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Many of your older readers will be saddened to hear of the death of Ossie Bailie . Ossie passed away in hospital this morning at the age of 92.

While most of his cricket career was spent with Ballymena, Ossie first came to notice as a member of a strong Cregagh side in the late 1940s. He also had a short spell at Muckamore before returning to his home-town club Ballymena in the early 1950s.

For the next 25 years, quite a few on them as captain, Ossie played a huge role in Ballymena's rise from the lower reaches of the Qualifying Leagues to senior cricket. To us at Eaton Park he was a "Brian Close-type" cricketer - a highly-competitive no-frills all-rounder who always seemed to be at his best in tight situations.

Remarkably,one of his last games was the 1974 Senior Cup Final when, at the age of 51, he scored 14 and 17 against the brilliant Waringstown side of that era.

Ossie was a genuine all-round sportsman - a fine soccer goal-keeper for Belfast Celtic, Cliftonville and Ballymena and a lawn tennis player good enough to represent Ulster.

The phrase " we shall never see his like again" is sometimes over-used but I think it is appropriate to-day.
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Looking forward to cricket season 2016!
Why?
I made my debut for Civil Service C.C. in 1966 away to Ballymena.
Bowled 25 overseas into a force 8 gale and was run out without facing a ball!
I suppose I realised it could only get better!!
Plan for 2016. Back to back promotions for Cooke Collegians.
P.S. I must be the oldest player to win the first team player of the year award!
Cricket like it no I love it!!!!!!

I hope everyone likes our pictorial tribute on the Home Page to North-West and NCU umpires past and present, some great characters never to be forgotten. Over the winter we will do some more pictorial tributes and if you have any at your club send them in and we'll do a club tribute.
Also, we are going to have a pre-Christmas photo competition so watch this space.

Neale, you have 19 items on your list, that I would call fantastic achievements for NCU and CI.
What about teaching accessible cricket for the disabled kids and adults, or those with learning difficulties?
How does NCU propose to promote this area of the game? Is it only the Taverners cc that even considers this area of cricket participation? Call me or come to a pint and bite meeting and we'll explain our plans for accessible cricket.

Just sitting here in my balzer and tie, sipping my gin and tonic wondering how to spend all the money I get through cricket and the NCU; and thinking of ways to crush the idealism of the young.
Vital that we remain in the 1950s and don't try and move forward and innovate. We must never:-
1. Review and amend the league structures;
2. Allow for greater movement between leagues;
3. Provide greater freedom of length of games;
4. Introduce new competitions;
5. Provide a greater variety of starting times;
6. Alter youth cricket to provide more competitive opportnuites between teams of similar ability;
7. Introduce and encourage girls and women's cricket;
8. Vastly increase the coaching and opportunities for kids;
9. Institute overseas development tours for youth cricket;
10. Create and find funding fo a Cricket Academy;
12. Introduce roadshows and increased communictaion with the clubs;
13. Have the Knights and Junior knights;
14. Consider social media and website developments;
15. Introduce policies on betting; social media; child protection etc;
16. Have our own CDO;
17. Alter disciplinary proceedures to bring into line with CI and good practice as advised by the Court of Arbitration for Sport
18. Keep under review the rules and bye-laws and consider options such as regionalisation of the most junior cricket;
19 Encourage increased participation.
etc etc etc.

All of the above nonsense would just mean hours and hours of meetings and work by unpaid and often annonymous volunteers.

Chin chin - another Gordon's anyone? (Other brands of gin are available)

Ozzie if you can show us the calculation that adding another team = more money then I'm sure every cricket club treasurer in the country would be after your formula.
Developing cricketers and adding teams costs money . Coaching , equipment , hiring indoor nets , paying groundsmen to make pitches or paying council rental charges. Junior memberships don't get close to covering these costs .
The club's struggling to field a second or third team just need to get into local schools , get out looking for sponsors and advertise their club nights etc.
It's obvious there are people out there keen to play cricket - go find them.

"Ozzie" you are on the drink all right. Plenty of personal agenda in that rant mostly without any solid argument or substance. Idealistic? Try realistic and work from there. As for NCU dinosaurs that's about as cheap as not buying your round. What makes you think the 'young' (whatever that means) are the idealists in NCU cricket? Far from it it you really knew more about the topics you are ranting about.

Ozzie.
Clogher, Dungannon, Monaghan and Taverners cc (Portadown) already play in the border league T20 competition. It's a decent standard of cricket, probably similar to section 3.
This season past every single game was played, no walkovers, no void games and no matches awarded.
Taverners cc topped the league and beat Monaghan in a very tight and exciting final. There might be another two teams playing in the competition next season.

The two "Q" words come to mind quality vs quantity.

Junior 9 now has two teams from the same club in it...how about some of these players go and play for a club who are struggling to field 2 or maybe 3 teams everyweek..yes there will be people who say well done to that particular club for promoting cricket but we all know the purpose of it...MONEY!!

The NCU needs a total overhaul in my opinion..more interested in getting numbers rather than the quality of the cricket played...the clubs are to blame also..MONEY!! more teams = more players= more money for the club which will be used to pay for some overated pro !!...I have always said that if any Premier league club or section 1 club is paying a pro then all members of the team should be paid...

The league structure needs a complete overhaul...Premier league should be minimum 10 teams..put teams from section 2 into section 1 and then teams from section 3 into 2....this will leave some teams in section 3 who are not interested in moving to a higher league so create a new "taverners / Social league"..encourage teams such as Portadown / Clogher to join...

More teams will = more walkovers ....last year I believe there was 28 in the junior leagues ...this will increase.

The NCU need to get back to basics and get some younger ( idealistic ) people on the board..far too many dinosaours..

RE Andy

Incredible pitches indeed - great for TV but not for the development of the 5 day format of Test cricket!
Although some of the sub-continent pitches do "settle" after day 2 at times.

incredible pitches in India. Game almost over in 2 days. 20 wickets in one day! Is that what Test cricket is about?

In keeping with the theme that cricket is alive and well and with the fact that this site is called The Ulster Cricketer and not only The NCU Cricketer, I am copying a post from the North West Cricket Union Facebook page. This is happening in late November.

The last few days has seen Indoor Schools Cricket Competitions at Castle Park, Limavady and Bready Indoor Centre and tomorrow at Artigarvan Community Hall.
Some great cricket played by all schools involved!!

More good news for NCU cricket. The following new teams have been entered for the 2016 season . I think this is proof again if proof is ever needed that by increasing coaching at youth level , in schools and promoting cricket positively that we will get more and more people playing.

Welcome Newforge 2nds , Instonians 6ths , Templepatrick 4ths and Waringstown 5ths

I also don't see the problem with being paid. If people are giving up their Saturday/Sunday to score - I guess that's time they could spend with family etc..... you know. Not many people voluntary offer their services in today's age.

I know Jonathan did not mention pay but let's hear from you all...... does your club 'pay' your scorer????

payment for scorers? What's the problem with that? Sitting in a score box (some of which are not fit for purpose) for upwards of 7 or 8 hours while, in some instances, keeping a tally highly paid players? If you don't ask you don't get! I see no problem - a workman is worth his labour.