DIRECTION REQUIRED IF 8-DAY COLLISION IS TO BE AVOIDED

It’s probably time to park the ongoing disciplinary hot potato for a while now after an extended recent outing and concentrate on cricket matters as the Billy Henderson Properties league season moved into the second half at the weekend.

Obviously most clubs still have matches outstanding from the front nine given the weather thus far but fingers crossed those will be mopped up in the coming week and we will have a more accurate picture of where we're at in terms of league placement.

The bee in the bonnet this week actually involves rain affected matches because I believe the North West has made something of a rod for their own back over that issue since the start of this messy season.

Despite no official announcement it is apparent that the “8-day” rule has been pushed aside and yet despite the merits of overlooking it, the whole thing appears to have just been left to chance.

Just to clarify the situation, we have a rule in our book that any league games washed out on the original date can be replayed at any time in the next available 8 days. The “available” bit can be something of a smokescreen at times but there is a very real danger that unless the rule is formally abandoned and the decision ratified, that it could come back to haunt us.

You will remember that the 2009 season ended in complete shenanigans when a rule change that hadn’t been formally ratified was introduced towards the end of the season. The matter avoided court by the skin of teeth but the lessons it appears have not been learned.

It is absolutely no reflection on the clubs involved but Donemana’s game with Fox Lodge finished on 6 July having originally been scheduled for 28 May and the Holm side’s match with Limavady scheduled for 5 June has still not been played some six weeks later.

It’s all well and good while the clubs are in full agreement but does anybody believe that if two teams go into the last week of the season locked together on points at the bottom of the league and one of them pulls a rabbit from the hat by looking to play a game abandoned months earlier that no-one will notice?

It's a similar situation at the top and its fair to say that the same courtesy will now have to be extended to the rest of the teams if the second half of the season is rain affected. The 8-day rule is in the book and therefore has to be either applied or taken out and if a decision has been taken to write it off then the clubs need to be told.

Anything else could leave yet another fine mess as a season that could turn out to be as good as any reaches its climax.

On the subject of rules it is worth noting by the way that any proposed changes need to be with the North West Secretary before the end of August and I would suggest that this year we need to do some soul searching before then.

No doubt the elite 8-team league idea will be back on the table this winter because if we don't adopt it before 2012 we could miss out. Many here believe that we've been missing out for a while now anyway and despite the efforts and availability of clubs like Eglinton and Bready the North West remains persona non gratis for the big Internationals.

There may be some merit in that although we might have a chance if the goalposts stopped moving, however it seems an awful shame that despite huge investment at Magheramason in particular, the ground is still not deemed fit for the whole job. In expecting CricketIreland to look to join the dots this winter it could be the right time to point out one or two anomalies and get any redress measures confirmed in writing.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with having all the Unions in together, indeed it makes perfect sense to have it that way, just so long as they are all treated equally and seen to be so. Hopefully the issue of 12 o'clock starts will also get a full airing this year and not be condemned without trial in a side room before the meeting even takes place.

And recognising that its easy to point the finger without offering any positives we might like to consider the appointment of a liaison committee or at least a liaison officer for the North West. At present clubs feel they have nowhere to turn if they have issues with their schedule or maybe umpiring matters.

How hard would it be to have one or two individuals who could meet with the North West executive or come and speak to the Umpires committee even once a month so that any festering issues could be resolved?

In terms of discipline we still remain cloak and dagger as well. Regardless of the rights and wrongs of the Limavady versus Instonians hearing you certainly can't fault the way the outcome was handled.

Cricket Ireland reached a verdict, notified the club(s), (and the Umpires Association) and then issued a short statement confirming the outcome. There may well be a leaf in that book that we could easily replicate.

Finally today, despite those issues it is wonderful to note that on the field, North West cricket is alive and well. Donemana pulled off a stunning win at Ballymagorry last week and then topped it with one twice as good at home to Strabane at the weekend.

Their cup final opponents also bared their teeth at the Rectory after an indifferent couple of weeks as Roy Silva and Steven Clarke swapped impressive centuries while up at Ballymagorry, Iftikhar Hussain and Chris Dougherty gave a batting master-class.

Their 331-run partnership was essential viewing and all the more impressive given that it came against a bowling attack that would be in the top three in the league. Brigade are preparing to host Waringstown in the semi-final of the Bob Kerr Irish Senior Cup next month and if they show this type of form they would have every chance against the Belfast side, likely to be without the services of the superb Obus Pienaar.

The top of the Billy Henderson Properties table is now chock-a-block with contenders which means an intriguing last half for the rest of us to enjoy. And on a superb weekend of cricket it was fitting that the only senior team still to claim a league win this season finally got points on the board as Burndennett posted their landmark victory.

It has been a horribly difficult season for a club that up until last year was a major threat to all in the annual promotion race. They lost the spine of the side through the winter and at one stage recently it even looked as though they may be forced to fold before the season ended; however on Saturday they travelled to the home of promotion chasing Drummond and put one over on Gordon Cooke's men fairly and squarely.

It may have been some time coming but the win was celebrated in grand style by Stephen McCay and his boys and hopefully now they will be able to build from this. The North West doesn't need to lose any more clubs so maybe Burndennett can nick a few more points here and there that will lift the heads a bit and allow them to re-group in the winter.

It's time to enjoy the last lap of the domestic season and the best of luck to those chasing trophies or goals between now and then. We have a lot of talking to do come the Autumn.