Young Guns Make Their Mark as Thunder Win Intra-Squad Match
An unbroken stand of 141 between Stephen Doheny and Tim Tector proved the difference as the Leinster Lightning Thunder defeated the Sparks by 6-wickets in an Intra-Squad match at Malahide on Friday.
Doheny (87*) and Tector (74*) timed their chase perfectly as they firstly rebuilt the innings, before accelerating towards the back end.
Between them, Doheny and Tector hit 11 boundaries and six maximums as they displayed their abilities to find the gaps, go over the top and run well when needed too.
Tim may be the youngest of the Tector boys, but he is fast developing a reputation as a fine batsman at the highest level, while Doheny has shown great abilities with the bat at representative level throughout this short season.
Jamie Grassi (43) had started the Thunder chase well, while Jack Tector hit a cameo run-a-ball 27 including six boundaries, before both Curtis Campher and Simi Singh fell cheaply.
However, that allowed the young tyros to chase down the target of 249 with eight balls to spare.
Doheny and Tector were not the only players to put their hands up for further InterProvincial action, as Greg Ford (84*) and Jeremy Lawlor (79) also showed their worth with the bat.
This was not a day for the bowlers as the batsmen dominated, Ford and Lawlor hitting 13 boundaries and four sixes as they put on 76 for the third wicket. Once Lawlor fell, wickets continued to fall throughout the final 10 overs and the Sparks eventually finished on 248/7 off their 40 overs.
Everyone knows what the frontline Leinster Lightning players can do, these Intra-Squad matches are about fringe players putting forward their case for selection. Doheny and Ford have been in the T20 squad but outshone by others, Lawlor and Tector in particular, will be happy to have been taken the opportunities today’s game afforded them.
The Leinster Lightning begin their Test Triangle InterProvincial 50-over Cup campaign away to the Northern Knights at Comber on Thursday September 17th at 10.15am.
Leinster Lightning Intra-Squad Warm-Up
Leinster Lightning Sparks v Leinster Lightning Thunder, Friday September 11th
Malahide CC, 40 over match
Sparks 248/7 40 Overs (G Ford 84*, J Lawlor 79; R Anders 6-0-31-2)
Thunder 249/4 38.4 Overs (S Doheny 87*, T Tector 74*; F Tucker 3-0-9-1)
Leinster Lightning Thunder won by 6 wickets