'Batsmen are the darlings of the committees; bowlers are cricket's labourers.'
Don Bradman

I'm glad the greatest batsman of all time said those words because he is absolutely right. Any good captain will tell you that a top bowler or two in your side makes a world of difference but they go largely unappreciated. When a bowler takes a 5 wicket haul it is often times dismissed as a bit 'lucky' but when a batsman gets a hundred he is hailed as a sort of demi-god. NCU Awards are given out when a bowler takes a 6 wicket haul and when a batsman gets a hundred but the number of batting awards vastly outnumbers bowling awards particularly in the top sections due to the better quality pitches. Therefore it is fair to say that a five or six wicket haul is a hell of a lot harder to achieve than a hundred.

Over the years a series of successive rule changes have been made all designed to make life easier for a batsman. Limitation of bowlers overs to maximum of 10, leg side wides and strict interpretation of off side wides, ever more fielding restrictions designed for batsmens benefit and limitation of short pitched bowling have all combined to make a bowlers lot not a happy one.

Therefore I'm delighted to produce a ranking system that takes into account all of the factors that makes a good bowler. In limited overs cricket you need at least 5 bowlers in your team. Therefore in a match where every delivery counts then it is important to recognise that it is not just wicket taking deliveries that distinguish the true bowler but the ability to consistently produce 'dot' balls.

In a similar way to the batting rankings it is the players who are there every week who score the highest but with bonuses for 5 wicket hauls, maiden overs and frugal economy rates as well as wickets it produces a ranking that I think is a fairly accurate reflection of who is doing the business for their clubs. What is interesting that the top teams all have good statistics proving that bowlers succeed best as a unit. It makes performances like Ryan Eagleson's all the more impressive as he is carrying an attack.

I will update the bowling rankings regularly as the season progresses but for now the first list is one based on 2008 performances. I have included the players who are in Section 1 in 2009 and any returning overseas professionals. As a paid up member of the off spinning union I am delighted that Marty Moreland is leading the rankings.

1 M Moreland North Down 1619
2 R Eagleson Carrick 1614
3 A Coulter CSNI 1547
4= P Connell North Down 1544
4= E Moleon Inst 1544
6 R West CSNI 1528
7 S Harrison W'town 1471
8 N Jones CSNI 1439
9 T Khan North Down 1438
10 J Costain CSNI 1373
11 D Heasley CIYMS 1369
12 A Cowden Carrick 1294
13 D Simpson Lisburn 1291
14 Y Tillekaratne Bangor 1267
15 G McKenna North Down 1253
16 K McCallan W'town 1235
17 P McCrum CIYMS 1197
18 C Andrews CSNI 1190
19 R Coetzee North Down 1135
20 G Strydom Lisburn 1125