Carrick lose out to defending champions

CARRICK suffered an eight-wicket defeat at the hands of defending Ulster Bank Premier League champions and current leaders North Down at Middle Road on Saturday.

After losing the toss and being invited to bat first, Jordan McClurkin dominated the early overs with a fluent innings of 40 runs which included seven boundaries, and at 69 for two after 16 overs Carrick looked well placed for a good total. However, they then lost McClurkin and Jamie Holmes off successive deliveries from Taimur Khan.

Skipper Ross Gelderbloem then joined Michael Gilmour at the wicket and the pair kept the momentum going, adding a further 60 runs in the space of just 11 overs before the in-form Gilmour was stumped for a fluent 38. Gelderbloem looked in good touch before he succumbed to a brilliant catch by Moran at cover for 35, to reduce Carrick to 136 for six after 32 overs.

Ryan Eagleson and Iain Parkhill faced a rebuilding job and the innings for a while lost some of its momentum as a result, with spinner Ryan Haire in particular putting a brake on things by bowling his 10 overs for only 15 runs in the middle of the innings. The Carrick pairing soon got it moving along again and featured in the most profitable partnership of the innings. They took the total past the 200 mark in the 46th over and when Eagleson was bowled for 40 they had shared in a partnership of 75 runs.

With overs fast running out Parkhill soon followed him, stumped for 24. A few good shots from Alex Haggan in the closing overs enabled Carrick to reach a respectable total of 232 for eight at the end of their 50 overs. This could, and probably should have been more had one of the batsmen gone on to play a major innings, but some careless shots meant that nobody managed to do this and the feeling was that the total was a bit light given the perfect batting conditions and the Comber men’s formidable line-up.

Neil Russell and youngster Alistair Shields got the North Down reply off to a great start, seeing the 50 up in just the 11th over. Anthony Martin then got the much needed breakthrough for Carrick, when after tying the big-hitting Russell up for a couple of overs he tempted him into an unwise shot and he spooned a catch to Gilmour at mid-wicket. Ryan Haire replaced him and he and Shields played sensibly, putting away the bad ball and moved steadily towards their target. They saw the hundred up in the 23rd over, and by the time they saw the 200 up in the 40th over, the game was over as a contest.

Carrick got the consolation wicket of Haire caught by Richard Stirling off Parkhill’s bowling for 56, the partnership with Shields having been 151 runs. The young opener was rewarded with a maiden senior hundred as he and Moran saw their side home with six overs to spare. Had Carrick managed to hold on to some of a number of difficult catches presented to them they may have been able to put some pressure on North Down, but, in the end, it was a comfortable victory for the visitors, with Carrick and Muckamore now battling it out for the second relegation spot with Bangor already seemingly doomed.

Carrickfergus 232/8 (J McClurkin 40, R Eagleson 40, M Gilmour 38, R Gelderbloem 35, I Parkhill 24, T Khan 3-58, A Shields 2-29)

North Down 235/2 (A Shields 101*, R Haire 56, N Russell 34)

North Down won by eight wickets

On Saturday Carrick entertain Bangor at Middle Road, starting at noon.