This week I publicly criticised the standard of cricket in the NCU. This wasn't done to have a go at any one person or any club in particular but simply to highlight the need to recognise this fact. Roy Harrison has told every NCU AGM I can remember that standards are getting worse. But because nobody wanted to listen to his solution (banning the pros) they paid no heed to his message.

Earlier this season I said that the NCU would have a poor ISC. For many years now this competition has ranked low down the list of priorities of NCU clubs. I don't fully understand why. But the net result of mentally downgrading the competition has masked the decline in standards.

Other Unions have always given this competition a higher value. North West clubs have always loved beating opposition teams in the ISC and they use it as a yardstick for their cricket.

Growing up in the Maiden City I am well aware of the sense that many feel a little bit hard done by over the years when it comes to representative sport. There is no doubt they believe that there is bias towards Belfast for Ulster sport and a combination of Belfast and Dublin for Ireland sport. ‘West of the Bann' is how sporting injustices are proclaimed with a shrug of the shoulders from North West folk. A recent look at the Ulster Schools team underlines that perception with only one North West representative. It really doesn't matter whether it was justified or not. Had there been 5 in the team we would have felt they must have been miles better than anyone else or they wouldn't have been picked. It's a bit like British boxers going to the United States; you have to knock the Yanks out to get a draw!

This sense of detachment, either consciously or subconsciously is the reason why so many talented North West sportsmen do not have the success they deserve. They don't feel comfortable in the national environment. The combination of a sense of injustice with an inherent stubborn streak causes them to clash with authority. It is a problem that Irish cricket should try to address somehow because there is a rich vein of talent that is largely untapped. Better a rough diamond than a lump of coal, I say.

Because North West cricket has grown up with its own unique leagues, grounds, culture and heritage, its cricket has its own style. The clubs are part of the community. Many of the cricket clubs are closely associated with the linen industry and often the villages have a cricket ground but no football pitch, rugby pitch or gaelic pitch. Thus North West cricket has been able to transcend both social class and religious differences that has been more difficult in other Unions largely based on the grammar schools.

Geographically the region is smaller too. There are more cricket clubs within a ten mile radius of the centre of L'derry than any other city in the UK. It means that matches between clubs in the North West matter. It isn't one set of school old boys against another set of school old boys. Almost every game is a local derby. It is a clash of cultures and communities for the bragging rights that will last all winter.

Therefore ISC and Ulster Cup matches represent an opportunity to tweak the noses of clubs in the NCU and LCU. (One NCU contributor to the forum described the cricketers of the North West as ‘hillbillies'). North West cricket is a product that is popular with its own market but they still like to see where it stands against the rest of Ireland. The only time they have cried foul was when they couldn't use their Professionals and competed against Leinster clubs riddled with ex-Professionals now passed off as locals.

The NCU has never needed the ISC to assess its standing. The biggest Union by far it has always been confident of its own superiority. The early years of the competition were dominated by NCU clubs. Dublin YMCA might have given you a match and a draw away from home to the North West could be tricky but otherwise it was plain sailing. Thus the ISC for NCU clubs came after the league and the Challenge Cup. For many in the NCU the attitude of indifference to the competition continued long after their clubs domination came to an end. Weakened teams were fielded especially away from home and the resulting defeats were explained thus. For NCU sides new competitions like the 20/20 and the ClubTurf pushed the ISC into fifth place on the priority list.

With the demise of the Inter-Provincial competition the Irish Senior Cup has now become the competition where not only are the clubs strength assessed but the Union they came from. The NCU needs to realise the fact that in recent years their clubs performances have been very disappointing. Even if your club won't win the competition they need to try and beat the side they face in the first round. Like it or not you are representing your Union. A change of attitude to this competition is the first step to improving standards.

Secondly there needs to be a change in emphasis. Many on the NCU board have never played senior cricket. A lot of discussion takes place about the scrubbing of fixtures down the leagues and what on earth are we going to do about Section 4?

Who cares? Section 4 clubs come and go, and as a matter of routine withdraw from the leagues halfway through a season. In the case of one club it is usually before the season starts but after the fixtures have been published. Because there is no relegation they suffer no consequence for their actions and can still call themselves Senior clubs. Cut them loose. If they can't fulfil their fixtures downgrade them to Junior clubs and relegate them. The emphasis should be on using the resources available to help the clubs in the top two flights of NCU cricket become competitive not the bottom two. It is a classic case of the tail wagging the dog.

Thirdly the top 2 flights need to cut to 16 teams consisting of two leagues of 8. What talent there is in the NCU is spread far too thinly. Representative teams should be picked only from those two leagues. Less scheduled fixtures should mean more room for rearrangements. As a result full strength teams will be more common and matches will be tougher. The Challenge Cup should be limited to these clubs and the Professionals allowed to compete.

Finally the 20/20 competition should be an Under 23 competition without the Professionals. It should be a serious competition with decent prize money. This will give every club the incentive to produce good young cricketers and give them a proper opportunity to showcase their talent.

Putting these measures into place won't have an immediate impact but it will put the NCU back on the road to recovery.