2013 LCU Open League structure

Renno

The new league structure is up on the site

http://www.cricketleinster.ie/news/occ-league-structure-for-2013

Eight new teams from new clubs and clubs that have only been in operation for a few years. Only one team dropping out (so far - Merrion have entered one less)

Comments appreciated!

TheDrog

Slightly worried about Lucan down in division 13, it seems very low for a new club given the performances of Greystones and Ring Commons last year and Dundalk the year before

Gordon Gecko

TheDrog wrote: »

Slightly worried about Lucan down in division 13, it seems very low for a new club given the performances of Greystones and Ring Commons last year and Dundalk the year before

It's a total joke. I think it'll be another case of handing a new club a division title to keep the fairytale of growing cricket in Leinster going. As a division 13 captain this year I won't hesitate to pressure my club into pulling my team from the league if there's any of last season's bull****.

djimi

Was Div 13 bad last season? Were in it next season having dropped from Div 11. Are Lucan expected to be strong, yeah?

Gordon Gecko

djimi wrote: »

Was Div 13 bad last season? Were in it next season having dropped from Div 11. Are Lucan expected to be strong, yeah?

Div 13 had Ring Commons who vociferously demanded to be put there after they were asked to play Div 10. They ended up walking the league, it was a total joke (one of their lads hitting a double ton in the process). So I'd be highly suspicious of these Lucan guys being of a Div 13 standard. The selfsame thing happened with Dundalk when they entered Div 11 a couple of seasons ago if I remember rightly.

I hope I'm wrong and they're a reasonable standard, but if it's another case of a free league title for a new club some action has to be taken to show the LCU that it's unacceptable doing this to lower division players - it makes what should be a fun, competitive league into an awful joke and really puts players off the sport.

djimi

Weve been on the recieving end of that a couple of times alright. I suppose part of the problem is that its hard to know where to put a team; the other side of the issue would be if you put a new team in div 10 only to find out that they are div 13 standard.

The thing with these teams is that its usually very obvious after a few weeks that they are far too good, and there needs to be a system whereby they can be moved up the leagues if it turns out that they have been placed too low.

Having been on the receiving end of a few kickings from teams like this in the past I will have no hesitation in not fulfilling fixtures I know are going to be of this nature if it comes to it. I have better things to do with my weekends than to spend 4 hours watching guys hitting every second ball onto the road en route to scoring 400...

crackit

I'll have to chime in with the lads here. Much better a team be put in 1 or 2 Divisions too high than too low. If they are a new club then surely they aren't going to give up just because they don't have it all their own way in their first season. In fact I think it would be fair to expect a tough auld time in your inaugural year.

Lads playing in the Division 9-14 range (which is what we're talking here) are recreational cricketers out to enjoy themselves at the weekend. They all play to win and try to win but as long as they have a good hard game they go home happy. Watching some bloke(s) who is clearly a half dozens below his level filling his boots all day and pumping up 300+ runs for his side then getting run over for 50 odd by some bandit bowling 35kph faster than anyone else at the level taking 7 for 20 is no fun. It's a waste of time for everyone involved.

Switching divisions is tough once the season starts but it needs to be done. I know of 3 clubs who had serious trouble getting an XI together to go and face Greystones last year because no one fancied spending their Saturday getting a hiding when they could do other things.

djimi

crackit wrote: »

I know of 3 clubs who had serious trouble getting an XI together to go and face Greystones last year because no one fancied spending their Saturday getting a hiding when they could do other things.

And therein lies the crux of the problem. I wont be doing it again this season, and Im the one whos supposed to be organizing the team! I have better things to do with my Saturday then get hockied off the park by a divison 7 team in what is supposed to be a division 13 fixture...

JudgeRoyBean

djimi wrote: »

And therein lies the crux of the problem. I wont be doing it again this season, and Im the one whos supposed to be organizing the team! I have better things to do with my Saturday then get hockied off the park by a divison 7 team in what is supposed to be a division 13 fixture...

Djimi, having played against you, you'll be fine against most in division 13, although I can't comment on Lucan. No disrespect to anybody, but it's a good feeder division to give some of the youngsters a chance. Just be careful bringing in players from your division six 2nds as you'll incur the wrath of some on here!

djimi

Yeah Im actually quite aware of starring down our 2nds next season; bit of a difference between 7->11 and 6->13 alright

Ah yeah no its just the new teams Im wary of really. In reality our div 13 team is a development team, and knowing the standard of some of these teams that get placed in too low a division Im a bit concerned about subjecting our younger players to the kind of hammering that I have suffered from these teams in the past. The rest of the division Im quite looking forward to though and hopefully well have some good competative games and give the young lads a good chance to develop.

JudgeRoyBean

I know where you're coming from but I think its difficult for the LCU to allocate new teams. They have to get the balance right between the possibility of a new team giving/getting a thumping each week. After Ring Commons last season I don't think the LCU will be railroaded by clubs quite so easliy in future into moving teams into what division they want to go to. If my memory serves me right Ring Commons were originally supposed to be in division 10 and requested division 13. Greystones have been moved up five divisions this year which is a hell of a leap considering what they did with Dundalk two years ago.
I don't know where Lucan will pull players from. Adamstown is pretty close and have added another team this season. You're not a million miles away and then you have Phoenix and CS just down the road.
Whatever happens it will be great fun again. Can't wait.

Firehen

I'm looking forward to it as well. Great to see clubs emerging in places like Longford and Offaly.

As a Division 14 player mainly, I'm glad to see what looks like a more balanced division in theory. Less teams in the league who would be able to/inclined to load their team with players better suited to much higher divisions.

I'm a little concerned that there are currently 10 teams in the division, though. I thought 9 was too many with a typical Irish summer, and I'm worried there'll be an even bigger difference in matches completed between teams. Was there any thought into making a 15th Division, considering the numbers are there (at the moment)?

Surprised to see Greystones jump so many divisions, but as a few have said, it's better than having them too low again.

TheDrog

Firehen wrote: »

Surprised to see Greystones jump so many divisions, but as a few have said, it's better than having them too low again.

my guess about greystones is that is was felt that they could do what dundalk did and perform just as well higher up. They have players who have played at that level and higher