pavarotti1980
Striker
I know in the Northumberland and Tyneside league kids play for different junior teams than senior teams. gives them game time in age appropriate leagues to help development
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At Belmont we had an arrangement with Durham City which worked well for a number of years. For lower league clubs it's getting across the fact that actually the games/pitches/facilities are of a fair standard and bigger clubs young players will benefit from playing meaningful, competitive cricket against adults.
We (bishop auckland) are due to play Belmont on Sunday in a friendly. We had a 3rd team which I was captain of until a few years ago, was only 19/20 when I was captain, and was a struggle getting players with restrictions on the number who could play Saturday and Sunday.
We ended up folding the 3rd team but started playing a few friendly games this season, although im yet to have a game due to other commitments at the moment.
I'll be there Sunday, helping out my old club Belmont. Looking forward to it.We (bishop auckland) are due to play Belmont on Sunday in a friendly. We had a 3rd team which I was captain of until a few years ago, was only 19/20 when I was captain, and was a struggle getting players with restrictions on the number who could play Saturday and Sunday.
We ended up folding the 3rd team but started playing a few friendly games this season, although im yet to have a game due to other commitments at the moment.
Mansfield Sunday League is having a nightmare so far this season. Looks like 8 teams conceded again today.
The league was born to replace friendlies as clubs preferred to play for points.
Bloody hell, that sounds grim
Well said mate. Tough when you have a family as your priorities change. All day Saturday is just too long when you graft all week and you want to spend time with your kids.Cricket isn't the same as it was for a few different reasons
The way cricket used to be a priority in people's lives has changed, dedicating a whole Saturday to cricket is something people don't want to do anymore and forget a double weekend!! In my experience family and relationships often spell the end of someone's amateur cricket career, obviously this isn't a knew thing but it's far more common for lads to be told they can't play and actually listen!
The sense of community that cricket used to provide is gone as well, players getting straight off, only coming to the club to play or train. It used to be that there would be a players wives club or at least the lads that played would drink in the club on a regular basis. It seems that cricket clubs are going the way of the working men's clubs when it comes to the bar side of things
Another thing that is reducing player availability is the way that academies and county set ups whip good prospects out of smaller clubs and put them in the bigger ones or their academies. Smaller clubs aren't able to develop their own players and keep them until they become very good.
The increase in money in the pros and the general professional approach to cricket at the highest level means you don't get the level of professionals in the amateur leagues as you once did. Because these young lads are in academies etc they're not coming over here to pro as young inexperienced cricketers like the likes of Warne, D'Oliviera, Lloyd etc did. Even more established test players like Richie Richardson and Jimmy Adams later in their careers. This makes it less appealing for people to come and watch and means younger players don't get to learn from it and obviously lowers the standards
It has to keep surviving though as it's an institution that should be encouraged to thrand be and grow
The Derbyshire County League have adopted that in the bottom 6 divisions. Now 40 overs per side instead of 46.Well said mate. Tough when you have a family as your priorities change. All day Saturday is just too long when you graft all week and you want to spend time with your kids.
What might make a difference is a shorter format. Maybe 35/40 over per side. Results only similar to old county league. This playing for a draw shit is no good for anyone. Boring as fuck.
Well said mate. Tough when you have a family as your priorities change. All day Saturday is just too long when you graft all week and you want to spend time with your kids.
What might make a difference is a shorter format. Maybe 35/40 over per side. Results only similar to old county league. This playing for a draw shit is no good for anyone. Boring as fuck.
I think 35 might be a good idea and making players retire on 50, to give lower order batsmen a go. 5 overs each and virtually everyone has to bowl too!I hate to say this, but reducing the overs might be the only thing to stop the demise of some clubs and some second elevens. There are probably 70% of teams compared to 20 years ago. By all means have 110 overs for the top divisions first teams. 35 overs might be the solution to keep teams going at the lower end. That would take 4 hours and if played from 2.00 - 6.00, well then you've got family time beforehand and drinking time after!
No chance I would ever vote for retire at 50. It's just too different from normal cricket. If I ever get to 50 again I would want the chance of a 100!!I think 35 might be a good idea and making players retire on 50, to give lower order batsmen a go. 5 overs each and virtually everyone has to bowl too!
The same can also be said for overs cricket. I played in the County League as pro for Leadgate a number of years ago and there were some really boring games.I'm not a fan of timed cricket. Played too many games where we've put 250+ on against a team, only to see them lose 3 quick wickets and they batten down the hatches.
The next 2 and a bit hours are filled with the most boring cricket known to man.