Carrickfergus 1st XI moved back into the top half of the Premier League after their first away win of the season on Saturday, a comfortable 51 run victory at Muckamore.
Carrick won the toss and batted first, but with the new ball seaming around early on they lost opener Harry Warke in the 5th over, and it was not until the 7th over that a run came off the bat. Iain Parkhill and Jack Burton then dug in and saw the fifty up for their side in the 19th over, before Parkhill became the second wicket to fall. Jamie Holmes then joined Burton, and the pair added a further 40 runs in 10 overs, before both were dismissed in quick succession, with Burton top scoring for Carrick with 44. Skipper Pat Botha then added a bit of momentum to the innings, with 39 runs off 43 balls including three sixes. Alex Haggan and Ryan Eagleson took the total past 150 in the 47th over, and at the end of their 50 overs, Carrick had progressed to 175 for 9, a determined effort in difficult batting conditions.
After the Muckamore openers Gordon and Stephenson gave them a positive start with 26 runs off 6 overs, Anthony Martin and Daniel Poulton sent both batsmen back to the pavilion in successive overs. With the score just past the fifty mark, Poulton claimed a second wicket when he had Magowan caught behind by Max Burton. The prolific Ifty Hussain was batting well and was then joined at the crease by the home side’s other danger man, Ryan Haire. The pair added a further 29 runs in 5 overs, when Ashwin Shetty struck the crucial blow for Carrick when he had Hussain caught at mid wicket for 32. He bowled Drummond in his next over, and then Pat Botha trapped the dangerous Haire lbw for 16. Captain Gill was then brilliantly run out going for second run by Jamie Holmes, to leave Muckamore in disarray at 99 for 7. Shetty then added to his earlier two wickets, with the remaining three wickets to give himself a well deserved five wicket haul, as Muckamore were all out for 124 in the 30th over.
