Parkhill’s Carrick side don’t look back in Bangor

After Saturday’s heavy rain, the start was delayed as some water had crept under the covers, and when play finally got underway, the match had been reduced to one of 42 overs.

When the home captain won the toss, he asked Carrick to bat first on the drying wicket. Openers Michael Gilmour and Iain Parkhill responded with a 53-run opening partnership, before captain Parkhill was caught behind in the 15th over.

Gilmour followed him four overs later, bowled when just three runs short of what would have been his second 50 against Bangor this season. His 47 runs came off just 48 balls and contained five fours and a six.

Jamie Holmes and Indrajeet Kamtekar scored freely for Carrick, adding a further 72 runs in only 15 overs before Kamtekar was caught for 37. Holmes batted through until the penultimate over, scoring a fine 61 which enabled Carrick to post a total of 187 for six in an innings that had been further reduced to 40 overs due to a short rain interruption.

Bangor’s revised Duckworth-Lewis target was 191, and Carrick’s accurate bowling ensured that they never really looked like threatening this score. It was the nineteenth over before they saw the 50 up, for the loss of only one wicket, and they were unable to increase the run rate throughout their innings.

At the end of their 40 overs they had reached 116 for nine, still 76 runs short of their target.

All of Carrick’s bowlers bowled very accurate spells, with Kamtekar taking three for 18 from his eight overs, and Holmes and Haggan picking up a couple of wickets each in a very comfortable win.

Carrickfergus 187/6 (J Holmes 61, M Gilmour 47, I Kamtekar 37, C Burns 2-20, R Murphy 2-30, K Samenderu 2-41)

Bangor 116/9 (N McCollum 42, K Samenderu 24, I Kamtekar 3-18, J Holmes 2-19, A Haggan 2-28). Carrickfergus won by 74 runs.

n Meanwhile, Carrick’s Under-15s booked their place in the last four of the Graham Cup on Friday evening when they defeated Derriaghy at Middle Road by 60 runs.

Carrick’s 3rd XI had a comfortable 32-run home win over North Down IV on Sunday.

See reports online.