Carrickfergus have been handed a timely boost with the news that skipper CJ van der Walt is staying at Middle Road for the 2025 season.

He sat down with Ally McCalmont and spoke about a tough campaign that ended in relegation from the top flight,

“(2024) was tough and after the season, the last thing I wanted to do really for a month or so was to talk about cricket in general," said Van Der Walt.

"But I think I just cleared my head a bit, spent a bit of time away with the family and then spoke with the club about direction and plans and I'm delighted to say that I will be staying with the with the club again for next season and hopefully we can build things back together as a group.

"I've been playing cricket since I was a little boy and for me, it was always just about the game; I've had the ups and downs in my career from a really young age up to where I am now and sometimes these things happen in life and sport. It's never good but my family and particularly my dad used to always say to me when things are going tough to try and turn that problem into a positive. I have taken that little bit of time post season and now having had some really productive discussions can see a clarity and how to go about things. Personally and as a group we’ll go back to the drawing board and see what needs to change but we have already started working on that. Hopefully we can make a couple of changes to energise and get the boys back together and fight.

"To get things back on track is going to take hard work and commitment; (we are) not going into this new league thinking oh we're just going to walk over it because we come from the Premier division.  We know we are on the back foot going in there and all eyes will be on us going into their show. There is no doubt pressure will be on, but from my decision here I want to help transform those problems into positive.

There was no shortage of offers to move from Carrick but he has decided to remain. 

“Yeah there were some interested parties and obviously I had to think about things. But I have been here five plus years now. It’s a bit hard to explain for outsiders maybe but it really is a special place to be around. I remember how they got my family involved during the 2023 Senior Cup Final and there is just something about the place that's always drawn me in. That's definitely one of the major factors in my decision; I have walked along a long path with plenty of the boys around here and want to be a full part in making cricket the heartbeat again.”

The club are delighted to announce this news and look forward to supporting CJ and the team in 2025