DOCKRELL DEMOLITION - ANOTHER LIGHTNING VICTORY

George Dockrell was the star of the show for the Leinster Lightning as they came from an improbable position to sink the Northern Knights in the second game of the IP50 season.

The day started well for the Lightning, as skipper Lorcan Tucker won the toss and elected to bowl first, after an attacking opening spell from the Knights, Jai Moondra removed Paul Stirling and put the home side on the front foot.

Reuben Wilson’s excellent spell accounted for Topping & McCollum, before David Delany followed him and dismissed Neil Rock. When Leckey was dismissed by Totakhil, the Lightning were right on top.

Tom Mayes then joined Cade Carmichael and saw his opener through to an excellent 100, before Jai Moondra returned and struck to remove both in his comeback spell. When Gavin Hoey’s second spell accounted for both Humphreys and Robertson, the Knights were all out for 204, a score which looked more than chaseable.

Early wickets saw the home side reduced to 12/4, however that succeeded only in bringing George Dockrell to the crease. After he and de Freitas had settled things down somewhat, the latter fell to bring Gavin Hoey to the crease.

Hoey and Dockrell added the first of two stands of 70+ that the latter was involved in, before Hoey was dismissed for an excellently made 40.

That wicket once again saw things on a knife edge, however Barry McCarthy proved to once again be the man for the big occasion, making an unbeaten run-a-ball 34.

It was Dockrell however who was the undoubted star of the show for the home side, remaining unbeaten right to the end, launching Paul Stirling for 6 to both win the game, and bring up a magnificent century from 121 balls, finding the boundary 14 times along with that game-ending maximum.

That’s two from two for the Leinster Lightning, with their next fixture being the final home game of the season, once again in Oak Hill against the North West Warriors, as they seek to round off the early stages of the IP50 season unbeaten.