Eagleson makes his return but Takawale’s century sinks Carrick

On Saturday Carrick won the toss and batted first, and openers Michael Gilmour and Iain Parkhill took 42 runs off six overs before Parkhill was caught for 12.

Gilmour and Mikey Taiaroa added a further 33 runs before Gilmour became the second wicket to fall, bowled for 43 which included eight boundaries.

Taiaroa and Alex Haggan added another 44 runs when Taiaroa and Louis Delport fell in quick succession to leave Carrick on 123 for four after 30 overs.

Ryan Eagleson, returning from a knee injury, and Haggan then added 52 runs during the course of the next 10 overs. But Haggan was next to go, having completed a fine 50.

Eagleson cut loose with a series of fours and sixes in the closing overs, seeing his score race along to 75, and Carrick’s total to a very respectable 248 for nine at the end of their 50 overs. Eagleson’s unbeaten 75 was scored off 61 balls and contained four fours and five sixes.

Derriaghy struggled along to 47 for four after 15 overs, with Matthew Kernohan picking up three wickets in his first appearance of the season.

Two further wickets fell and the visitors looked beaten at 89 for six, off 28 overs. However, overseas player Yogesh Takawale was still there on 36, and after a subdued start began to move up a gear.

In a spectacular display of attacking strokeplay he raced to his hundred off only 61 balls; the second 50 of these took only 18 balls to complete. He shared in a partnership of 117 runs in 13 overs with Dean Ferris; the latter scoring 16, as the Derriaghy total passing 200 in the 41st over when Ferris was dismissed.

Takawale went on to score an unbeaten 163 runs off only 93 balls which included eighteen fours and five sixes, as Derriaghy passed the Carrick score in the 46th over. An incredible 163 runs came off 16.3 overs, with Takawale scoring 127 of these.

Carrickfergus 248/9 (50 overs; M Gilmour 43, M Taiaroa 29, A Haggan 57, R Eagleson 75no, C Lewis 3-56, S Hughes 3-40)

Derriaghy 252/7 (45.3 overs; Y Takawale 163no, M Kernohan3-63, L Delport 2-39).