Lightning Finish Season Unbeaten Thanks to Campher’s Class
The Leinster Lightning ensured an unbeaten season with a 3-wicket victory over the North West Warriors in the final Test Triangle InterProvincial 50-over Cup match at Malahide on Monday.
Curtis Campher stroked eight boundaries in his 59 not out as he guided the Lightning passed a few scares to victory with almost six overs to spare in a rain-reduced match at Malahide.
As has been the case throughout this shortened season, Josh Little (2-22) and Peter Chase (1-15) were threatening and economical up front with the ball. Little removed Nathan McGuire and Chase Will Smale either side of a nearly four-hour rain delay after the match had started on time.
Even with the overs reduced to 32-a-side, the Lightning bowlers continued to dominate with Campher (2-23) and Simi Singh (3-27) in particular, consistently threatening.
Stuart Thompson and Graham Hume did both hit 36 however, sharing five boundaries and the day’s only two maximums to give some momentum to the Warriors innings. However, their 132/8 adjusted to a DLS target of 132 in 32 overs didn’t seem enough for the Lightning batting line-up.
When the Warriors had the home side 0/2, and then 24/3 when Saturday’s hero Lorcan Tucker (14) was out, questions began to be asked of the Lightning.
Up stepped Stephen Doheny (33) and Curtis Campher (59*), who would play the crucial hand. Their 53-run stand for the fourth wicket calmed any fraying nerves, before Campher added 36 more in partnership with Singh (15) to leave just 19 required for victory.
What should have been a coronation stroll became a little bogged down as two more wickets fell to leave the Lightning 119/7.
Perhaps fittingly, that brought captain George Dockrell (8*) to the crease and in partnership with Campher they took the Lightning home to their fourth win from four in the InterProvincial 50-over Cup.
It fell to Campher to hit the winning runs through point with his eighth boundary and allow the Lightning pick up both the IP20 and IP50 trophies from the sponsors Test Triangle.
Test Triangle Interprovincial 50-Over Cup
Malahide CC, Dublin
Rain-reduced 32-over aside
Leinster Lightning v North West Warriors, Monday September 28th
North West Warriors 132/8 32 Overs (G Hume 36, S Thompson 36; S Singh 3-27, C Campher 2-23)
DLS Adjusted Target 132
Leinster Lightning 133/7 26.3 Overs (C Campher 59*, S Doheny 33; C Young 2-30)
Leinster Lightning won by 3 wickets DLS
