There will be a fantasy league table this week (to be published Wednesday morning), but it is truncated due to limited time and due to my eldest daughter’s 21st birthday. There are at least two things guaranteed to make you realise just how old you really are. One is your body’s reaction to the first game of the season and the other is when daughters have their 21st birthday parties. Youth is so wasted on the young isn’t it? Anyhow, between preparations, the event and most worrying, the aftermath, there will be no in depth analysis of performances on the cricket fields of Leinster; although there may be some analysis of performance on the dance-floor.
Now, onto this weeks Mr. Grumpy and some thoughts on sportsmanship. The source of so much, and sometimes even correct, information Wikipedia covers the subject of sportsmanship with these words. Sportsmanship is an aspiration or ethos that a sport or activity will be enjoyed for its own sake, with proper consideration for fairness, ethics, respect, and a sense of fellowship with one's competitors. In general, sportsmanship refers to virtues such as fairness, self-control, courage, and persistence, and has been associated with interpersonal concepts of treating others and being treated fairly, maintaining self-control if dealing with others, and respect for both authority and opponents. Sportsmanship is also looked at as being the way one reacts to a sport/game/player.
Sunday I had the good fortune to attend the Bob Kerr All-Ireland Cup semi-final between Pembroke and Waringstown in Sydney Parade. You will read elsewhere of the game itself and how Waringstown qualified for the final. I’d recommend Alistair Bushe’s report which describes how “Waringstown reach Irish Cup Final after win over gallant Pembroke”.
Alistair describes how Waringstown professional Ruhan Pretorious hit a second consecutive Irish Cup century to dash Pembroke’s hopes. However it was the manner of his dismissal which demonstrated the fine sportsmanship you hope to see in all forms of the game. Entering the final overs Ruhan received a delivery which went through to the keeper and no appeal was forthcoming from bowler or keeper. No obvious noises had been heard, however, Ruhan must have felt something as he immediately walked. It did cause some confusion in the crowd at first, but as his intentions became clear he received a standing ovation from both sets of supporters as he left the field. Perhaps Waringstown’s supporters were saluting a fine, and what turned out to be a match winning, century, but I like to think both sets of supporters were celebrating his sportsmanship.
The Waringstown supporters had arrived en masse in two buses down from Craigavon (driven by exceptionally patient drivers, judging on the departures) and set themselves up along the famous Pembroke Wall. They cheered; they clapped and applauded good play from both sides. It obviously helps when your team is victorious, but they were all a credit to their club. It was noted by more than one person that the area they occupied was probably cleaner after the day than it had been beforehand. It was a joy to host them; and their club take the best wishes of Pembroke for the Final.
By contrast in Division 13 on Saturday as we trudged from the pitch having failed to defend our inadequate total it was disappointing that the behaviour of some of the opposition players fell below what I would consider basic standards of sportsmanship. Whilst the victorious batsmen and the umpires shook hands with the fielding team, the remaining players on the sideline stayed sitting on the ground in their huddle and did not rise to shake hands with their vanquished foe as they left the field. This had not been a contentious game or a game with flashpoints. There had been no disputes between the teams and the game had been played in a fine spirit, but this snub at the conclusion did put a dampener on things. This is not to disparage all of the players, but those who did not deem it necessary to acknowledge their opponents.
Saturday evening, there was an exceptionally jolly evening in Phoenix Cricket Club as they celebrated 40 years since the first Women’s game of the modern era, between Phoenix and Dublin University. Many players from the past 40 years attended and there was much to catch up on for them. Faces were recognised, names put to them and the banter began. Phoenix hosted in a superb fashion with the bar complimenting the Hog Roast and keeping all fed and watered. Barbara Schmidt, who was the first female President in Irish cricket (to my knowledge and certainly the first female President in The Park), and Helen Caird did a wonderful job in facilitating the event and ensuring the smooth running of it. I am sure there were many more involved and congratulations to one and all.
This coming weekend sees the attempt to set a New World Record and your chance to create an entry in the world famous Guinness Book of Records. Monies raised will be given to the Lords Taverner’s charity and help support the great work they do. All that is needed is people willing to bounce a ball on a cricket bat along with as many other people as possible. It really is that simple. Just turn up to Sydney Parade (home of Pembroke CC), preferably with a bat or two, but definitely with as many friends as you can muster and take part. Details can be found at www.cricketwra.com and we will see as many of you as possible there.
Finally this week, “what grinds my gears”. This week’s moan is a small one and undoubtedly one that certainly Michael Sharp, who remains “The Oracle” to me and many others, has seen and heard time and time again.
Why is it that in the lower leagues the league positions are decided by percentage? Would it not be better if all leagues were decided by points? Coming to the end of a season, under the percentage method teams may be unwilling to re-arrange fixtures in fear of losing and decreasing their percentage. If they have already played the team once, is there any incentive to re-fix games? Surely the objective is to play as much cricket as possible and to reward those clubs that make that effort?
In Division 7 Pembroke’s team sits in 5th place with a percentage of 54.33, however due to having played 12 of their 14 games, they actually have more points than all other teams, including league leaders Merrion who are 26% ahead but 22 points behind albeit with two games in hand.
Division 8 sees YMCA top with their percentage of 63.56 garnered from 143 points in 11 games including two No Results. Leinster CC are third having played a game less than the leaders, but with more points, 149.
A similar situation exists in Division 9 with the team with the most points not being the league leaders, whilst The Hills have the second fewest points in the league but sit in fourth place. Further down the leagues it is only in divisions 15 and 16 where Civil Service and Carlow are dominating their Division that it does not matter whether it is points or percentages. It would possibly encourage sides to fulfil fixtures knowing they will gain points by winning, but will not undermine their league position by losing and decreasing the percentage.
It’s a short rant this week and no doubt Michael Sharp or some other member of the OCC will corner me over the coming days and put me straight, again.
In other posts you will have no doubt read Eddie Lewis’ column on T20 cricket. If you haven’t, do so soon and don’t be afraid to put your own thoughts forward.