Carrickfergus Cricket Club 1st XI completed a season’s double over reigning Premier League champions Waringstown, with a 63 run victory at Middle Road on Saturday.
The visitors won the toss and after being asked to bat first in cloudy conditions, Carrick openers Jack Burton and Iain Parkhill took the edge off a lively opening attack with a steady partnership of 53 runs in 16 overs. After they were dismissed, a brilliant innings of 75 from Jamie Holmes followed, as he and Pat Botha added 79 runs for the 4th wicket. Holmes’ runs came off only 73 balls and contained 4 fours and 3 sixes, and when he became the 4th Carrick wicket to fall, the total had reached 167, with eleven overs still remaining. In the end, Carrick managed a respectable 218 for 9 in their 50 overs.
Waringstown’s openers took 42 off the first 10 overs, before both were caught behind by Michael Gilmour in successive Alex Haggan overs. With Haggan bowling with hostility, and spinners Pat Botha also among the wickets, Waringstown were reduced to 73 for 6 after 24 overs. A stubborn partnership of 41 runs in 13 overs between McCallan and McClean held up proceedings for a while, but only delayed the inevitable. With the re-introduction of Matthew McCord into the attack, the stand was soon broken, and Waringstown were eventually dismissed for 155 in the 47thover, to give Carrick what was in the end a comfortable win. Alex Haggan picked up 4 wickets, while Pat Botha had three victims, Matthew McCord two, and Ryan Eagleson the remaining one.
