No home comforts for Eagleson's men

Carrick captain Ryan Eagleson won the toss and asked the visitors to bat first, and after a couple of short rain interruptions, the heavens opened in the 17th over with Lisburn on 57 for 2.

It was an hour before the players were able to resume, by which time the match had been reduced from 50 to 41 overs. Sri Lankan professional Yasas Tillakaratne who has been in prolific form with the bat, was the mainstay of the Lisburn innings with a fluent innings of 72. When he was eventually trapped leg before by Ross Gelderbloem, the score had progressed to 168 for 5 with two overs remaining.

Carrick captured four more wickets as Lisburn finished on 180 for 9 at the end of their 41 overs, however as the overs had been reduced during the course of the innings, Carrick were given a revised target score of 191 using Duckworth Lewis.

Former Carrick overseas player, Zimbabwean Ryan Ervine and David Simpson soon had Carrick in trouble, ripping through their top order to leave them on 54 for 6 in 12 overs. Danny O'Shea, having survived being bowled off a no ball, then launched a fearsome counterattack on the Lisburn bowlers.

With good support from Ally McCalmont, 55 runs were added for the 7th wicket in the next ten overs. O'Shea reached his 50 off only forty balls, and was finally out for 81 off sixty deliveries. In a stupendous display of hitting, the Australian all-rounder hammered eight sixes and three fours, to take Carrick to 139 for 8 with still 13 overs remaining.

However, Carrick had lost too many wickets in the early part of their innings to seriously threaten the Lisburn score and were all out 158 in the 33rd over with eight overs unused.

Lisburn 180/9 (41 overs; Y Tillakaratne 72, G Thompson 30, R Gelderbloem 3-22, R Eagleson 2-28)

Carrickfergus 158 (32.2 overs; D O'Shea 81, G Thompson 4-33, R Ervine 3-18, D Simpson 2-39)

Lisburn won by 32 runs - Revised target score 191 in 41 overs using D/L

Carrick play their final Ulster Bank Premier League match of the season this Saturday against Ballymena at Eaton Park.