YM Blog


Last weekend, on Saturday the 27th YM 1st team travelled to The Hills, Milverton to find the wicket and square totally soaked from over night rain. The groundsman had forgotten to put the covers on, well thats what they said. The game was abandoned without a ball being bowled, elsewhere all other games in division 1 went ahead.

Early this week YM put in a formal appeal to the OCC (the powers that be who run Leinster cricket competitions) asking for the game to be re-fixed on the basis of poor pitch preparation, similar to the fiasco that occurred between Phoenix and Clontarf. That game was re-fixed and played after months of debate.

The OCC rejected it, saying it was the weather on Saturday that caused the game to be abandoned and it was to close to the final weekend of the season to get the game re-fixed.

YM then appealed to the executive last night (Thursday 1st) with the same reasoning, poor pitch preparation and not the weather. Again and I repeat all other division 1 games went ahead on Saturday, presumably because the groundsmen in the other clubs covered their wickets the night before.

We learnt of the executives decision this morning....
"At the executive meeting last night your appeal was discussed and it was decided that the decision of the OCC that the match between The Hills and YMCA should not be refixed that it was weather that prevented it from being played was upheld."

Is this any different to the Clontarf and Phoenix game?, there is no consistency here, but then again should we be surprised, the executive of Cricket Leinster continue to make poor decisions.
Recently they also banned numerous North County players for their unacceptable behaviour on the pitch towards the umpires. However, instead of hitting the North County club where it hurts, with a points deduction, they decided to suspend those players involved with game bans.
Problem was this has also affected other clubs particularly those who had already played North County. Teams who would go onto play North County played against a far weaker team with an obvious advantage. Was this fair?


YM are in a relegation dog-fight, however The Hills were in with a chance of the title. YM have suffered because of The Hills incompetence, should The Hills have been penalised, should YM have been given the points?

It is ironic that the predicted weather for the final weekend of the season might play a big part in the final shake-up of the league both top and bottom and spoil what has been a close and competitive league.
However, the executive of Leinster Cricket have a had a poor season too and their decisions have spoiled the season even more, any chance of them being relegated to the bench and getting some new blood into the top seats...?

Answers on an email to LeinsterCricket.ie...

This is NOT the view of the YMCA CC but of the YM Blog....