DOCKRELL AND TECTOR LEAD THE WAY IN OPENING LIGHTNING WIN

Skipper George Dockrell and Lightning debutant Harry Tector were the main men today as the Leinster side kicked off their pursuit of a 9^th IP50 title in a row with a comprehensive 7 wicket victory over the North West Warriors in Sydney Parade.

The day started well for the Lightning as Dockrell won the toss and elected to bowl first on a wicket which looked like it would offer some early assistance for the seam bowlers. Opening pair of Barry McCarthy and Josh Little extracted some movement and variable carry from the surface, but in the main were played well by openers Doheny and Porterfield. Change seamers Jack Carty and Muzamil Sherzad were also tried without success, with Carty in particular caused Portefield some issues angling the ball away from around the wicket.

The drinks break brought an opportunity for change, and a double bowling switch by the skipper, bringing himself and Simi Singh on at opposite ends. Doheny top edged a sweep off Dockrell to the 45 where Jack Carty pouched a catch, before Andy McBrine was clean bowled by Singh.

At this point Dockrell switched ends, and brought Harry Tector on to bowl from the St John’s Road End. This change completely swung the game, as Dockrell accounted for Porterfield, Scott Macbeth, William McClintock and finally Graham Hume to complete an excellent spell of bowling with 5/24, whilst Tector accounted for the wickets of Graham Kennedy and Nathan McGuire finishing with 2/21. Singh then returned to the attack to dismiss Jared Wilson, before Josh Little had Conor Olphert caught by Barry McCarthy to round of the innings in the final over.

The Lightning’s response started slightly shakily, as in the third over, Tim Tector was dropped at second slip by William Porterfield, and an attempt at a run out allowed a run on the overthrow, from the next delivery, Singh edged to Porterfield again who this time made absolutely no mistake in pouching a slightly tougher chance.

That brought Andy Balbirnie to the crease and he along with Tector weathered the storm of Hume and Conor Olphert’s opening spells. The pair progressed the score slowly to 42 before the Irish captain swept the ball to sub fielder Trent McKeegan at deep square leg to be dismissed for 12. Tector was then joined by his brother Harry, and the intensity at the crease immediately increased.

The pair ran excellently between the wickets, depositing the bad ball for four when it came, McBrine turned back to his trump card Graham Hume to bowl a second spell from the Wilfield Road End and beat the edge a couple of times, before he got his reward, taking Tim Tector’s edge for the second time in the innings and this time Portefield dived to his right to take a superb catch just off the ground.

Harry Tector really got into his flow when skipper Dockrell then joined him at the crease, taking a particular liking to Graham Kennedy’s left-arm spin, depositing him for 6, followed by a back-foot force for two to bring up his half-century, followed by another towering 6 over long-off with what was arguably the shot of the innings.

The pair added exactly 70 runs in just 12.2 overs in the most fluent partnership of the day, Tector finishing on an unbeaten 76 from 88 deliveries, with Dockrell making 21* from 31 balls, guiding the Lightning to a final total of 186/3 in 43.5 overs, and a dominant victory to kick off the 2022 InterProvincial season.

AT SYDNEY PARADE

LEINSTER LIGHTNING 186/3, 43.5 overs (H Tector 76*, T Tector 47, G Dockrell 21*; G Hume 2/20)
beat
NORTH WEST WARRIORS 185/10, 49.5 overs (W Porterfield 44; G Dockrell 5/24, H Tector 2/21, S Singh 2/54)
by 7 wickets