Carrick lose to Instonians
Carrickfergus are still looking for their first Ulster Bank Premier League victory of the season, after going down by 4 wickets, in a much-improved performance than of late, against Instonians at Shaw’s Bridge on Sunday.
Carrick batted first and some hostile and accurate pace bowling saw them struggle to 26 for 3 after 14 overs. However Jamie Holmes and Indrajeet Kamtekar then led a recovery for their side, adding 94 runs in 25 overs, before Kamtekar was run out for 35. Holmes was again in fine form, completing an excellent fifty, before he was adjudged lbw to a ball he appeared to have hit with his bat for 62, which included seven fours and a six. By this time the score had reached 139 for 6 with five overs remaining. A rapid 29 off only 22 balls with three fours and two sixes from Alex Haggan, with good support coming from Jack Burton, saw Carrick reach a respectable total of 188 when the last wicket fell to the first ball of the 50th and final over.
Anthony Martin struck early for Carrick, sending both Inst opening batsmen back to the pavilion without scoring. However, new pro Iqbal and James Shannon then shared in a 63 run partnership before Alex Haggan took a sharp return catch off his own bowling to dismiss Iqbal for 27. Fellow Irish international Andrew White joined Shannon at the wicket, before Shannon was caught off a skier for 46 with the score just past the hundred mark. Eric Layard and White then put the result beyond doubt with a 74 run partnership during the course of the next 15 overs. Carrick claimed a couple of consolation wickets towards the end, but the experienced White was still there, unbeaten on 67, when his side passed the Carrick total in the 46th over.
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Carrick’s 2nd XI maintained their unbeaten league record with a 39 run victory over Woodvale II at Middle Road on Saturday. Carrick batted first and scored a relatively modest 165, batting only 34.4 of their 40 overs. Samuel Osborne top scored with 33, with good support in the middle order coming from Ashwin Shetty with 28 and Alex Haggan who scored 27. Woodvale in reply, struggled to 33 for 5 with Alex Haggan and Stephen Grant among the wickets. They recovered from this position with the rear-guard led by P Stewart, but they never really looked like threatening the Carrick total, and a couple of wickets each for Shetty and Burton and one for Richard Hood, saw them all out for 126 in the 36th over.
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Carrick’s 4th XI had a comfortable 89 run win over CSNI VI at Stormont on Sunday. A very youthful Carrick batted first and scored an impressive 180 for 4 in their 30 overs, with Max Burton top scoring with a fine innings of 70, well supported by Samuel Osborne, who scored 44, and Matt Campbell an unbeaten 28. In reply CSNI could only muster 91 runs, with skipper Glen Graham and Adam Crook each picking up 3 wickets, and Max Burton completing a good all round performance by taking two wickets.