Carrick bounce back with wins over Laurelvale and Dundrum

Carrick won the toss and batted first on Saturday, and had struggled to 68 for four in 14 overs when Louis Delport was bowled for 30.

Ryan Eagleson and Alex Haggan then featured in the best partnership of the innings, adding a further 62 runs in 17 overs before Haggan was caught for 23. Eagleson was batting superbly but none of the remaining Carrick batsmen were able to stay with him for any length of time, and wickets fell at regular intervals at the other end.

When Eagleson became the final Carrick wicket to fall, the score had advanced to 192, with nearly five overs unused. Eagleson’s innings of 68, off 106 balls, included 10 fours and a six.

Laurelvale found runs difficult to come by against the accuracy of Carrick’s bowlers. At the 25-over drinks interval they had just 44 runs on the board with four wickets down. The game appeared to be as good as over, and it was not until the 40th over that the 100 came up, by which time they had lost two further wickets.

An onslaught by skipper David Sinton, who scored an unbeaten 78 aided by Thornbury and then Burns, saw Laurelvale make a brave effort to win the match. In the end they managed to add 78 runs in the final 10 overs, to give Carrick victory by the narrow margin of 14 runs.

Carrickfergus 192 (R Eagleson 68, L Delport 30, A Haggan 23, J Haire 3-53)

Laurelvale 178/7 (D Sinton 78*, M Thornbury 26, M Burns 29*, R Hood 2-33, S Grant 2-34)

On Sunday Carrick travelled to Dundrum where home side won the toss and opted to bat.

Prolific overseas player Rahi Kakade helped them take 39 off the first five overs, before Richard Hood struck with two wickets in the sixth over.

Kakade continued to pile on the runs and he and Joel Maguire took the score along to 95 for two off 18 overs, before Eagleson achieved a breakthrough, trapping Maguire lbw for 19. Eagleson and Delport then ripped through the remainder of the Dundrum batting order, reducing them to 112 for eight when Delport finally dismissed Kakade for 68, scored off only 53 balls.

The final two wickets fell without further addition, as Dundrum were all-out in only 23.2 overs. Eagleson finished with five for 21, and Delport three for 31.

Carrick lost opener Michael Gilmour off the second ball without a run on the board, and Jack Burton was bowled for eight with the total on 27. But in the space of 13 overs, Taiaroa and Delport scored the 86 runs Carrick needed for victory, seeing their side home in only the 17th over. Taiaroa hammered an unbeaten 59 runs, including 10 fours and a six off just 56 balls. Delport’s 36 not-out came off 26 deliveries, with three fours and two sixes.

Dundrum 112 (R Kakade 68, R Eagleson 5-21m L Delport 3-31, R Hood 2-28).

Carrickfergus 133/2 (M Taiaroa 59*, L Delport 36*)

This weekend Carrick play their final two league matches of the season, both at home. On Saturday they play Woodvale in a 50-over game, while on Sunday they entertain Section 1 champions Muckamore in a rearranged 20-over match. Both games start at 11.30 am.