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c'mon big jeff you've been quiet as day or two. spill the beans on the runners and riders for the big day.

The West-Indies team of the mid 70's & onwards through the 1980's were in my opinion and many others, collectively the best bunch of cricketers ever to play the game...Quite simply awesome!

Didn't they go some 15yrs unbeaten in any test series with a couple of world-cups thrown in for good measure!

It has been officially poled that they were the greatest sporting team in history, by remaining for such a length of time at the very pinnacle of their sport.
Some record indeed and sad to see them these last several years, a shadow of their former selves.

Hang on in there realist.. tuff it out Man!

I know the cold turkey is hard to bear at this time of the year for all us cricketers and it can make you say and do silly things!
It's been a long old off season but the winning post and the cure are well in sight now....At least you don't take the pet rabbits with you to cricket practise. Desperate or what ?

For a second year in a row, Templepatrick Cricket Club in conjunction with Cricket Ireland are running an Introduction to Cricket Coaching Course at their ground (The Cloughan, Doagh Road, Ballyclare) on Wednesday 4th April, 5.30pm till 9pm

18 new coaches attended last year ( male and female )

This course will allow you to work with young players on introducing basic cricket skills to them and provide you with a range of games that can be used with players to further develop their cricket experience.
This course is a good starter for those people with limited cricket experience or limited experience in working with young players.

The cost of the course is £10

Assessment/Attendee Requirements: There is no official assessment to be completed during this course. Participants however are required to attend all components of the course in order to receive a certificate of participation.

Accreditation: This course does not have an official accreditation; however attendees will receive a certificate of participation at the completion of the course.

Cricket Ireland are hugely grateful for ICC Europe’s support to the courses, and also to the support of Templepatrick Cricket Club for facilitating these hugely important courses as Cricket continues to grow exponentially at many levels throughout the country.

A large part of the course will be outdoors and is therefore weather dependant.

If the weather is unkind to us on that evening the back up date is
Wednesday 11th April 5.30pm till 9pm

Please get in touch with Andy McCrea if you are interested on mccrea.a@sky.com

Re C Bommer
Caleb,I am not in the "relocation of school" business............despite my mail on 8th March Portora School is still down in the Lakeland of Norn Ireland and not in Co Down......I am just in the "making mistakes" business

no luck but 3 days left

soll 130
monksland 205
grand crus 240
moscow mannon 515 nap
win yankee

edeymi 445 eway
dare me 400eway
big zeb 320 win

on this day last year i won 1497£ for just fiver so going post few bets each day eway yankee

colour squadron 130
magnanimity 240
maljimar 400
white star line 515

my other two bets menorah win 210 oscars well ew 315

good luck if punting

No worries Realist, if it's to with cricket or our many, many world famous achievers it won't annoy me in the slightest, I'll chat all day !

So encouring and uplifting reading and hearing about all the awe-inspiring talent this 'wee' country has produced, past & present, not just at cricket but many other sports as well and setting all that aside like you say the arts, literacy, industary etc. etc the list just goes on and on.

Maybe someday both you & I will have our name up in lights too, you never know ? Withhard work and lots of imagination thrown in we can do it!

Better go, fell asleep again last-night and missed nearly all the live action between the New-Zealand v S.Africa first test match, highligts on @ 3.30pm.

(Maybe I'm over doing it a bit, better take a rest from the practicing)!

NIACUS March Open Meeting takes place on Monday 12th March at 7.30pm at Stormont. Our guest speaker is Nick Cousins, Senior Executive Officer with the ECB/ACO. Nick will be doing a presentation on pitch markings and indiscipline. Members and guests are encouraged to attend. Umpires should note that attendance is compulsory for those wishing to stand at Premier or Section One fixtures.

Caleb
As someone who played cricket for the same club in every NCU 1st XI league during the 1970s,80s &90s my feelings ranged from hope,expectation,total desperation/rage to drunken/sober happiness and everything else in between.

As you seem to like Oscar Wilde remember that he was educated at the Portora School in Co Down and his friend in later life was the artist Whistler..............as a bowler of note yourself it is interesting that Wilde during an argument with Whistler around 1884 described him as "THE REMARKABLE ROCKET"

Norman Torrens
Sincere condolences to the Torrens family on the passing of Norman, one of a famous set of brothers within a sporting dynasty that has given so much to North-West cricket down the years. Norman may not have risen to the dizzy heights of brother Roy, but he was a tireless servant of Brigade Cricket Club and a popular figure wherever he went. He loved cricket and typically he fought his illness with great courage.
Rest in Peace.

Clarence Hiles
Editor

Here's another Oscar Wilde quotation for the Realist.....'Anyone who lives within their means, lacks imagination' !

And another 'If you take away a person's dream, you take away their hope, take away their hope and all is lost'..(my quotatation)!

Now, no more poo pooing the idea of International Test cricket for Ireland!

Yes, granted maybe not tomorrow, next week, next year, but maybe some day.
We can't do much about the weather, but everything else is in place and 'the seed' is growing even if it is being too well watered at times...excuse the pun.

Do you not think that even though as you say, cricket amounts to a small % of people who play the game in this country, they like me have similiar aspirations ? And further, this still equates to hundreds & hunderds of youngsters playing/practising their hearts out each season, hoping to make the team, win the game and wanting, dreaming some-day, of becoming the next Kyle McCallen, Andrew White or Kevin O'Brien......and I'm no exception!

I realise it probably won't ever happen for me, but it will for some kids out there and if all I ever achieve is still Junior league 9 N.C.U. as long as I can play and contribute to my team, I'll be a very happy man.........
but I'll never give up on my dream !

Now I'm off to watch the highlights of the final of the Aussie v Sri-Lanka final......fell asleep last nite and missed it. Enjoy your afternoon at the office !

Re CBoomer residing at Moira Demense

Caleb,
You are obviously expecting Moira Demense to be the site of the new Cricketing Centre/Academy.

Caleb, that won`t happen as it is not politically sensitive enough nor does it have a long contraversial sporting history for our MLA`s and Councillors to disagree on.

In reality 5 Consultant Reports [fees costing in excess of £2 million ]will recommend either the grass areas in front of Belfast City Hall,Queens University or the unmanaged wasteland beside Belfast Met College in College Sq East. These locations would be chosen for their high visibility attributes at a time when cricket in Norn Ireland is on the crest of a Titanic wave.

In addition, the Environmental Impact Assessment will highlight their suitability for dogs/rabbits like Oscar ,Flopsy and Thumper due to the preponderance of dandy lions and wide walls for you to bowl at instead of a single stump.

So,Caleb I will now finish my coffee and return to less serious stuff ,like work and ask you to keep practicing to become the next cricketing L.Messi.

Andy as far as im aware international cricket has a bye law that they can still do that but in my opinion that is wrong!!!

Caleb,it`s quite obvious that you are expecting Moira Demense to be the site for the new Cricket Sadium & Centre of Excellence [complete with dog pound].

Unfortunately that won`t happen, it`s location is not controversional enough in terms of it`s previous political history or sporting affiliation.

In addition, to qualify for consideration the site must have the potential to require different planning/manangement consultants to write at least 3 feasibility reports over a period of 8 years followed by an in depth Equality Impact Assessment proposal for consideration by Thumper and Flopsy as Equal Opportunities representatives due to animals having equal rights by then.

Important enviromental issues such as the retention of dandylions would be discussed at length by our MLAs and would have to be the subject of a cross party agreement/decision before progress would be made.

It is also more likely that due to the high profile of cricket in these parts now the location of any new cricket development would be located in open areas like the grass front of Belfast City Hall,QUB or the unmanaged grass wasteland beside Belfast Metropolitan College/RBAI.

Bottom line Caleb .......bowl at the Rabbits box instead of a stump......it`s wider ,you might hit it.......good luck

I note that your dog/friend is called Oscar as it reminds me of Oscar Wilde who referred to his Artist friend [the Whistler] as "the Remarkable Rocket"........I presume you will emulate that with your bowling this season.

interesting to see the bowlers warming up in the current ODI series and loosening-up by "pitching" the ball to a team mate - obviously one Law for everyone else!