Forum

Season's greeting to Ivan and all the other website contributors. I was eagerly waiting for the crystal balls to appear and Ivan is the first out of the stalls. Not sure about his finishing order but he got the top six right as it is unlikely any of the bottom four will figure because they lack the strength in depth at the highest level. Its a six team league and maybe even less once the form book settles. Waringstown or North Down? Well, one man doesn't make a team and you may have to eat your words on the North Down pro as I'm sure they wouldn't appoint a lame duck. Lisburn has a big incentive in their 175th year, CI has the buying power if not the playing power but Inst, and CSNI lack consistency. Your bottom four will be the same for everyone who judges it on cricket alone and the order will be determined on how they do against each other as they won't win many against the top six. Two leagues within one league but sometimes the relegation battle can be very exciting.

happy holidays to everyone.Now must be the time for the 2011 perdictions. ( and this is after a few shandies ) Let's see some good holiday debate.

Ncu Premier League
1. Waringstown inspired by Kyle as skipper
2. North Down , not convinced the new pro will have the impact of Harding who took 47 wickets.
3. Instonians depends on who is available and for how many games
4. Lisburn a club building steadily and quietly
5. CIYMS interesting to see how they cope without McMillan AND Heasley
6. CSNI having the 3 Kiwis will keep them safe
7. Muckamore will be hoping that Brian Baguley and Kamy can get a combined 1500 runs and that Neil Gill can get back the form he showed in the past, also that Vde Marve and Coetzee can produce match winning performances with bat and ball.
8. Carrickfergus depends if they can play as a unit under a new skipper.
9. Ballymena , tough debut season for new skipper Simon McDowell with James Kennedy missing for a big part. Still relying on DK and Glassy to produce the goods.
10.Bangor. Apparently with no pro and a lot of regulars missing otherwise capable of top half finish.

Mr. Anonymous - interesting to note that your posting Comes In a Year of Much Spending!

NCU WOMEN’S CRICKET LEAGUE

Last season four NCU clubs fielded a women’s team (as far as I am aware) at one time or another. This increase in interest in the women’s game is very welcome and we wish to see it encouraged as much as possible. With that in mind the four clubs in question have been approached with a view to starting a women’s league in 2011 and both North Down and Waringstown have been very positive to this idea.
The proposal is to base the league along the lines of the midweek cricket league. Ideally a league of at least 4 teams (maximum of 6 league games) would be preferred.
In order to encourage as many women and girls to play, it has also been suggested that anyone who is a member of a club who does not field a women’s team would be able to legitimately play in the women’s league for another club which did.
Any club interested should contact Neale Matthews or any NCU official.
Happy Christmas.
Neale

Re Old Codger (Andy i think)

You were not the "wise men" from the "east" I was refering to.

do we have to spell it out for ya...?

Merry Christmas pal

Mr Anonymous - get out your map of Northern Ireland and check where Buckna is. Its certainly not in the west!! The thrust of my earlier posting was the way in which the professional game was mis-managed in its initial stages at Ravenhill and my concerns that cricket isn't allowed to go the same way.

Re:- very concerned cricketer...

Completely agree mate, virtually everyone does.

And there's a strange contradiction also - for at this time of year...apparently wise men are supposed to come from the east...!

In reference to Mr Kennedy's remarks I would stress that many Senior Cricket Clubs also seem to be going down this avenue, spending well beyond their means and sacrificing other areas of club development to satisfy their short term thinking and thirst for success on the field.

Having experienced playing for such a team I would stress that this approach will never achieve success, having been witness to some pathetic displays of teamwork in my short time at one such club (batting order selected on £earned...dont laugh!)

Surely it is time for a certain few individuals to stop scouring the net (yes you know who you are) and recruiting these, in the main, average players holding irish passports, who are hindering the progression of some fine young players that we currently have throughout our clubs, giving them the potential/opportunities to develop appropriately!

Whilst the amounts at this momment in time are incomparable with rugby, surely it wont be long before we see clubs spending in excess of £50,000 on their teams.....or may this already have been the case within both the NCU and North West Leagues last season????

Dundrum cc xmas draw results
1 John fishfarm Smyth Dundrum
2 Ria Watson Dundrum
3 Charlie Mcstay Down Recorder
4 Chloe Connor Dundrum

Many thanks too all who supported and help raise well over 1000£ for Dundrum cc

Clarence - so you went to see the only Ulster rugby side that plays at Landsdowne Road? - always a trick quiz question that! Ards - v- Instonians - bit of a crowd puller alright, eh!! As rugby is now in the "professional" era the top players are being paid, and in some instances eye-watering amounts, to play for Ulster. As someone associated with junior club Randalstown the problem as I see it is that some of the Senior rugby clubs have put themselves into dire financial straits of, in some instances, 6- figure overdrafts to compete in the likes of the All-Ireland league. Crazy things like paying guys £50 to sit on the bench & come on for the final 10 minutes - 5 subs x £50 + the payment of the starting lineup. It is a few years since I reffed at Ards but I recall a clubhouse that really required a huge face-lift but perhaps the money has gone in other directions. I only use Ards as an example but there are other instances in the Belast & mid-Antrim areas of collosal overdrafts. The availability of "contracted" players is another bone of contention and I just hope that the great and the good who administer Cricket Ireland have the nous to see what has happened in rugby and learn from it.
P.S. - perhaps Mr. Strauss should have a good look at Jeff's "advert" - might be the only chance he gets to hold an Ashes trophy next year!!

The following is my 'Pledge of Honour' and new years resolution.

I Vic Johns, being of sound mind and high pedigree hereby do solemnly promise to teach cricket to the unbeliever and to bring pleasure to the already converted, but if there still be an unbeliever with discerning eye, then perhaps by watching me play cricket for Victoria cricket club in Lurgan Park, then some of these virtues may help explain the joy, enthusiasm and comaraderie the game brings to so many ! Amen.

Happy Christmas & New year to the editors and readers of the Ulster Cricketer.

Anyone looking a superb XMAS present OR ANYTIME CRICKET gift contact Ronnie Mcalpine 07835669019 he has made superb REPLICA ASHES URN COST 25£ . PS believe me they are the BIZZ as i even bought one. HAPPY XMAS

Merry Christmas to all the forumites from the Ulster Cricketer and may all you dreams come true in 2011.
Best wishes,
Clarence and Peter

Andy, I'm told by someone 'in the know' that the delegates at that club that will be given written instructions next year and they will read them just before the vote to refresh their memory!
On Ulster rugby I'm told most senior league players are now professionals and having paid a fiver to watch Ards versus Instonians a few months ago I felt it was a charity donation. The gate money certainly didn't pay the bills. At least that's one thing they have in common with cricket.

I agree with both Mr. Anonymous & Ivan McCombe on this one. Ulster club rugby has come to grief on the altar of "Club Ulster" where there is now a meaningless Senior League & an even more meaningless Senior Cup. Allied to this is an even more meaningless Town's Cup (and before anybody says otherwise I would refer them to the Ballymoney - Rainey semi-final last season where the referee blew up 15 minutes into the 2nd half when the "Toon" were 70= points up). I disagree with the statement that there are not enough Premier teams. There were 10 last season albeit of "mixed" abilities with 3 at the top and the rest were also-rans. One could ask "does success folow the money?" as in the Premier League in English soccer. The results reflect that the answer is "no". My only worry is that, as in rugby, the more junior sides will be left behind. P.S. - Mr. Ed. - as I posted earlier (and I wasn't at the AGM) I heard a wee whisper that not all "voters" followed the party line. But maybe I heard wrong!!