When you get a Facebook video call from AB de Villiers, you must have done something special. And it doesn’t come much more special than converting your maiden century into a score of 223 not out.

Alex Haggan was the recipient of the message but it wasn’t a record-breaking innings, as the South African great scored 233 not out for Carrickfergus during his memorable half season at Middle Road 21 years ago.

Posted on the club’s Facebook page, AB said: “I miss you guys, I look back at my time there with fond memories of representing Carrickfergus. This is actually a special shout-out to Alex for that wonderful double hundred. What a fantastic achievement. I know you have been playing for the club your entire life and I want to wish you well for the upcoming games.  But well done, what a great achievement and all the very best.”

It was Iain Parkhill - along with Ryan Eagleson the only survivors from the class of 2004 - who has kept in touch with de Villiers and he didn’t take much persuasion to send the message to a player who was just 11 year old when AB was strutting his stuff as Carrickfergus’ professional in the old Section One of the NCU.

“I didn’t see him play because I was playing for the fourths or fifths that year,” says Haggan, “but I have a vague memory of him coaching me and I ended up getting one of his bats, which he left for me.

“But I’ve followed his career ever since and don’t think he could have gone any higher. As for the video, I never expected any of that. In fact, I never knew anything about it until one of my friends texted me and said ‘you might want to look at social media’. It was pretty special to get it from him.”

Haggan made his 1st XI debut against Muckamore in 2008, aged just 15, and remarkably, his highest score before last Saturday was 68 – “I can’t even remember who it was against, I know it was at home, that’s all I can remember” - but it was not something he could even contemplate, coming to the middle with the scoreboard showing 13 for four.

“It was a question of how do I survive this? It was tricky early on, Bangor’s opening bowlers were good and the pitch wasn’t easy at the start so it was a matter of getting in. I have been trying all my life to get a hundred never mind a double hundred, so it was something I never expected to do,” he adds.

So it was hardly a surprise when he admits the nerves really kicked in when he was on 99.

“I was on 99 the over before drinks and had to wait, but got the hundred the ball after. After that the shackles were released, you were finally over that hurdle that you have been trying to get to and then it allows you to relax and play.

Haggan also paid tribute to his partner in the club record stand of 286, unbroken, for the sixth wicket.

Prince (Sharma) played a great innings, he was happy to let me do my thing and he played his own game, ensuring I wasn’t off strike for too long. He played a super innings.

The perfect way to end the season for Haggan and Carrickfergus would be clinching the Section One title – which they can do on Saturday if they win at Derriaghy and Lurgan lose at Laurelvale. But Haggan is taking nothing for granted.

“There are still three games left and we are only eight points in front, cricket is a funny game. We will take it game by game. Yes, we can win it on Saturday but Derriaghy have beaten us before when we were both in the Premier League so we will not be going there thinking this is an easy one. They are also a good bunch of lads so we will go there give it our best shot and hopefully come out on the right side of it with a victory.”

Promotion brings with it a huge leap in standard and having experienced 10 years of life in the top flight, Haggan is perfectly placed to give his take on the difference in standard and what it takes to stay up in the Premier League.

“What I’ve noticed this year is that there are a few teams rebuilding, a few teams getting on a bit so you have to be in the right place to go up. The Premier League is a serious standard of cricket, some teams are semi-pro, you are playing against international cricketers, so it is not for the faint hearted. The club, no matter who they are, has to be in the right place, has to have the backing because if you want to compete you have to be happy to spend money. Some clubs are, some clubs aren’t and some can’t afford to.

“The last time we were promoted (in 2014) we had a young team, were happy to go up and knew if we added two or three players we could do quite well. And we did, finishing second one year (2016). In fact, I don’t think we realised how good our team actually was, but it depends on each club.”

Haggan also has strong views on the 6-4 split which is current system in the Premier League, the teams separating into a top and bottom section after the first nine matches.

“I personally don’t like it. I played in a league where you played everybody twice and the best team won it and the worst team got relegated. But sometimes the bottom team could pull off a win against the top team. With the 6-4 split, if you make it into the top six, but with no chance of winning the league, you are really just playing to fulfil the fixtures for the love of cricket.

“Playing everyone twice, you play on different grounds, on different wickets, maybe you have to grind it out because you are not always going to play through the line on a bad wicket and that’s some of the games you can get wins. I remember playing in an eight-team league and we stayed up by beating the top teams. If you play everyone twice the best team wins and the worst team gets relegated.”