCU will ever dominate again, especially the Knights, unless something is done on the all rounder issue..
I know what high levels of fitness it took me to be an all rounder. Some others like Derek Heasley were just very naturally gifted.. Attention to detail is required to produce such an all rounder and the NCU should see this as a serious area to focus on for future success.

A few weeks ago in conversation with the chairman of a prominent NCU club he asked me "why don't we play all games on artificial ?"
When I queried this he said "it costs us £8,000 a year in keeping the square in shape and we still can't get playing some weeks".
As the weeks have passed and I have read other exchanges I am starting to ask "why not?"

The financial argument above can't be disputed so who loses out?

We will surely produce better batsmen as they will be able to trust the bounce and that will do away with the "front foot lunge" as batsmen don't want to be done by the delivery they should play on the back foot but it is likely to hit the stumps half up.

It will also encourage batsmen to play more expansive shots so it's difficult to see batsmen voting against this.

Wicketkeepers similarly would benefit so that leaves the bowlers.

It won't really effect the swing bowlers nor the guys who can flight it and / or spin it. The pace men will like it as they will see real bounce when they bend their back.

Now that brings us to the dibbly dobly bowlers who thrive on our wickets. Bowl stump to stump and let the demons in the pitch fill the batsmen with fear.

I think if 2017 was played on mats the league tables would look pretty much the same, the guys at the top of the runs and wicket columns would be more or less the same only the numbers would be higher , the cricket would be more exciting, spectators would enjoy it more AND more games would be played to their maximum overs.

Now the purists may not consider this cricket and some redundant groundsmen may not like it but just think if the square update money was reinvested in extra and better coaching. Coaching that encouraged more aggressive batting and taught real bowling skills like swing, seam, change of pace, bowling in the right areas etc.

Most club cricketers practice on mats and then go out on a Saturday and play on two paced, low bounce pitches.

Could this encourage more new clubs as they wouldn't need the capital or the annual running costs of a square.

I remember sitting with Garfield Harrison n the House of Sport in the early 90's when he was the NCU's first Development officer and he was championing every club to have an artificial pitch to help develop young players , well why not go the whole way now and play all cricket on mats.

Other countries play their cricket on mats and they have better climates than ours.

It would be good to hear other cricket lovers thoughts.

The NCU season may be over but next Saturday Sept 17th sees what could be the biggest club game of the season in N Ireland.
Ardmore v Donemana with the winner being the winner of the NW Premier League with the added appeal of being the game that could see Decker Curry score his 100th Senior century.
This is an incredible landmark when you consider that the next best is probably in the 20's.
I was fortunate to see Decker's 99th ton a couple of weeks ago at Coleraine. Against an inter pro / international attack he made it effortless.
This game will also feature probably Ireland's best current club cricketer in Andy McBrine and probably the most competitive - his father Junior McBrine .
If the weather holds I think we can expect a bumper crowd and a unique atmosphere. As a lover of North West cricket I'm really looking forward to this game and encourage real cricket lovers to get over the Glenshane Pass next Saturday .

Flossie has shown me how this Twitter thing works so this is just to confirm for a player from the heart of Co. Armagh that I'm not 'dying to see who has been done' (his words) - I was simply wondering why there had been a departure from previous years but the Newsletter fills in some of the blanks!! I hope this doesn't encourage more comments about the 'back pitch' at Muckamore!!

Re Bumper

Agree with 10 team leagues and 3 divisions but do not see the sense in restricting youth teams. it takes a hell of a lot of commitment to field one team at youth level never mind 3 but if clubs are able to do so then they should be encouraged.

youth fixtures are few and far between and clubs producing as many U17/U15/U13/U11 as possible should be encouraged not restricted.

Perhaps a much better idea to talk to your counterpart about the possibility of a shortened game rather than bypass him and go straight to the highest level for a permanent change, who knows, might even suit the other side as well if one just simply lifts the phone ?

Personally I blame all this social media, texting and the like, is the art of conversation now to be consigned to the history books along with common sense ???

The Desperate Plight of Cornelius White

Cornelius White and Alfonsus Brown
lived in the country not the town
neighbouring farmers who rarely spoke
each hoped he'd get rich, t'other go broke

When autumn time came round again
Cornelius was anxious to harvest his grain
acres and acres of golden ripe fields
ready to give forth, bountiful yields

So when he climbed upon the seat
of his big yellow combine to cut the wheat
he turned the key but the engine was dead
and Cornelius' heart grew heavy like lead

The old farmer cursed his woeful luck
knowing that rain could run amok
damped and spoil his splendid crop
because those mighty blades could not chop

Then a thought entered his brain
though it was tethered with some refrain
I'll ask Alfonsus for a lend of his combine
then set off to his house with a bottle of wine

But on the way Cornelius began to think
would his rival kick up an odious stink
gleefully laugh at his desperate plight
and the more he thought, the more he wanted to fight

So when he arrived at his neighbour's door
Cornelius could stand the strain no more
"I don't want your dam combine," he began to shout
While Alfonsus within, wondered what it was all about?

Then off he stormed back up the road
and the crop was lost which he had sowed
thus the moral is plain for all to see
talk to your neighbour, before committing, mutiny!

Let's revive league cricket and give clubs back their ambition and desire to play at the highest level matching the ability of each club.
Two simple changes.
1. Three leagues of ten with two promoted and relegated.
2. No club should be allowed to enter more than two teams at any youth level.