Cricket: Carrick remain rock bottom

The result means Ross Gelderbloem’s men remain rooted to the bottom of the Northern Cricket Union’s Premier League table.

CI won the toss and put Carrick in to bat and their decision was soon vindicated as the home side slumped to 22 for three after seven overs.

Mikey Taiaroa and skipper Gelderbloem led a recovery which saw 51 runs added in a dozen overs, before Gelderbloem was caught behind chasing a wide ball, having contributed a fluent 30 runs, which included five boundaries.

Taiaroa and Alex Haggan added another 40 runs, before Haggan became the first of CI skipper Stephen Hughes’ six wickets. Taiaroa was caught at mid-on off Hughes for a fine innings of 64 which contained eight fours.

Hughes then chipped in with four further wickets to leave Carrick all out for a disappointing total of 166, having used only 43.1 of their 50 overs.

Young Ireland ‘A’ batsman Chris Dougherty and veteran former Carrick stalwart Barry Cooper opened the innings for CI. Carrick’s opening bowlers Anthony Martin and Ross Gelderbloem posed plenty of problems for them but were unable to make the breakthrough.

It was not until the 17th over, with the score on 67 that Stephen Grant, bowling left-arm spin, had Cooper caught at mid-wicket for 18.

It was spin at both ends as Iain Parkhill was introduced to the attack, and after being hit for two sixes in his second over, he bounced back to take two wickets - including that of Dougherty for 35, in his third.

Parkhill took two more wickets either side of the 100-mark, both caught at long-on by Taiaroa to give him three catches in the innings, to reduce the visitors to 108 for five after 30 overs.

Ex-Ireland star Jeremy Bray and Zimbabwean Ryan Butterworth had problems initially with the Carrick spinners, but they soon gained in confidence, and the experienced pair saw their side through to a comfortable five-wicket victory in the 42nd over despite a determined effort from the young home side.

Carrickfergus 166 (M Taiaroa 64, R Gelderbloem 30, S Hughes 6-24, T Khan 2-37, I Yousef 2-25)

CIYMS 167/5 (C Dougherty 35, J Bray 37no, R Butterworth 30no, I Parkhill 4-42)

CIYMS won by five wickets