Carrick progress in Challenge Cup
Carrickfergus Cricket Club 1st XI progressed to the quarter finals of the Ulster Bank Challenge cup, with a 73 run win over Downpatrick at Middle Road on Saturday.
Carrick batted first, and former Coleraine opener Jon Ring, on his Middle Road debut, led the way with a fine innings of 55. When he became the third Carrick wicket to fall, in an attempt to push the scoring rate along, his side had reached 90 for 3 off 28 overs. Accurate bowling from Dale Mullan and Ross Boultwood meant that Ryan Eagleson and Alex Haggan for a while fared no better, and only 20 runs were added in the next dozen overs. However, the last ten overs transformed the Carrick innings, as Eagleson and in particular, Haggan moved it up a gear. After taking 13 balls to get off the mark, Haggan raced to a superb 50 off only 31 further deliveries, and when he was finally bowled in the last over of the innings, he had scored 67 off 51 balls, including six 6’s and four 4’s. Eagleson gave him excellent support, with an unbeaten 45 runs in a 4th wicket partnership of 112. With the innings restricted to 49 overs due to a couple of rain delays, Carrick’s 206 for 4, became a Duckworth Lewis target score of 214 for the visitors.
Downpatrick started well, and with Amit Patil and then, Paul Tate and Craig Boultwood all among the runs, they were looking good at 95 for 2 at the 25 over drinks interval. Indrajeet Kamtekar then made the vital breakthrough when he bowled Tate for 37. A wicket for Stephen Grant and another from Kamy reduced the visitors to 113 for 5, and when Ryan Eagleson bowled Boultwood for 46, the game was as good as over. Carrick finished it off in the 45th over, when the last wicket fell to Jamie Holmes on 140, to give Carrick what was in the end a comfortable victory and a place in the quarter finals.
Alex Haggan received a deserved Man of the Match award from former Downpatrick and Ireland captain Alfie Linehan at the end of the game.
Wins for Carrick 2nds and 4ths
Carrick’s newly promoted 2nd and 4th XI’s opening league fixtures of the season suggest that they will be more than comfortable at the higher level, with both recording very convincing victories on Saturday.
The 2nd XI travelled the play last season’s Junior 2 runner-up at Ballygomartin Road, and a youthful Carrick side had a resounding 95 run victory over their more experienced opponents. A superb unbeaten innings of 75 by 16 tear old Samuel Osborne led the way for Carrick as they scored an impressive 224 for 5 in their 40 overs. Osborne received excellent support from Jack Burton who hit 33, Adam Fittis and Craig Hamilton who both scored 31, and John Kane with 28.
Woodvale were never in the hunt and were all out for 129, with only former Carrick veteran Joie Campbell with 29 making a meaningful contribution. Alastair Burton took 3 wickets for Carrick, with son Jack taking 2 to secure 4 points for their side
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Carrick’s 4th XI were victors by a margin of 62 runs over Laurelvale 3rds at Beltoy. After struggling to 30 for 5, 15 year old Sam Lilburn on his debut scored an unbeaten 37, and skipper Glen Graham hit 23, to give Carrick a more respectable 126 for 7 at the end of their 25 overs. Faced with some accurate Carrick bowling Laurelvale struggled to 64 for 8 at the end of their 25 overs, with skipper Stewart scoring 30 of these. Stewart McCormack who took 3 for 13, and James McMahon-Beattie with 2 for 7 were Carrick’s most successful bowlers.
Burton hundred ensures victory for 3rds
A brilliant innings of 106 by 16 year old Jack Burton made it a clean sweep of victories for Carrick sides at the weekend as the 3rd XI romped home to a 115 run victory over CSNI IV at Stormont on Sunday. Burton’s hundred together with 58 from Bradley Luney and an unbeaten 37 from Max Burton saw Carrick post a formidable 228 for 3 in their 30 overs. The home side in reply were bowled out for 113.
