Parkhill gears up for derby clash with Templepatrick

The Middle Road men will be keen to get back to winning ways in the league following their best-forgotten 106-runs defeat to Cliftonville in their last outing.

It’s one league win in three for Iain Parkhill’s men - their only success coming with an opening-day eight-wicket success at Bangor. But they’re on their own patch for the first time this season and will be aiming to impress the home spectators.

Richard Greer’s Templepatrick, meanwhile, have played just once in Section 1 this term, losing in a five-wicket defeat at home to Downpatrick earlier this month.

“Templepatrick is the first in a double-header of home league games for us this weekend with Derriaghy on Sunday,” Carrick skipper Parkhill said.

“We are looking to get back on track and we will be hoping to get two wins to get the ball rolling in the league campaign.

“We beat Templepatrick at our place last year in a close game and then they beat us in the return fixture. It was quite a big result for them after they came up (from Section 2).

“They have a few young, talented players who they have managed to hold on to and, as a team, are more than capable of holding their own in this league.

“At Carrick, we want to improve on last year’s fourth-place finish and and we’re really keen to get a cup run going too.”