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Stuart

An excellent post.

Very well said

Andy

I enjoy reading the exchanges on this and other social media outlets about the state of our local game. But nothing I imight add beats actually talking face to face.

I am particularly intrigued as to how people view younger people involved within clubs. All clubs have stalwarts who have been around for decades but this idea that the game is dying becase the younger generation are not interested is frankly nonsense. Instead of constantly maligning our young people (I appreciate this isn't coming from all quarters) lets encourage them.

Give them the opportunities to lead within clubs both on the pitch but also off the pitch as well. I have been fortunate that at a young age I was given those opportunities and like to think I am a better all round person for it.

Also if people want to lead at Union level as well then let's encourage them. It can be difficult for people to walk into rooms full of old men and assert themselves but lets not make that a barrier.

All is not doom and gloom out there. Let's be honest about the challenges that we as a cricketing community face but also let's be optimistic and build on the work that has already been done!

RE: CLUB MEETINGS

Excellent turnout at the Lawn last night - thank you for all who attended and crontributed. Particularly pleased to see Portadown CC represented and hope we can provide a pathway for their return to NCU cricket.

The key phtase from both the two meetings to date is "greater flexibility". Setting defaults for overs/times etc with captians given greater flexibility to agree alternatives.

Some interest in a "SENIOR INVITATIONL LEAGUE".

Other ides include loan systems/ league restructuring/ helping the development of girls' cricket by permitting girls to play in ostesibly "boys" teams at 2 years over e.g. under girls can play in under 11 competitions etc.

Will be interesting to hear what the views are at North Down on 16th. Anyone with an opinion/ides etc please take the opportunity. To misquote Frasier:-
"We're listening".

Poor turn out at meetings shows how really concerned some clubs are about the future of cricket but there will be the usual naysayers on here complaining about 'look what the NCU has done now'!

Well played Adam Dennison!
Magnificent.

Well said Neale. Clarky might want to look around Co Antrim and see cricket is very much alive at Muckamore , Ballymena , Larne , Carrickfergus, Templepatrick , Cliftonville , Academy, Lisburn .
Another 30 minutes to a meeting - so what . Well done to NCU for giving clubs an opportunity to voice their concerns and hopefully positive ways to improve the game.

Clarky

Here is how it affected Templepatrick Cricket Club.

We drove to Shaw's Bridge.

Regards
Andy

Re: Clarky

Due to my unavailability for personal reasons the roadshow at Carrickfergus was cancelled. One of the four was likely to be cancelled in any event due to the relative lack of response from clubs.

I will be at 3 meetings over 9 days in various locations. Disappointed that you feel you cannot voice your opinions on the NCU cricket future as the other locations are "slightly further away".

Last night at Shaw's Bridge 17 people attended. 9 members of the NCU management board plus 8 others representing 4 clubs. If cricket is dying in certain areas, it is not through a lack of effort by the NCU. Perhaps those who can't go the extra mile to engage should be taking a long hard look at themselves.

There are two more opportunities to have your voice heard.

What stops guys returning to play cricket even with the reduced overs in the leagues we introduced a few years ago?
Can I suggest Club Membership structures as one reason.
I can only talk about Muckamore where adult membership is £120. A 1sts player gets 18 league games and potentially four cup games so at about £5 a game that's great value .
A guy playing 4ths / 5ths might get 12 games which is maybe just a bit on the steep side in comparison as they inevitably play on poorer grounds and play shorter matches.
But what about the guys we would love to play three or four games a year ( maybe on a rota system ) to help mentor or in some cases take a car?
Do clubs need to look at a small token membership and then £5 per game ( £3 for under 17) ?
Matches are declared walkovers sometimes because they are only 7 or 8 guys available . We only need to encourage 3 or 4 guys back per club .
Just an idea.

Great to see the NCU cancel the roadshow of clubs meeting at Carrickfergus CC.

How is this going to affect other clubs within the area ?!?

I was looking forward to attending the one at Carrickfergus CC, but now not likely to attend as other locations slightly further aware

Cricket in County Antrim is well and truly killed, well done NCU!!!

Re :Mark and net run rates

Firstly it is unfortunate we did not anticipate the problem of a walkover affecting the NNR. Personally I think we should have and your criticism is noted and as far as I am concerned accepted.

Secondly we do have to make decisions during the season. There is an emergency committee to "make up the rules as we go along". The decision re the T20 semi finals and final was outwith the playing regulations but generally seen as a good and pragmatic decision. In relation to walk overs and NRR I believe a penalty is correct. Teams struggling to field but completing fixtures should not be disadvantaged as compared to teams who fail to complete. I think you would accept this as your criticism relates to timing and not to the principle. Failing to take action belatedly would have been a second error simply compunding the first.

Thirdly as regards promotion and relegation this is dealt with under Reg F16 - a team withdrawing is effectively placed at the bottom of the league and relegated at the end of the season as if they came last in that league.

Hopefully this clears up a few issues.

So I see the NCU are making the rules up as they go along in regards to walkovers....why was the rule and the penalty not made before the start of the season...every year there are walkovers so this rule and penalty should have been put in place a long time ago.

Also i would like to now what is happening n regards to relegation / promotion for section 2 and 3 as the withdrawal of drumaness has made section 2 one team short...is it still 2 up and 2 down...some sort of clarification would be appreciated as I can see that section 3 is getting close for second spot ...I will say that I am not for walkovers as players are missing out on cricket some saturdays but surely this Runrate penalty should have already been sorted before the start of the season...makes the NCU look very amateur...sorry forgot this is an amateur league!!

From what I saw yesterday at Moylena cricket is alive and well.
The Junior Cup final between Cliftonville and Lisburn 2nds brought a good crowd with lots of old faces from both clubs in attendance to give their support.
And on our much maligned back pitch two games were played . Our 4ths starting a 30 over game v Ballymena at 11am and our 5ths starting a 25 over game at 2.30pm v Instonians . So lots of cricket , lots of schoolboys playing with a sprinkling of experience and no one complaining about the length of the games or the starting times but just keen to enjoy a competitive game of cricket.
For the 4ths game teas were at the end and for the 5ths game teas were between innings so with a bit of management clubs can facilitate two home fixtures in a day . The 5ths game despite not starting until 2.30pm and lasting 47 overs was finished up at 6pm. Well done to the two visiting clubs for facilitating the starting times.

In J6 this year 5 of the 8 sides have scratched at least 1 game, & that's with the option of reducing the amount of overs to 30.
I have seen nothing to suggest to me that fewer overs will encourage more to start playing or prevent people from stopping to play.
I left the house this morning at 8:50 for an 11am start, home for 6:15.
Who needs to be home this early on a Saturday?
If we get the social aspects back into the game, sides going for a beer together after the match, enjoying each others company and a bit of banter then we might retain more of the twenties, I remember many a Saturday getting dropped off at the Planters, or the Institute after a game and the night out started after the last ball was bowled.
How many sides stay for a drink after an away game now?
OK, if you have quite a lot of 14 & 15 year olds playing this may not suit them, but if players have enjoyed 30 minutes or an hours craic after the game they are going to look back on the day with more pleasing memories than if they put there stuff in the bag and head straight home.

In response to Graeme's ratings, I think it shows the difficulty in relying on statistics alone. The true impact of a player can be better represented by the number of wins they have contributed to i.e. how many game defining performances they have had. Thus to have 3 players in the top 8 who have won 3 games between them seems a little misleading.

For those playing in the league this season, they can point to players like Munn at Cliftonville that are consistently producing winning performances. Curious to see that Cregagh isn't represented, with players like Beattie, Rae and Hassard consistently taking wickets in a winning team.