Northern Cricket Union: Weekend review from around the grounds

Defending Robinson Services Premier League champions CIYMS recorded their 17th consecutive league triumph with a rain-affected five wicket victory against Carrickfergus.
Alex Haggan bowling for CarrickAlex Haggan bowling for Carrick
Alex Haggan bowling for Carrick

After losing the opening match of the 2018 campaign by three runs to North Down, the Belmont side went on to win 13 in a row to pick up the league title and have now kicked this season off by racking up four victories from as many matches.

With persistent rainfall affecting the majority of the country, the game at Middle Road was reduced to 35 overs per side with the home side posting a total of 141-7.

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Alex Haggan top-scored for Carrick with 37 while CJ van der Walt notched up 21 before he was dismissed off the bowling of David Robinson.

Much of the damage was done within the opening spell as Nigel Jones claimed the crucial wicket of overseas professional Jacques Snyman, who had hit another century against Lisburn, along with the scalp of Iain Parkhill to help leave Carrick in a dangerous position at 21-3.

CIYMS were under early pressure with John Matchett, Obus Pienaar and Jones all dismissed before the score reached 50 and it took a partnership of 89 between Chris Dougherty and Ryan Hunter to see them over the line.

Hunter would be dismissed on 44 by Anthony Martin, which brought the pacer to his 200th senior wicket for Carrickfergus, but Dougherty steered the ship home safely by ending 55*.

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CSNI also picked up a comfortable victory at Moylena against Muckamore with opening batsman Marc Ellison scoring 64* to help secure a 43 run victory.

Muckamore’s innings ended after 34.3 overs on 162-9 as David Miller top-scored with 55 and Fahad Iqbal contributed 38.

The Belfast outfit looked at ease throughout their run chase and when the rain arrived once again they were ahead of the DLS target with Andre Malan also 36*.

Ellison has started the season in great form after hitting two half-centuries during the Interprovincial fixtures in La Manga for the Northern Knights and has followed it up with fifties against North Down and now Muckamore.

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He will be hoping to be in similar form this Saturday when the Clear Currency Irish Senior Cup gets underway with CSNI travelling to Coleraine in the first round.

Both Lisburn v Waringstown and Instonians v North Down were called off.