Forum

Vanburn/Robin. Without fuelling any debate over this weekend/last weekend I did a quick look at the NCU archives. CSN have lost 1 game and ND 2 games. In the last 10 years all bar 1 season (Waringstown in 2006 1 loss) 2 defeats would have won the league (ND in 2002 lost 2 and had 1 no result) so whatever the outcome it is a good performance from both sides.

I do not think complacency can be raised given the stats.

1 thing that is very interesting as you look back at the stats and probably adds to the debate surrounding standard was in 98/99/00 the league was won with 4 and 5 losses. I remember back then all games being a lot more competitive and sides being more equal and the stats back this up I guess.

Wayne

Taito - from your posting it is clear you are not 'thoroughly familiar with the Rules and Bye-laws governing the competition in which the team is playing......' and as such are in breach of NCU Competition Rule 3. Just be thankful you aren't Captain and have all that reading up to do for the weekend!
I'll make it easy for you - in simple terms - It's the Captain's fault no matter what happens or whoever makes the cock-up. Having a match voided this weekend could be a costly affair to someone - beware! The NCU Thought Police are out and about.

Chris Busby

I think you are right that Section 3 was not a joke this year and it has indeed been competative with 4/5 teams are being in the mix. However, I dont think you can use your cup run as an excuse for not getting games played and therefore not winning the league. Academy managed to get 14 league games played on top of their cup run. At the moment they have played the most league games in Section 3 with 14!

re Jeff

Thanks, I enjoyed doing the preview this season but stopped doing it in August when Armagh was hosting a charity cancer game and the NCU wouldn't advertise it on their site because of the Twenty/20 at Stormont on the same day. I felt that if they couldn't promote a charity fixture then I couldn't spend my time trying to promote one of their leagues. Thats nothing against Ryan of course who I felt has done an excellent job trying to raise the priority of the NCU this year in his PRO job.

re vanburn

vanburn how much is ur mortgage remember the game is at comber not stormont.think the better team on the day won last sunday winning the toss was massive but to say we have become complacent or our attitude was wrong well we,ll see on saturday thanks for the extra incentive

Robin, are you serious? more NCU drama then? I wonder how CSNI have taken that decision? what is the ruling about slow play.

Makes this weekends game even more interesting

news flash

premier league cannot be shared as csni have had 1 point deducted for slow play thus if we win on saturday we go 1 point ahead and if csni win they win the league unless of course north down are deducted 1 point this weekend crazy isnt it.

predictions, gareth hope you keep doing your excellent column in ncu website as it has been excellent & very honest & believe me section 3 is full of good cricketers & clubs & believe me i could name lots players that only because they are CLUBMEN could play in section 1&2, so hope too see you on sunday & possibly buy you a beer for your top coverage off section two.

Re Eddie- Section 3

I'm not sure how you come to the conclusion that section 3 was a joke this year- to my mind it is the most competitive in years, with nobody really pulling away at the top as has happened in previous years (think Saintfield, Hollywood, CIYMS), while the sides promoted last year gave a really good account of themselves- any two of Larne, Academy, Cooke, Dunmurry and ourselves (Templepatrick) could have been promoted and I'm quite sure it would have been a different story had we not had such a dismal summer- so I wouldn't agree that Dunmurry and Academy are by far the best in league, to my mind we where all much of a muchness with the two promoted teams simply simply getting more games played- due in part by two of the competing teams (Academy and Templepatrick) losing the chance to play league games to a Cup run! Unfortunately the issue of walkovers in September has been an issue over the past few seasons and is unlikely to change (unless it's at the AGM) given the fact that many of the teams at our level don't have complete control over their grounds- unfortunately it's something we will just have to deal with!

Bumperdale
Interesting post.
North Down will undoubtedly be up for the game but are you suggesting that CSN will not? CSN were undoubtedly the better side last weekend. I know the toss was a factor, but the difference in attitude and application was stark, and CSN won by a handsome margin (2nd time this year CSN have beaten N Down by 8 wkts, one at Comber and one at Stormont). Have North Down become complacent? I hope not, and that it does not come down to Sunday, the League should be decided between the two best sides on Saturday, North Down and CSN being those sides. Regretably, I think neither side will be at full stength which makes it tough for all concerned. Fair or not, both sides will be up for it and may the best side win.
Vanburn

P.S. Good wicket/weather or nor not, I will bet my mortgage that whoever wins the the toss will put the other side in?

Andy Clement in the Hot Seat

Great article by Andy, and hope that those who disparage the NCU take note.
Really sorry that Andy has not got a Cup Winner's Medal, because he deserves one. That he does not have one is nothing to do with his own ability, it is more a reflection of the fact that he remained loyal to the Clubs that he played for rather than seeking individual glory elsewhere. A true cricketer in every sense.

Andy Kennedy - non availabilty
Perhaps the guy who had to return his library books was about to be fined for non return (a couple of quid?). Hardly seems to be an excuse, even if it was a mobile library only available for limited hours. If his choice of books had been good enough in the first place he would have had plenty of time this season to read them, return them on time, get more books out and read all of them also. So yes, one for the classic excuses.

It is exciting to see CSNI breaking the trend of Waringstown and North Down dominating the hunt for honours.

Out of interest what CSNI players are remaining who would have representated North, Gary Wilson being the only I can think of?

Re Andy Clement article.
I can understand why he would be annoyed being called a "G&T man ". He's been a vodka and coke man for the past 25 years.

I think that's a bit unfair on Cooke.They made themselves available to play matches.They also won a lot of points on the field.Over the last ten years they have played more Section Two cricket than certainly Academy and probably Dunmurry.I was surprised Templepatrick didn't make a bigger push for promotion,I keep hearing they have a lot of good young players who should be testing themselves at a higher level.