LIGHTNING BOLTS TOO HOT FOR MUNSTER! (JULY 16TH)

A truly comprehensive display from the Sherwin O'Riordan Leinster Lightning Bolts came to a close early this afternoon, as they dismantled the Munster 'Heat' in Oak Hill to get their 2-Day Future Series campaign off to the perfect start.

The visitors' 1st innings had started somewhat promisingly, as they reached 59/1 before Olly Riley came into the attack. The Pembroke seamer quickly nicked three batters in succession off to Bruce Whaley behind the sticks, with two wickets apiece for Yash Bala and Mark Tonge also doing some damage through the middle. There was a wicket for both Andy Doheny and Dan Murray, before Riley returned to give Whaley yet another catch and see Munster shot out for 176 in good batting conditions.

The hosts proved just how good they were in the second half of the day, as the Bolts got off to a flier before Tom Johnson was run out for 14 from just 6 balls, a stand of 140 between Danny Forkin and Rob O'Brien was ended when the former was the second to be run out, having made an excellent 79. O'Brien then added a further 79 alongside skipper Philippe le Roux, before he was the first batter to be dismissed by a bowler, caught for 50.

O'Brien closed Day 1 on 104 not out, batting alongside Yaseen Sherzad who was on 7. Only one of them could kick on this morning however, as O'Brien was dismissed without adding to his total. Sherzad however thumped the ball to all corners, taking just 51 deliveries to make 81, including 12 boundaries and three maximums. Late 20s for Whaley and Tonge kicked the score above 400, with the Bolts eventually all out with a commanding 230-run lead.

The third innings was nothing short of carnage at the outset, Luke Murray claiming Stevenson first ball, before Tonge took two in two to close out the third over. The Heat scrambled 20 runs before losing their fourth wicket, however when they did, it kicked off a spell of five wickets between Riley and Dan Murray that reduced them to 42/9 and the verge of a huge defeat. Sherzad and Sumanasinghe dug in, and to their credit, added the largest partnership of the innings, however when the final wicket fell with the score on 86, the Lightning Bolts had run out winners by an innings and 142 runs, an extremely professional opening performance.

Barry Grimes' outfit now travel to Belmont next week to take on the Emerging Knights, in what is sure to be a hard-fought game.