The annual debate between the North West and Northern Cricket Union has kicked off as people have nothing to do but watch the rain. A quick look at the various competitions will tell you nothing.

The Ulster Cup was dominated by NCU clubs in 2009 with an excellent final played out between CSNI and North Down. Five of the North West sides were out by the first round and they were all out by the next. However three sides that perished in the first round were Waringstown, Limavady and Donemana who are 3 of the better teams.

Donemana fell at the first hurdle to CSNI at Stormont in a high quality match. CSNI have been erratic this season and their early season form was sporadic at best but this was a fine win. For Donemana though this tells you little about them as a side. They lost at the same stage in 2008 to Bangor but they have now reached their second consecutive ISC Final. In my eyes Donemana has got the two competitions prioritised in the right order.
Ryan Haire recently said that the Ulster Cup is fine competition and it would be shame to lose it. I agree. Many in English football have said the same about the Carling Cup.

This competition (Ulster Cup) has been running 10 years now and each Union has won the competition five times each. However the much anticipated final showdown between a North West side and an NCU side has only happened twice with Lisburn defeating Donemana in 2000 and North Down defeating Limavady in 2006. There have been 5 all NW finals and 3 all NCU finals.

In the ISC the North West had a horrendous year with 8 of their teams crashing out in the first round of matches. However Limavady and Donemana went on to the semi finals and set up an intriguing possibility of an all North West final.

Limavady must be distraught at not doing so and have only themselves to blame. They timed their chase all wrong and eventually lost out to Leinster by 8 runs in a Duckworth Lewis calculation. In my opinion they were the best team of the 4 semi-finalists but have messed up in the past when expected to win. I gave a rueful smile when I read that ‘Decker' had been given out lbw in Dublin in a semi-final and had not been happy with the decision. Not much has changed in that regard except that nowadays the ball hits his pad a bit more often.

I remember we were chatting to big Henderson Wallace when the Grasshoppers were in Barbados in 2005 and he was talking about the same Desmond ‘Decker' Curry. Of course Hendy had to tell his story first about how he had hit Decker for 42 in one over with a no-ball sailing out of the ground along with the other 6. I think in those days you didn't get the extra run if you scored off it. But he went on to say how he was amazed that the Ireland selectors didn't show more faith in the lad's ability and recalled a conversation he had with one selector who shall remain nameless.

'Why won't you pick Decker?' asked Hendy.

'He hits across the line' answered the selector.

'Yeah but he doesn't miss it' says Hendy.

Short pause.

'He'll be found out at the higher level' says the selector.

'You mean like Viv Richards?' says Hendy.

Long pause before selector walks off.

The NCU had a disappointing ISC with four sides making it through to the second round and six falling at the first hurdle. It wasn't too much longer that all of the NCU sides were out of the ISC. It is now seven years going back to 2002 since an NCU side even managed to make a semi-final when Downpatrick lost to Rush. It is eight since they had a finalist in Cliftonville in 2001. It is now 14 years since North Down won the Irish Cup for the NCU defeating Bready at Comber.

A hard look at the statistics relating to that competition can reveal a lot. In my mind this is the Premier competition between clubs in the island of Ireland. This is where the true comparisons can be made between NCU and NWCU clubs since there is little to choose between the regions in the Ulster Cup.

In the NCU barren period since 1995 there has been 6 NW winners. The NCU has managed 2 losing finalists and NW clubs have lost 4 finals. Depending on the Donemana versus Leinster result on the 4th of September 2009 the score will either be 7-0 and 4-2 to the North West or 6-0 and 5-2 to the North West. That would be a pretty comprehensive win over two legs in a football match.

To get into a position to win the ISC you must deep into the competition and there has been only 5 NCU losing semi-finalists since 1995. In that period the North West has had 9 teams lose out in the semi-finals. Three of the NCU clubs who have reached ISC semi-finals in that time now play in Section 2. Calling it a barren time for NCU clubs is an understatement.

To write the NCU off however would be a mistake. Many of the exciting young talents emerging in Irish cricket right now are coming from the Northern Union. Paul Stirling, James Shannon, James Hall, Rory McCann, Gavin McKenna, Gary Kidd and Lee Nelson have all got bright futures in the game. There is also the immigration effect where the NCU has started to benefit from players born overseas now playing cricket here. For example, CSNI with Regan West and Nigel Jones are a much more difficult proposition than without.

Finally I do believe that the NCU has turned a corner. There finally seems to be recognition that the ISC is the competition by which you are measured. Cricket in the region has improved this season. The clubs also have taken steps to ensure a tougher more competitive league. Two up and two down has had a mobilising effect on clubs in the lower divisions and the NCU is likely to introduce an 8 team top flight in the very near future once they can establish a method of reducing the leagues in a fair manner. This will make for harder cricket.

When you look at the top flight of the North West it is plain to see that there are three teams at bottom of the league who are very weak. In my opinion none of them would survive in the NCU. Only one of them will be relegated out of the North West and this ensures that there will be plenty of easy fixtures for the remaining North West teams in 2010. I don't believe that is good for the Union.

Clubs like Eglinton and Fox Lodge can enjoy their cricket every year without threatening to win anything or ever go down. Brigade have been given time to ride out a recession. Bready who have loads of potential have become soft due to too many easy wins. The North West desperately needs an eight team Section 1 but if they can't get 1pm starts changed then it won't happen.

That is one of the reasons that Limavady and Donemana enjoy the challenge of the ISC, because it IS a challenge. In the North West, when it really matters, they flex their muscles and everyone rolls over. That's why a league title for Strabane would be good for North West cricket just to break up the monopoly and give some other clubs some belief. Can't see it happening though, can you?

However the best way to settle an argument for me would be to have an Ulster League. The top 5 clubs from the NCU and the top 5 from the North West would make up an Ulster Premier League and the bottom 5 from each Union making up Premier league 2. The rest of the clubs would play on a regional basis with two relegated out of UPL 2 and replaced by the top NCU side and the top NW side.

Bearing in mind that Bangor is already relegated and likely to be joined by Woodvale, I've assumed their places are taken by Lurgan and Downpatrick. I'm guessing St. Johnston would replace Coleraine in the North West. If you look at those fixtures in the UPL1 there isn't a poor match at any location. Now that's what the public want to see if we are going to rejuvenate the game here. Bigger fixtures, better cricket, bigger crowds, better atmosphere, bigger turnover, better prize money would be features of an Ulster league. Bigger and better, you can't argue with that!

UPL 1: Limavady, North Down, Strabane, Waringstown, Donemana, Instonians, Bready, Lisburn, Fox Lodge, CSNI.

UPL 2: Carrickfergus, Brigade, Ballymena, Eglinton, CIYMS, Glendermott, Lurgan, Killymallaght, Downpatrick, St. Johnston.

For what they are worth here are my predictions:

UPL 1: Winners - Limavady. Relegated – Fox Lodge
UPL 2: Winners –Brigade. Relegated – Killymallaght, St. Johnston

Strangely all are North West teams which kind of sums up where we are right now. North West cricket is stronger at the top and weaker at the bottom and the NCU is somewhere in between.