Forum

Just noticed that the Chairman of Cricket Ireland is from Strabane and the ISC Final is at Strabane. Also Chairman of NICA is from Coleraine and the final of the ClubTurf was at Coleraine!
Why was the NCU Final not at Larne???!!!

Tim

I totally empathise with you and other clubs that have used their best efforts in a challenging season to try and get fixtures played. I do not understand how some of the decisions are made or are consistent. Last year CSN played Derriaghy in a game that started as a 20 over match. It should not have under the rules however both captains agreed, the umpires agreed and on appeal the result was let stand. I have watched this year some bizarre things in 2s cricket. One club was kicked out of the junior cup for not providing a ground. Seemed a bit harsh as their 1s had a home game. Same thing happened to our 2s in a league game. They were due to play a club and the home teams 1s had a cup game. The 2s could not provide a ground and would not play at our ground. We claimed points and were denied and told to rearrange.

And don't get me started on the fluid use of the 22 day rule!

I have said before I empathise with administrators but as an observer it appears there is a lack of consistency that frustrates players immensely.

Good luck tim and I will be delighted to see Woodvale back in the top flight in 2009 all being well.

RE: Tim Browne

Interesting post from Tim. Not sure that there will be a great impact on relegation issues though. Laurelvale lost the two games in question so our points total will be unaffected. It is unlikely that there would be time before the end of the season to replay any of the three fixtures but if the games are therefore made void it might improve our net run rate.

Does it have any impact on Woodvale's promotion ? Ballymena and Woodvale have clearly been the best teams in the league this year and deserve to get promoted.

Is this the annual NCU gaff about to screw the season upside down?
Memories of Derriaghy and North Down are coming to the fore...

Armagh aren't relegated yet Tim as a point of detail.

There would surely be no reason for the other D/L affected games you mention to be replayed if captains had used that most basic of cricketing thoughts that a bowler can bowl no more than 1/5 of the overs in an innings, be it 50 overs long or 20 overs. I can't speak for the legality of all of the D/L matches in Section Two this season, but the one that stood out was the Ballymena Woodvale fixture and the Union could do little other than review it when raised.

While it is certainly inconvenient for matches to have to be rearranged at this stage of the season, it would merely seem to back up the idea that a system like D/L is a development a bit beyond the standard of cricket it is being used at. Is it used in the NWCU and LCU??

Woodvale have been advised by the Union that their games at home to Lurgan and away to Ballymena have been declared void and will need to be replayed.

Both games were reduced under Duckworth Lewis. The umpires standing in the matches allowed bowlers to exceed their allotted overs yet the Union, by their decision, appear to be placing the responsibility for interpreting and applying the laws of cricket with the captain of each team under a newly introduced competition rule 3. In each game the Woodvale captain sought reasurrance and guidance from the umpires as to how many overs each bowler could bowl and it seems the umpires got it wrong. A difficulty lies in the fact that the captain of a batting side cannot control how many overs each opposition bowler bowls. To place the onus for on field decisions with the captains is surely a recipe for disaster and will only serve to undermine the umpires authority? To openly question the decision of an independent arbiter is a tricky thing.

At a time when it is difficult to maintain an interest in the sport due to the weather results determined in a committee room don't help.

Two results may not matter in the grand scheme of things and those who know me will realise that this is not about sour grapes. However, The decision taken does appear to be more far reaching. A quick glance at the scorecards relating to the other matches in Section 2 reduced under Duckworth Lewis detailed on the Union website reveals that other games will also be affected and will need to be replayed. These games include Ballymena v Dundrum, Ballymena v Laurelvale and Laurelvale v Armagh. If these games are to be replayed (there may be others) it could determine which team gets relegated along with Armagh. Bear in mind Ballymena do not have a home ground available.

Regardless of the outcome Ballymena will finish top of the league and deserve to do so. They have been unstoppable this year.

With Duckworth Lewis newly introduced to Section 2 this year I had hoped that less time would be wasted and fewer games would need to be rearranged. The truth has turned out to be quite different. Half a day off work for the Lurgan game and eight hours in Ballymena for nothing (I have nothing against the place and actually like playing there - they also like me playing there!).

Interesting times ahead.

PS Is the temporary groundsman still in their position ?

re North Down CC

I think it would be quite diffcult for North Down to be involved in an Under 17 European Championship or a Twenty20 World Cup Qualifier, don't you ?

Re Gary

The fact is that North Down firstly cannot and never has been able to pick and choose the finals that it does or doesnt host - think we may have wanted to host the Senior Cup Final if that was the case!

North Down has for a number of years now put their name forward and indeed hosted alot of representitive and domestic finals, many of which have not involved a North Down team, for little or no financial reward!!

To suggest that North Down just didnt want it halfway through the season is an absurd suggestion!

Re James Senior Cup Final

I would have to disagree with your comments about Strangford Road, it is not as you put it "a traditionally wet ground" and there have not been "issues there for the last few years". The ground was in as good a condition if not better than most grounds in the country on the weekend of the cup final.

Anyway why would you move the cup final to Stormont, you don't get a big crowd for international games, how would this change for the cup final.

The sponsors are from the Downpatrick area and i'm not sure if they would continue to support the event if it was moved away from Downpatrick.

Speaking to alot of players from various clubs in the NCU, they were annoyed that they wouldn't get a chance to play at Strangford Road this year because of Downpatricks relegation unless they reached the cup final.

While we’re on the topic of cup final venues, is the NCU going to use some common sense and move the Senior Cup final to one of the drier grounds available.

There is no doubt that Downpatrick did a good job this year getting the fixture completed but are/were those the conditions we want the premier cup final to be played in. It is a traditionally wet ground and there have been issues there for the last few years. If it had been a league game they wouldn’t have bother turning up. Although tense, the entertainment value was low and we want more spectators don’t we?

Surely it must be moved to either Stormont (if they give it due importance, unlike before) or Comber (if they sort out their groundsman problem!), it would make for better cricket…

Re Junior Cup Final

North Down regrettably informed the Union on June 18 that due to unforeseen circumstances, we would not be able to host the Junior Cup final as previously agreed. It was with respect to the importance of the competition that this decision was made.

Our groundsman of many years informed us at the beginning of May that his services would no longer be available and despite an extensive search, at the time no replacement had been found.

We felt that since we might not be able to supply a pitch and ground at our normal high standard, it would be best not to let ourselves and the competition down by hosting the fixture in these circumstances.

This position changed in the second week in July when we were able to appoint a temporary groundsman for the remainder of the season.

We subsequently hosted a match in the U17 European Championships and practice sessions for the ICC World Twenty20 (both competitions we were not involved in) and the NCU U15 final.

NDCC

Mark

I am not going to deny that I am cynical - as Gary says, do you honestly believe that Comber would not have been playable if North Down IIs had made the final? You ask anyone associated with Templepatrick and Academy how they felt being let down by the North Down initially and the NCU for not being a bit more prompt in arranging a new venue and I am sure they will not be glowing remarks!! I do not speak for any of these clubs by the way.

Re Andrew

I think Paul said it all in his reply, a club in your position is very fortunate that it can pick and choose which cup finals it wants to host and which one's it doesn't !!! Many clubs would be extremely proud and privileged to have the chance to host a cup final. I understand fully and appreciate the work that all volunteers contribute but what you're saying demeans this cup final. I'm sure most clubs would be able to pull in resources to accomodate such a fixture let alone a club such as yours that is comming down with players and administrators !! I still believe as I said in my initial posting the reasons why the Junior Cup wasn't hosted by yourselves, I know no-one fom North Down will ever admit that. Maybe when the NCU are choosing venues for cup finals next season your posting is taken into account and that they are selected accordingly - those clubs who have the resources to host finals !

Paul, if all the clubs took that approach where would the finals be played? Right now a few clubs are asking themselves why are we doing this? Certainly not for the money or the glory as there's neither when hosting a cup final or representative match. When unions pay for services cynics like you can voice your criticism when clubs don't deliver but until then ask yourself are you being fair with your snide remark?