Although what little domestic action we saw in the North West this weekend was pivotal for the clubs involved, the postponement of yet more league matches has created something of a concern for one or two as the season reaches a crucial stage.

Whilst the August 15 cut off point for full evening fixtures is no longer in the book there seems little chance of getting 120 overs in midweek at this stage and if that's the case, any outstanding league matches now will have to be squeezed in to Sundays.

The knock-on effect of course is yet more double header weekends in August for beleaguered players and officials which at this stage of proceedings is hardly ideal. Any more rain between now and the first week in September will create real problems too so once again we've managed to fly by the seat of our pants into the closing stages.

As for what has happened to the Intermediate T20 competition, well that is anyone's guess but with some sides still with 4 matches to play in their leagues, it looks a long way off this season. It has become increasingly clear that it is the inconsistency element that is getting to clubs and it is high time that we had rules in place that take the ambiguity out of various situations.

The Limavady v Donemana contest is a case in point and went from on to off so many times last week that the North West Management Committee was forced into session on Friday evening to decide what should happen. Both sides took a stance; the visitors adamant they had requested the game be postponed before the season started given the clash with the U-19 qualifiers while the hosts say they knew nothing about such a request.

The Union's decision to order the game to go ahead on Sunday provoked outrage at The Holm with the result that the players met on Saturday afternoon and voted not to travel. Donemana have also lodged a detailed protest and there is a sense that we may not have heard the end of this one just yet. There was a very similar situation between Bready seconds and Donemana seconds last month which appears to be unresolved at this stage and another one looming at the end of this month when Strabane are scheduled to be playing Bonds Glen on a date that the champions insist they had been assured would be kept free due to a club wedding.

It would be very unfair to blame anyone in particular since these are issues that could and probably should be resolved by the clubs themselves. If there has been an oversight in the fixtures then surely common sense can prevail between two parties but such is the competitiveness of our domestic league these days that steps now need to be taken to prevent these matters from spiralling out of control.

Regular readers of this column will know that we have been lamenting the apparent abandonment of the 8-day rule this summer and regardless of the phrasing or lack of it in the rule book the understanding has always been that postponed matches were re-arranged within 8 available days, or 10 if there was cup action involved.

The rule as it stands is a total nonsense therefore surely we would be much better served by something more direct, for example any game not completed on the scheduled day to be under way within 21 days or neither side gets any points. Not 21 available days, not 21 days minus granny's birthday but 21 days full stop. Furthermore, if a new date has not been agreed by the clubs after 14 days then one will be set for them by the fixture secretary.

There's no ambiguity in there and everyone knows where they stand but time will tell whether or not that would be too sensible. As for clubs looking to keep particular dates free, surely these should be ratified officially by email. Club secretary emails fixture secretary to make the request which is then either approved or rejected by return email.

If the request is made before the official fixtures are published then it should be no problem but any date after that would obviously require the agreement of the other club. Any party unhappy with the decision has the subsequent right to put their case to the management committee.

And on the subject of possible rule changes it now looks certain that the North West will be asked to consider a number of requests relating to start times and durations of matches. We noted recently that Division 2 clubs were almost unanimous that they wanted matches outside of the senior cup cut to 40 overs per side. Clubs also seem keen to see an end put to midweek league matches insofar as possible and to have their cup matches scheduled for Sundays.

Granted the cup games on Sundays is a slightly different issue but there are now so few that don't play Sunday cricket that it might be easier to get around than was the case before. At a rough estimate however we have around 20 available Saturdays in the regular season and of you take 5 of them out for the senior cup that leaves 15.

Division 2 clubs currently play 14 league games in a season therefore there seems no need whatever to look to schedule league games on a Sunday or through the week. I realise that is a very simplistic view so if other tournaments or holidays dictate otherwise on the odd occasion then fair enough but by and large there seems no reason why it wouldn't work.

Start times for Division 1 clubs looks likely to put in a guest appearance too only this time with the proviso that 12 o'clock starts are considered from 1 July onwards to accommodate anyone involved in schools cricket. Just a reminder to anyone looking to have rule change requests considered however that these have to be emailed to the North West secretary no later than 31 August.

And so to the weekend's on-field issues and Saturday's defeat at the Rectory has left Eglinton on very shaky ground going into the next fortnight with an away game at Limavady before their absolutely crunch match at Bonds Glen. It had all seemed a lot easier for Andy Christie's side earlier in the season but since their home win against the Bee Gees the wheels have totally left the wagon.

The same thing happened last year when the villagers had all their eggs in one basket against St Johnston and managed to survive but there's a nervy feel to this one, especially as Gary Hamilton's side are a different proposition on their own patch. These are certainly testing times at Eglinton where relegation would be little short of a disaster.

The Bee Gees took a bit of a pummelling themselves at home to Fox Lodge on Sunday so the pressure could well be getting to them too of course but it's really starting to look as though they're now just eyeing each other up for survival.

And Brigade's Bob Kerr Irish Senior Cup heroics came to an end on Sunday too when they were outpointed by Waringstown. Much has been made of the batting surface at Beechgrove and I only wish you could have seen Kyle McCallan's face when he came off for a drink with his side 63 for 3 after 25 overs.

The former Ireland International took all of his players into the changing rooms at the drinks interval and is widely believed to have told them that 130 would win it. Unfortunately for North West fans he was correct in that assessment, however Brigade can't really blame the pitch for some of their dismissals.

In the end no Brigade player made 20 and from the 22 players to have a bat, Jonathan Bushe's 41 was by far the best. I don't know if that is to do with the pitch or the players fear of the pitch, but it is obviously one of the two.

What has to be said of the Beechgrove club however is the fact that they really laid on a show on Sunday and that renowned North West hospitality was in full glare. Bertie Faulkner deserves real credit for pulling out all the stops to welcome their guests although that will have been of little consolation to him on Sunday evening.