Leinster Lightning retained their grip on the Hanley Energy Inter-Provincial Cup at Magheramason this afternoon with a hard-fought 27-run win over a battling North West Warriors side. An opening stand between Jack Tector and Ed Joyce was ultimately to be the difference between the teams; their 109 partnership providing nearly half of the visitors final total of 232 all out.
Tector led the way with 58 (6 fours and a six) while Joyce added 49 (5 fours) before the home side fought back through Ross Allen. The Eglinton all-rounder picked up three wickets in fairly quick succession and at 145-5 it was very much game on.
Such is the quality of the Leinster squad however that there was still plenty of batting to come and the mantle was picked up by Kevin O'Brien who hit 3 fours and a six in a run-a-ball 58 not out. Lorcan Tucker (17) was the only other scorer of note with the final wicket coming off the last ball of the innings.
Eglinton team-mates Allen (3-52) and Stuart Thompson (3-53) fared best of the attack but it represented a solid bowling effort from the home side who were missing Craig Young and Andy McBrine through injury.
The Warriors' reply started well despite the early loss of Allen to Tyrone Kane before George Dockrell and Peter Chase stamped their class on proceedings. David Rankin made 32 at the top of the order and David Barr added 20 on his return to the side but it took a half century from stand-in skipper Stuart Thompson to swing the game back his men's way.
While Thompson and namesake Johnny were together it looked like the contest was going right down to the wire- the home side 166-5 with 10 overs left at that point. It was to be there however that the southerners wrestled it back once and for all; Stuart Thompson out sweeping just a ball after reaching his 50 (3 fours) and his batting partner going in the next over- lbw to Peter Chase for 24.
Cameos from Ricky-Lee Dougherty (16*) and Andy Britton (14) served only to narrow the gap after that as Dockrell (4-38) and Chase (3-46) had the final say in yet another win for Abert van der Merwe's charges.
Hanley Energy Inter-Provincial Cup
At Magheramason, North West Warriors lost to Leinster Lightning by 27 runs
Leinster Lightning 232 all out (50 overs; K O'Brien 58*, J Tector 58, E Joyce 49, R Allen 3-52, S Thompson 3-53)
North West Warriors 205 all out (47.2 overs; S Thompson 50, D Rankin 32, J Thompson 24, D Barr 20, G Dockrell 4-38, P Chase 3-46)