Forum

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.

In the spirit of coverage down the leagues, (and because I am a bit of a nerd) I have been organising my thoughts on who I will nominate for section 2 player of the season.
Based on the performances documented on the ncu results page and my own convoluted scoring system the top dozen or so with a third of the season to go would be:

1) J Cunningham - Dundrum
2) J Terret- Cliftonville
3) R Bryans- Templepatrick
= M McCord- Cliftonville
= M Ajmal- Laurelvale
6) C shekar- Cooke Collegians
= B Talbot- Millpark
8) P McCormick- Holywood
= K Walsh- Holywood
= D Sinton- Laurelvale
= D Henry- Laurelvale
= D Glover- Millpark

Not a bad bunch of cricketers that lot!

Ivan,
your simple idea does work, you've pretty much described the fixture meeting of the border league.
The matches can sometimes be tough enough on the field, but because we have made a point to know each other off the field, and share our ideas and concerns, every team's success is shared by all, and if anyone needs help we will help.
It is simple and it does work, and at least for us it is the real difference between playing cricket and having no cricket at all.
What would you choose?

Here's an idea that is so simple that it might just work.
How about each League Secretary arranging a meeting over dinner with all eight captains in his league towards the end of March. Just before the season starts .
Push hard for full attendance so that they get to know each other a bit more than just a number on the NCU website.
Captains can all empathise with each other , they love the game but in the main they face the same challenges around availability , lack of umpiring knowledge , scoring , transport etc .
At the meeting they can discuss their own challenges and if need be tweak a few dates they just know it will be tricky to get teams out. And get to know a wee bit about the others off the field and that in turn might encourage teams to spend half an hour together over a drink - after the game .
With a wee bit more "personal" approach they can maybe work closer together and the goal of the meeting should be " let's get all 56 games decided on the field of play ". That goal would put pay to what I think are the worst five words you can hear at any cricket club " can we claim the points ?".
This might help bring back a bit of the "spirit of cricket " when there's a bit more mutual respect among captains and their teams .
Maybe each team should sit down in their own club some evening with a senior umpire and get a briefing on the basic laws of the game . This might help stop the " I've hit him on the pads I must appeal " mentality and also the thought that " he didn't give him out so he's cheating " thought process.
I don't think the problems are the overs , it's more about bringjng a sense of enjoyment back to the battle.
If the goal is to complete all 56 games I think clubs would work harder together to get games rearranged .

I agree with Colin that this is a great opportunity to give real feedback to the NCU ( which is a body elected by the club's after all).

As the invite suggests they want players to come along and express their views . This isn't about the "Blazers" or those outside the boundary like myself - this is about those playing the game at both Senior and Junior level.

See below .

The Union's Management Board wishes to discuss with clubs a number of possible options for the arrangement of Senior and Junior Leagues as well as other playing conditions in the future.

The attached discussion paper sets out some of the options that the Board is keen to discuss.

As the paper makes clear it is only intended to start discussion and nothing can be implemented without the support of clubs at the AGM.

A series of meetings has been arranged:

Monday 8 August 2016 Shaw's Bridge Sports Association

Tuesday 9 August 2016 Waringstown CC

Tuesday 16 August 2016 North Down CC

All meetings commence at 7.30pm.

Clubs are invited to send along a senior official eg Chairman and a player from each team so that there is a good spread of senior and junior cricketers.

All clubs have received an email from the NCU regarding the forthcoming meetings to discuss possible changes and given the positive thoughts on the forum I thought they would be well attended.

However tonights email to update on venues shows the clubs that Bryan Milford has heard from to date are:

Ards
Carrickfergus
Cooke Collegians
Donaghcloney
Larne
North Down
Saintfield
Templepatrick

We are being given an opportunity to talk before the AGM. I would hope a few more show up on the nights.

Some of the suggestions about fielding circles and overs and ends are getting a bit of air.
You have to begin with a question, otherwise you're playing that game where you hear the answer and then try to figure out what the question was.
Why did we ever introduce fielding circles to begin with?
When you answer that question you can go on to ask the next one.
Is the 30 yd circle relevant at all levels of cricket?
Knowing the purpose of the fielding restrictions is fine, but it's a burden on the game if most of the players will never play in a game where the fielding circle and restrictions are necessary.
Why would a captain put all his fielders on the boundary, when a smart batsman will tap the ball 20 yards and run two every time while the outrider has to run in to field it?
Fielding restrictions are in place because pro players have already learned the tactics.
I could be wrong, and it wouldn't be the first time, but you have to ask. Why are we doing this?
Why are we doing it this way?
Is it working?
Further questions to follow ;)