Cricket: Haggan’s 50 spares Carrick’s blushes in defeat to champions

Carrickfergus Cricket Club 1st XI suffered a heavy defeat to the reigning Ulster Bank Premier League champions in their opening match of the season at Comber on Saturday.

North Down won the toss and batted first and big-hitting opener Neil Russell got his side off to a good start with 57 runs off only 52 balls, before Jamie Holmes trapped him lbw in the 14th over with the score on 71.

Andrew Sutherland, who had been content to allow his colleague take most of the strike, then took over and with Ryan Haire added a further 113 runs in 20 overs, before Alex Haggan bowled Haire in his first over, and followed this up with the wicket of South African pro Haasbroek.

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With the score on 191 for 3 and 14 overs remaining, skipper Peter Shields joined Sutherland and the pair featured in the second century partnership of the innings, adding exactly 100 in only 11 overs.

Sutherland meanwhile had completed a fine hundred, and it was not until the Aussie’s score had reached 140 that Anthony Martin finally captured his wicket, with the North Down score by this time having passed the 300 mark.

At the end of their 50 overs they had reached a formidable total of 320 for 6.

Carrick’s innings got off to the worst possible start, with openers Michael Gilmour and Jordan McClurkin, Mikey Taiaroa and Ross Gelderbloem all back in the pavilion with only six runs on the board.

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With only seven overs gone, the match was already over as a contest and Carrick had only their pride to play for.

Jamie Holmes, Ryan Eagleson and Iain Parkhill all got their heads down and managed to get the score along to a comparatively respectable 80 for 7 in 28 overs.

Alex Haggan was then joined by Stephen Grant, and the two Carrick youngsters showed some of their more experienced colleagues how it should be done. Haggan in particular was in fine form, and he made a deserved maiden First XI 50 with a fine display of stroke play. He was eventually caught behind for 54, scored off just 57 balls and containing eight fours and a six.

Haggan received solid support from Grant, whose 21 runs helped the pair add 66 runs for the eighth wicket. Carrick were eventually all out for 159 in 44.2 overs, still a long way behind but many more than they had looked like getting at one stage.

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North Down 320/6 (A Sutherland 140, N Russell 57, R Haire 39, P Shields 28, A Haggan 2-51, A Martin 2-60)

Carrickfergus 159 (A Haggan 54, R Eagleson 28, S Grant 21, D Kennedy 3-24, M Moreland 3-36, G McKenna 2-10, R Haire 2-35)

North Down won by 161 runs

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