
	Subscribe to our mailing list	Tell a friend about us!
Nobody chatting right now - why not log in and see who shows up...

Club News Archives - 2003

If you have a club news item to contribute, we would be grateful if you would email it to us...
To make room for new stories on the 'Club News' page, all of our stories will eventually move here to the archives but they will stay available here for future reference...
*23/12/2003 Ryan shows great form with the bat in Hong Kong...* Following on from his successes of the Hong Kong Sixes Tournament, Ryan continues to show marvellous form with both bat and ball for Gap Ramblers and Scorpions. His 73 n.o against JKN Little Sai Wan for the Scorpions on 23rd November contributed almost half of his teams runs to help them to a 5 wicket victory. This performance was followed up on the 6th of December with a great all-round performance for Gap Ramblers on the 6th December. Taking 5 for 9 off 10 to help dismiss Mainlanders for just 81. Ryan then hit 33 to help his team to a resounding 9 wicket victory. Then in his two final matches before the Christmas break, he managed to smash an undefeated 252 in two matches with 118 n.o. for the Scorpions on 14th December and 134 n.o. for Gap Ramblers a week later on the 20th Demember. Ironically, he was on the losing side on both occasions! Our continued best wishes go to Ryan and we hope that this form is an indication of another great season to come for his home team after last year's heroics...
*21/12/2003 Shane makes First Class debut for Auckland...* Shane was again in touch from New Zealand just before Christmas with the news that he had been selected to make his First Class debut for Auckland. Following on from his state debut against the New Zealand Academy, his First Class debut for Auckland came against Wellington at Eden Park. Shane seemed to find the step up tough going overall, out LBW for 12 in the first innings. He managed to snag his first catch in Wellington's second innings though and in the Auckland second innings, he helped put on a vital 70 run opening stand with McIntosh when Auckland were under early pressure to help them hold out for a draw. Let's hope Shane gets a few more chances to impress at this level as the season progresses!
*02/12/03 News from another successful Club Dinner...* The Club's annual dinner was held on Friday 14th November and was a particularly special occasion this year with the success of our First XI and Under-17 XI. We now have the photographs from the night available, as well as a full list of prize-winners from the night. Our thanks go to Alec Adams for acting as the 'Official Photographer' on the night. Full details on the dinner can be found here.
*02/12/03 Cricket Club Lottery Jackpot Won...* Carrickfergus have been drawn away to 2003 Norh West Senior League Champions Donemana in the first round of the Clubturf Ulster Cup to be played on Sunday May 9.
*02/12/03 Cricket Club Lottery Jackpot Won...* Well, all good things come to an end and after a wonderful run, the Club jackpot was scooped on Friday 28th November by Alison Luney, daughter of Club stalwart, Wallace. Alison's lucky numbers netted her almost Ł11,000... As another lucky punter picks up a wonderful cash prize at a particularly opportune time of year, it is worth drawing attention to the hard work and sterling efforts of those who run the Club Lottery week in and week out. To those involved with developing and maintaining the lottery both past and present we are all deeply grateful. Not only does our lottery generate a fantastic source of revenue to help develop the game locally but it also generates cash for local charities through our discretionary contributions. We would encourage anyone involved with a charitable organisation to make requests for contributions to the Management Committee in writing. Every letter is considered and the vast majority of reputable claims receive a donation.
*19/11/03 Shane makes Auckland team...* We were delighted to hear from Shane with the wonderful news that he had been selected to make his full debut for the Auckland team alongside another Carrickfergus old-boy, Andre Adams! Playing against the New Zealand Academy and filling the boots of Matt Horne, Shane made a dream debut with a half-century (57) in his maiden innings, part of a century stand (165) with Tim McIntosh, laying the foundations for a formidable total. Auckland's bowling attack then took centre stage, bowling the Academy out for just 112, our own Andre Adams finishing with 2 for 16. Auckland batted again and the openers McIntosh and Singe recorded another 100 opening stand. Auckland finished on 115 for 1 with Harbs undefeated on 37 to complete a resounding first innings win. Our congratulations go to Shane on securing his first state cap and we were delighted for him to see his debut was such a successful and memorable one.
*18/11/03 Full First XI fixtures now available...* The First XI fixture list is now available via the Fixtures page. Carrickfergus are set to start their Section 1 league campaign away to last years Senior Cup quarter final opponents, Downpatrick.
*17/11/03 News from all the other Cup draws...* All of the mens teams cup draws have now been made and are available via the Cup Fixtures page. Youth team cup draw information will follow as it becomes available.
*13/11/03 Senior Challenge Cup Draw news...* Carrickfergus have been drawn away to 2002 Cup winners, Lurgan, in the 2nd Round of the 2004 Senior Challenge Cup, (all Section 1 clubs receiving a first round bye). The match is scheduled for the 15th May.
*02/11/03 Ryan does damage in Hong Kong Sixes...* Having been invited back to his player/coach position with the Hong Kong Cricket Club, Carrickfergus Captain, Ryan Eagleson has continued his rich vein of form from throughout the last domestic season with bat and ball for both Gap Ramblers and Scorpions. His performances have seen him selected to represent Hong Kong in the prestigious Cathay Pacific/Standard Chartered Hong Kong Sixes Tournament. In the tournament, Hong Kong struggled against some world-class opposition and, unfortunately failed to win a match. Despite this, Ryan managed to notch up a couple of decent personal performances and met up with a few familiar faces along the way... The first match saw Ryan up against former Carrickfergus team-mate, Andre Adams, playing for the New Zealand team. Batting first, Ryan helped give Hong Kong a great start by knocking off a quick-fire 20, including a six of Canning before being dismissed by Yovich in the second over. Andre also had a big influence on the match, helping to see the Kiwis through to a victory with a six off his first and only ball(!) as they overhauled the Hong Kong total of 64. The Hong Kong team then went on to lose fairly heavily to India, (although Ryan took the catch which dismissed Rohan Gavaskar, son of the great Sunil) and also suffered a four wicket defeat against Pakistan with Ryan dismissed by the Azhar Mahmood first up. Then came another familiar face, in the form of Irish colleague Gerald Dros, playing for a strong South African team. This match saw Ryan notch up one of the performances of the tournament against world-class opponents. The South Africans started quickly and looked headed for a massive total off their five overs when Ryan stepped up to bowl a pressured fourth over against an in-form batting lineup. In a remarkable over, he dismissed Kemp, Kruger and Zondeki to return figures of 3 for 9, serverely curtailing the South Africans free-scoring in the process. Chasing a still formidable 89, Hong Kong never realy looked like mounting a serious challenge but Ryan still managed to contribute almost half of their eventual 52 runs with a rapid and undefeated 25 runs off 12 deliveries, helping Hong Kong to a respectable score. Hong Kong's final match saw them mount their most serious challenge of the two days when they ran Kenya very close in the 'Plate Play-off'. Having restricted Kenya to a total of 63, Hong Kong fell agonisingly short of the target with 61 on the board after the alotted 5 overs were complete. Our congratulations go Ryan for both his selection for the Hong Kong team and for his outstanding performance against the South Africans...
*27/10/03 Carrickfergus to take part in Club Turf Ulster Cup...* A combination of circumstances has led to Carrickfergus being invited to compete in the Club Turf Ulster Cup of 2004. This exciting competition, has become an increasingly popular and competitive feature of the local cricketing calendar, fuelled in large part by the 'healthy' rivalry between the NCU and North-West Senior Leagues. This popularity has seen the competition expanded from the top four teams in each league to the top eight. Since the competition takes place on Sundays, Lurgan and Warringstown have chosen not to compete, leaving the door open to Carrickfergus to take part for the first time. The First Round matches are due to take place on Sunday 9th May 2004. Draw details will follow when known...
*23/10/03 News on Irish Senior Cup Draw...* The draw for the First Round proper of the Royal Liver Irish Senior Cup has seen Carrickfergus drawn at home against the winners of Dublin clubs Leinster CC and Old Belvedere. The match is scheduled to be played at Middle Road on 22 May 2004.
*23/10/03 News from NCU Annual General Meeting...* The recent Annual General Meeting of Northern Cricket Union saw a number of rule changes which will affect teams at the Club. Ever our guide through the mire of the NCU rules and regulations, Roger Bell has kindly summarised the changes as follows: Divisions 3 and 4 have been amalgamated, which means that our 4th XI will now play in the new Div 3 Section 5. Duration of 3rd and 4th XI matches has been cut from 45 to 40 overs. 3rd and 4th XI matches may now be pre-arranged down to 25 overs to end of July and 20 overs thereafter, if both captains agree. 2nd XI games, where the start has been delayed, may be reduced to a minimum of 30 overs to end of July and 25 thereafter if both captains agree. All matches in July and August to start not later than 12 noon. 2nd XI now have 29, rather than 22, days to play postponed matches.
*07/10/03 Club learns of tragic death of John Solanky...* Sad news was received today by Club officials of the tragic and sudden death of John Solanky. John, who was a much-loved and highly-respected member of the Club, was found today at home having suffered a heart attack in his sleep. The former professional and coach at neighbours Cliftonville, John had settled in the East Antrim area teaching in a local school and, for more years than most of us would care to remember, has been a fixture at our Club. He has long been a loyal supporter of our Club and was delighted by our long-awaited successes of this season. He was a true cricketing man with a wealth of experience at the very highest levels and many of us, young and old, have benefited from his wisdom over the years - when he spoke he commanded respect. John's former county, Glamorgan, pay a fond tribute which can be found via this link. John's family are taking him to London for burial at Southall on Friday 18 October. Our deepest sympathy go to his family at this sad time. He will be badly missed by his many friends at Carrickfergus Cricket Club and in the wider NCU and Irish cricketing communities.
*30/08/03 Carrickfergus C.C. First XI claim Section Two...* After more than a hundred years in waiting, there was a certain amount of trepidation in the Carrickfergus camp at Laurelvale on Saturday. They knew they had the quality to over-power the mid-Ulstermen but having been so close to promotion in the past and knowing Laurelvale would fight proudly to avoid relegation, the Carrickfergus team were firmly focussed on the match in front of them. Click here for pictures... Batting first on what looked like a good track, Carrickfergus started off tentatively, slowly building a solid foundation for the innings. Ben Clements made a fairly rapid start but fell on 29, before he had really had a chance to kick on. By the drinks break Carrickfergus had amassed less than sixty runs but with the loss of just one wicket. The two Kiwis, Coops and Harbs, had had some time to get their eye in and, after the break, began to find their feet with some well-struck boundaries. The dismissal of Shane Singe for a well-crafted 53 saw the entrance of skipper, Ryan Eagleson. The fielding team were visibly lifted, however, when Coops followed soon after Shane, having contributed a gritty and arguably match-winning 74. The dismissal of Eagy for just 6 gave the bowlers further encouragement. With Nas at the crease, however, their enthusiasm was short-lived as, in a typically beligerent innings, he hit a quickfire 26 which accelerated the scoring rate and seemed to take the match away from the home team. All credit to Laurelvale for their commitment to the end, stifling the Carrickfergus lower middle order and tail-end to limit Carrickfergus to a total of 220 for 8. With a determined Carrickfergus team in the field and an opening bowling attack the equal of anything the NCU has to offer, it was clear that Laurelvale would have to weather the storm and build a platform to stand any chance of pulling off a victory. With Eagy a man on a mission and Arbo, as ever, hitting his straps from the first ball, the signs were ominous for the batting team. Just two overs into his spell, however, Arbuthnot broke down with a groin strain, joining Michael McIlroy injured on the sidelines. Incidentally, it was unfortunate that Macker wasn't on the pitch on this historic day but Carrick's leading bowler over the last decade or so had already more than played his part in the Club;s success this season. Arbo's departure left a chink of light at one end for the Laurelvale batsmen. The Carrick change attack adapted well, however, and wickets soon began to tumble at a steady rate. By the drinks break, a home victory looked increasingly unlikely and after the break, the required run-rate continued to increase in the face of solid Carrick bowling. The Laurelvale tail-end showed some determined resistance but failed to trouble the scorers too much and in the end the home team fell for 117, giving Carrickfergus a famous victory and a first crack at Section One cricket. Vinay Sharma proved an able replacement for Macker with 2 for 36, David Hobson hoovered up the tail with 2 for 5 and the pick of the bowlers on the day, rounding off another good all-round performance was Nasir Khan. After the match, it was with a tinge of sadness that we saw our good friends at Laurelvale relegated from Section Two but we know they will bounce back with a vengeance although we'll be hoping we don't meet again the season after next! Club Captain Ryan Eagleson was delighted to receive the Section Two trophy and a few bottles of champagne were cracked to kick off a long night's celebration at the Club and then down at the Rooster's... (pictures of that debacle to follow!).
*29/08/03 Under-17's carry off the Colt's Cup...* In a wonderfully tense finish at The Mall on Friday, Carrickfergus' young Under-17 team pulled off a superb 2 run vistory over a talented Ballymena team in the prestigious Colt's Cup final. A solid all-round batting performance saw virtually everyone make contributions with no single individual really taking the opportunity to go on. Top scoring on 19, however, Philip Ritchie's knock proved to be of vital importance to the cause. Chasing 108, Ballymena undoubtedly would have fancied their chances of overhauling the Carrickfergus total. A superb performance by the Carrickfergus bowling unit dashed any hopes of that and, within just two runs of victory, Carrickfergus dismissed Ballymena in a mesmerising finish. Stephen Ingram led the charge with a superb spell netting 4 for 18, young Michael Gilmour again weighed in with 3 for 22 and Andy Wilson picked up 2 for 15. Honourable mentions go to other key contributors through the cup run, without whom the victory in the final would not have been possible. Man of the match in the semi, all-rounder Greg weir, Trevor Kane who made a couple of vital contributions with the bat in the quarter and semi-finals and Mark McCrae whose 39 in the quarter-final made up more than half of Carrickfergus' total. This talented group of young cricketers deserve every credit and whole-hearted congratulations for bringing home the Club's first silverware of the year. The prestigious Colt's Cup is viewed within the local game as an important barometer of the future stength of Clubs and their win has undoubtedly helped further Carrickfergus' credentials. There's no doubt that all of these young players have the potential to maake their mark as Carrickfergus players.
*28/08/03 Firsts play Laurelvale in potential title clincher...* With results going as they did last weekend and at the start of the week, the last fortnight or so has been a topsy-turvy one for Carrickfergus cricket fans. The bitter disappointment of defeat against Cooke Collegians the Saturday before last seemed to put us badly on the back foot in the title race. The best we could hope for, it seemed, was a title play-off against Ballymena and, only then, if we could defeat a tough Muckamore outfit away from Middle Road. Never wanting to do things the easy way, the Firsts put the 'Carrick Fanboys' through the mill at Moylena, snatching victory from the jaws of defeat from the jaws of victory against Muckamore. Then came the interesting news of Monday resumptions at Eaton Park with a tricky ask for the home side. The news that filtered through on Monday evening that the home side had lost suddenly put us back in the box seat with a victory at Laurelvale this Saturday guaranteeing Carrickfergus the Section Two title and promotion to top-flight NCU cricket, no matter what transpires at Sandy Bay between Larne and Ballymena. We're almost on the eve now of what is arguably the biggest match in our 135 year history and it seems like an appropriate time to reflect... Founded in 1868, we are one of the oldest surviving sports clubs in Ireland and Carrickfergus, it is often overlooked, was one of the founding members of the Northern Cricket Union and so it seems all the more bizarre that we have never had the opportunity to compete at the highest level of the game. When you also consider that just 15 years ago we didn't even have our own ground and yet last season we were honoured with the responsibility of hosting a fixture from the European Championships, maybe we deserve a break. Maybe this is our time... It's heartening to see that we might not be alone in thinking this if the support for our challenge from the broader cricketing community in the guestbook and the forum over at CricketIreland is anything to go by. Anyway, let's all get down to Laurelvale on Saturday and get behind the lads... win or lose. But let's hope that they give the 'Fanboys' something to drink to, come Saturday night. Good luck fellas...
*28/08/03 Shane 'Harbhajan' Singe's upcoming benefit night...* Popular Kiwi Shane Singe has his benefit night at the Club pencilled in for Saturday 6th. September. There is a late license for the evening and tickets are already on sale behind the bar for just Ł2. This will be a big night at the Club and you'd be best advised to get your tickets quick as they will undoubtedly sell-out well before the event. Shane has had another fantastic year at the Club and we know members will be keen to get up to the Club to give him a big send-off and show their support. Further details on the format (raffle prizes/auction) will follow...
*28/08/03 Under 17's set to play Ballymena in Colt's Cup Final...* It all seems to be good news at the minute, thankfully. Congratulations go to the Under-17 XI who, tomorrow, face Ballymena in the Colts' Cup Final at The Mall in Armagh. The lads overcame local rivals Larne on Tuesday by 7 wickets (Larne 98-7, Carrickfergus 100-3). A man of the match performance from Greg Weir (2 for 8 and 45 not out) and a useful knock of 20 from Trevor Kane helped see Carrick to victory and should see the boys go into tomorrow's game full of confidence. We wish them well for the big match...
*25/08/03 Shock defeat for Ballymena in Monday resumption...* Having got out of jail against Muckamore on Saturday, we were interested to hear that the Ballymena-Derriaghy match was going to a Monday evening resumption after a rain and bad-light affected match. The match was still in the balance and it was by no means a foregone conclusion that Ballymena would win against an ever-dogged Derriaghy team. Then the wonderful news filtered through late on Monday that Ballymena had failed to overhaul the Derriaghy total and had lost the match. This meant that having gone from being relieved to be still in with a shout of a play-off just two days earlier, Carrickfergus are now in control of their own destiny in terms of the league title and victory over Laurelvale on Saturday guarantees us the title outright. Ballymena must win a tricky tie at Sandy Bay against a Larne side also struggling for Section Two survival and hope that we lose to get a crack at a play-off...
*23/08/03 Firsts win vital title match at Moylena...* The Firsts travelled to Moylena for a tough encounter with erstwhile title- challengers Muckamore on Saturday, knowing anything less than a win was likely to scupper any thoughts of even making a play-off for the league. Muckamore elected to bat on a great looking strip but the Carrick opening attack, as so often the case this year, made sure they didn't get too much of a start. The Muckamore batsmen gathered momentum with the introduction of the change attack and a shoulder-injury to Michael McIlroy saw extra pressure placed upon Carrick's second-string. A few expensive overs in the middle of the innings took some of the pressure off the home team and the scoreboard began to tick over at a steady rate, with a 200+ total looking distinctly possible. The Carrickfergus lads began to get it together again in the field and the re- introduction of openers Arbuthnot and Eagleson reigned the home batting in towards the end of the innings and restricted the total to 169. With the Carrick top order on fire this season, the Muckamore total looked to be well within reach and after the loss of opener Ben Clements, Barry Cooper and Shane Singe began to put together a solid, grafting partnership against a spirited Muckamore attack and looked to be putting the visiting team well on course for victory. Never a team to do things easily, however, both batsmen were lost in fairly quick succession and an uncharacteristically cheap dismissal for Irish international Eagleson served to fire up the home side, who began to sniff victory with the visitors beginning to look decidedly edgy. Not a man to let the occasion get to him, the ever-laconic Davy Hobson stepped out to the crease and let loose with some Calypso cricket which seemed to swing the match back in Carrick's favour. With his dismissal, caught on the boundary, Ally McAlmont was joined at the crease by Joe Campbell and with two relatively new batsmen at the crease with only a handful of overs to get the required runs, the Muckamore attack once again became favourites to take the match. Not for the first time this season, however, McAlmont demonstrated that there are few with more heart for the Carrick cause than him. Batting a little nervously but eminently sensibly, he looked to play each ball on its merits, working singles where he could and playing a nice cut for four down the hill in front of point. Then, requiring just 7 runs from 12 deliveries, he seemed to completely lose his grip on reality and decided to biff the Muckamore opening bowler straight back over his head for a huge six, greeted with delight by the travelling support! The next delivery saw the home side come up for the single and another blow over the top of the field saw Carrick to a crucial victory which guaranteed them, at worst, a play-off game against fellow title-contenders Ballymena.
*16/08/03 Carrickfergus IV lose out to Cooke Collegians in Cup Final...* The Fourth XI went into the Minor Qualifying Cup Final deservedly confident, off the back of a strong 8 wicket victory at Downpatrick the weekend previous. Despite this, there was an understandably nervous atmosphere on the bus on the way to Saintfield. They were greeted by wonderful conditions and a superb pitch at the Down club. Having lost the toss, Carrickfergus were unsurprised to be invited to bowl on a wicket that looked like a decidedly good batting track. The lads started off well and despite scoring steadily Cooke Collegians were not running away with the game for the first half. Cooke Collegina's David Rice, however, remained ominously resolute and in the third quarter of the game, the match got away from Carrick a little and Cooke Collegians looked to be headed for a useful 200+ total. Carrick's bowlers managed to stem the flow of runs in the final quarter of the game and did well to limit their final total to a 'get-able' 188. Rice ended with a well-deserved undefeated 62, ably supported for a large part of the innings by Grimason (39). Skipper Davy Wight and Philip McKnight were the pick of Carrick's bowlers with 3 for 36 and 3 for 18 respectively. Veteran medium-pacer Matt Anthony delighted the fans on 'Matt's Mount' with a few swinging balls, ending with figures of 2 for 27. The Carrickfergus innings in comparison got off to a relatively poor start with none of the top three making much of a start. The Cooke Collegians opening attack was largely accurate and kept the Carrickfergus batsmen pretty well tied down. The scoreboard was ticking over reasonably but the steady fall of wickets led to a failure to build meaningful partnerships. When eventual top-scorers Stephen Luney (39) and Greg Weir (33) came together, it looked very much like an uphill task for the Carrickfergus men. A few glimpses of the 'Stumpy' of old, however, soon gave hope to the Carrickfergus team as he began to lash out with some memorable shots. The good fortune of a missed chance for caught and bowled might have proved to be the launching pad for a big innings from the big man. Instead, however, this seemed to unsettle him a little and within a few balls, he had holed out to slip. Greg, who had supported Luney ably throughout his knock was batting well and needed support from his middle order. A few made contributions but failed to go on and hopes soon began to fade for the Carrick men. The loss of Weir sounded the death knell of the innings and the tail was soon tidied up by the tidy Cooke Collegians attack. Richer and Benson both ended up with deserved three wicket hauls, (3 for 17 and 3 for 31 respectively). All in all, a valiant effort from the Carrick boys who should be proud of the character they showed in the field but the diiference between the two teams lay in the the steadiness of their respectibve batting, with david Rice deservedly being rewarded with Man-of-the-Match award fro his knock of 62 not out. A full scorecard for the match and photos from the day will follow soon...
*14/07/03 Coops passes the 5,000 run mark...* In the course of his fine 122 not out knock against Larne yesterday, which was instrumental in securing an important victory, Barry Cooper became the first Carrickfergus player in history to pass the 5,000 First XI runs mark for the club. Having overhauled Nigel McFarland's long-standing record of 4,734 around a month ago, reaching the magical 5,000 figure was, inevitably, the next target for Coops. He broke the record as his total reached 61 runs and this was greeted with a warm round of applause by the knowledgable Carrickfergus crowd, showing their appreciation for a man who has become one of Carrickfergus' favourite sons and who has firmly established himself in the Club's history books. Not resting on his laurels, Coops set about the more important task from the Club's point of view of overhauling a challenging Larne total, particularly after the home side's relatively poor start. Very ably supported by Ally McAlmont in the closing stages, (who not for the first time rose to the occasion with a much-needed assured knock to steady the ship), Coops went on to rack up 122 not out, securing an important victory which keeps Carrickfergus right in contention for the Section Two title. Curiously enough, Coops first runs for Carrickfergus also came against our local rivals and it seems fitting that he broke this historic landmark against Larne. Our sincere congratulations go to Coops for this marvellous achievement and, who knows, let's hope he now has his target set on another 5,000 runs for his adopted home in Section One! As Clarky, another of Carrick's favourite Kiwi sons, said, "Kia Ora Poopsy!", (whatever that means!).
*02/07/03 Carrickfergus to travel to Warringstown for Cup Semi...* After a sensational victory over Downpatrick in the quarter-final of the Senior Cup on Saturday, Carrickfergus' first ever appearance at the semi-final stage sees them face cup specialists, twenty times victors, Warringstown at 'The Lawn' on Saturday 19th July at 12.00. At this stage of the competition it was enivitable that the opposition would be tough and today's draw, attended by Club representatives, threw up some more Down men for us to overcome on the quest for glory! On our day, however, as Downpatrick discovered, we have a team capable of performing well above our station and rolling over any opposition. No doubt that Warringstown will go into the match as big favourites but this leaves them in a situation where they can only really lose... Needless to say, all the support we can muster for the 19th of July fixture will be welcomed but I'm sure our Captains down the Club would like to see current players supporting the Club in a different way - by making themselves available for their respective teams as normal.
*29/06/03 Current problems with the site...* Undoubtedly, users will have noticed problems with the Club website over the last two weeks or so. Unfortunately, our web host Catalyst2 again changed host machines and this has caused problems for us relating to dates used within the site. This has caused problems for a number of sections within the site which use dates in various ways, including the calendar and upcoming events on the home page, the lottery results, and perhaps most important of all for the result entry pages. We have been working hard over the last two weeks or more to try and get a reolution to this problem with Catalyst2 but without too much in the way of constructive response. Unfortunately, these problems are likely to continue for the short term until either our webhost come up with a solution or, more likely, we find another suitable hosting company. If anyone knows of a good Windows 2000 webhost, please do drop us a line. Sincere apologies for the inconvenience and loss of service this situation is currently causing but, rest assured, we are working hard to resume normal services...
*13/06/03 Barry Cooper becomes First XI's top run scorer...* Carrickfergus C.C.'s adopted Kiwi, Barry Cooper, has recently become the Club's First XI top run-scorer of all time. During the course of his innings of 57 n.o. against Derriaghy last Sunday, Coops passed the former landmark of 4,734 runs, scored by former record holder and Carrick great Nigel McFarland. Coops has now set his sights on becoming the first Carrickfergus player to reach 5,000 First XI runs sometime this season. With the form he has shown so far this season, (currently averaging almost 130 after four innings!), it would take a brave man to bet against him...
*13/06/03 Carrick youngsters selected for representative duty...* Congratulations to Michael Gilmour and David Robinson on their selection for the Belfast Under 14 side to play in the Lord's Taverners Cricket Cup preliminary round match v Glasgow at Sandy Bay Larne on Thursday 26 June. Chris Campbell has also made the Belfast squad, which if successful v Glasgow, will travel to Arundel in Sussex to play in the tournament proper from 11-14 August. All three lads are continuing Carrick's strong recent representation in the Belfast team. Our own Mark McCrae and Andy Wilson were key members of the squad which won the touranment last year.
*13/06/03 First XI draw Downpatrick in cup / Seconds draw Donaghadee...* The First XI have been drawn away to six times winners, Downpatrick, in the quarter-finals of the Senior Cup, to be played on the 28th June. The Second XI have also reached the quarter final stages of the Intermediate Cup and will face Donaghadee at home on June 21st.
*13/05/03 Alex provides update of his progress in guestbook...* Just a quick note for anyone who hasn't already read it, Alex has been kind enough to leave an entry in our guestbook recently, updating us of his progress. I personally would like to thank Alex for his kind words about our site and the efforts made to keep his many friends and cricketing foes up to date on his condition during what was a very hairy time. I also very much appreciate that, despite his own trials and tribulatons, he would still be thoughtful enough to enquire after my situation in his message. We're all delighted to hear Alex in such good spirits and to know that he is still aiming to be back on the pitch before the season is out!
*13/05/03 Belated welcome 'home' to Shane Singe...* Talented Kiwi Shane 'Harbhajan' Singe has been back with us for a couple of weeks now and I haven't yet got around to officially welcoming him back via the site! Sincere apologies for that Harbs! Shane has had another hugely successful season back in New Zealand. Just twelve months after leading his club, Papatoetoe, to the Auckland First Grade Title, he captained the newly promoted side to the Premier Grade Championship! Skipper, Shane, led from the front scoring the winnng run in an unbeaten 31 as his side scored the 90 second innings' runs required to clinch an eight wicket win over eventual runners-up, North Shore. Our hearty congratulations go to Shane with the hope that he can once again capture this sparkling form for Carrickfergus. (Although from what I hear about Saturday, he'll be going some to get the gloves off Cooper's hands!).
*05/03/03 Carrickfergus to host U-15 Inter-Provincial...* The Management Committee were recently delighted to learn that Carrickfergus C.C. are to play host to some of Ireland's best young cricketing talent with the Under-15 Interprovincial match between the Northern Cticket Union and the Munster Cricket Union to be played at the Club on Tuesday 1st July. We all look forward to welcoming the teams involved and very much hope that our own membership will make every effort to come up and watch what will undoubtedly be a high standard of cricket.
*03/03/03 Larry Clements discharged from hospital...* Continuing the welcome outbreak of good news at the Club, we were absolutely delighted to hear that Larry Clements was discharged from hospital last week. Larry was a welcome visitor at the Club over the weekend and was joined by another notable guest in Alex Adams, visiting the Club for the first time since his recent illness. We all wish both of these popular Club stalwarts, (sorry fellas but that word just has to be trotted out once in a while!), a continued and speedy recovery...
*03/03/03 Wattlesprigs Australian XI to feature in friendly...* Just before Christmas, we received a message via the site discussing the possibility of hosting Wattlespriggs Australian XI, a touring side from Northern Victoria, to provide one of their fixtures on their upcoming tour of Ireland this summer. Of course, being the hospitable bunch that we are here at Carrickfergus, the Management Committee were only too happy to try and arrange something to this end. We're delighted to say that Roger has been liaising with Steve Gemmill, manager of the tourists, and they have recently confirmed that they will be visiting us to play against a Carrickfergus XI. The match has been arranged for Wednesday 16th July and further details will be made available on the site nearer to the time! Let's hope for some decent weather, eh... (it's a long way to come to watch it hammer down from the balcony!).
*03/03/03 Under 15 and Under 13 league fixtures available...* Roger has kindly forwarded the Under 15 and Under 13 league fixtures for the coming season and these are now available via the 'Fixtures' section of the site. The nets will soon be commencing at the leisure centre and we hope all of our young players will be in strong attendance to get the right start to what we very much hope will be a successful season for all of them...
*16/02/03 Youth teams' cup fixtures now available...* The draws for the respective youth team cup competitions have been made and are now available via the 'Fixtures' page. Additionally, Carrickfergus Cricket Club have again, this year, been honoured with the responsibility for hosting the final of the prestigious U-15 Graham Cup Final on Wednesday 6th August.
*16/02/03 Larry Clements recovering in hospital...* Just as we announce the good news regarding Alex leaving hospital, we were shocked to hear that popular club member Larry Clements was rushed into hospital on Saturday night with a heart attack. Thankfully, Larry now appears to be through the worst and is conscious in the Royal Victoria Hospital. Our best wishes go to him and wife Carol and daughter Jennifer. UPDATE Since the note above appeared on the site, we have received clarification that Larry is actually in Whiteabbey Hospital and not the Royal as was originally reported above. The latest on Larry is that he is now well on the road to recovery and has received several visitors from the Club in the last few days, (including one Alex Adams, no less!). The firm hope is that he may even be discharged from hospital in the next few days. Our best wishes got to Larry for a continued speedy recovery and we hope to see our popular quizmaster back to tax the grey matter before too long!
*16/02/03 Alex Adams now out of hospital...* Alex Adams continues to recover well from his illness and the latest good news is that he has now been discharged from hospital. He will continue to receive outpatient treatment at his local Whiteabbey Hospital as he completes his recovery at home.
*16/02/03 Former Carrick Coach Andre stars in World Cup...* Former Carrick overseas player Andre Adams starred for New Zealand as they beat the West Indies by 20 runs in a vital World Cup match in Port Elizabeth. Man of the Match Adams took 3 wickets in the vital spell when the Windies, chasing 242, lost 5 wickets for just 12 runs.He completed a fine performance in the field by effecting a run out followed by a further wicket in the final over to finish with figures of 4-44, as West Indies were bowled out for 221. Earlier in the day New Zealand were struggling on 147-6 before Adams hit an unbeaten 35 off only 21 balls including two huge sixes, to help his side to a more respectable 241-7 from their 50 overs. "Their boys didn't give me a lot to hit, but I managed to get a few away!", said a delighted Andre wehen he received his Man of the Match award at the end of the game.
*22/01/03 Alex has moved hospital...!* Roger called today to let us know that Alex had been on the phone to say that he has now been moved from the Royal over to Musgrave as his recovery continues. Anyone keen on calling in to see him should now head for the Withers Building at Musgrave Hospital and you'll find Alex in Ward 1a.
*12/01/03 Alex doing great and now wants visitors...!* I spoke to Roger during the week and he he was delighted to tell me that he had visited Alex during the week and his recovery seems to be continuing apace. So much so, that he asked Roger to spread the word that he'd love to see visitors to help break up the day! Get the full details here.