The Management Committee of Carrickfergus Cricket Club has approved the contract for a new £15.7k secondary derainage scheme to be carried out this autumn on the outfield at Middle Road. The drainage has been a problem for a number of years and in particular during the last three unseasonably wet summers. The work will be carried out by Clive Richardson Civil Engineering and Sports Ground Contractors, and is due to commence, weather permitting, in the third week of September, and will take two weeks to complete. The works to be carried out will include: A new drain to be placed at the foot of the embankment at the top of the ground; Sand slitting the entire outfield to a 250mm depth at 2m centres; Sandgrooving the entire outfield 75mm deep and 25 mm wide at 200 mm centres; Gravel banding the last 3m of the bowlers run-ups on each side of the square, and a number of connections through the square; Vertidraining, top-dressing with 150 tons of sand, and re-seeding and fertilizing entire outfield. Mr Stephen McNally of Clive Richardson's commented the he believes that the main drainage is in good condition and that these secondary drainage works will be enough to give a well drained outfield without drying out the surface too much and effecting grass growth.