Northern Knights joined Leinster Lightning at the top of the Newstalk 106-108 FM Inter-Provincial championship table with an eight wicket victory over North-West Warriors at Stormont today.
Requiring just another 69 runs to win on the third day the Knights sped to their target in fifteen and a half overs which occupied only 63 minutes. An unbroken stand of 87 between Craig Ervine and Andrew White saw them home without any undue alarms. Zimbabwean Test player Ervine finished on 72 not out off 124 balls and in addition to striking 6 fours he smashed 4 sixes, the last of which took his team over the line.
Ervine has expressed an interest in playing for Ireland but having last played for Zimbabwe in March 2013 will not be eligible until 2017. White on the other hand is Ireland’s joint highest capped player and his calm 31 not out, which included 3 fours, ensured that the Knights were never under pressure.
Having now lost both of their first two matches in the 3 day competition the Warriors have it all to do to get back into contention. Their biggest concern will be their batting which has failed to record a total of even 200 in four innings. Indeed their only batsman to pass 50 in the match was Scott Campbell and he was only called into the team as a late replacement. While their bowling was more competitive that was largely due to their two club professionals, Tabish Khan and E Kemm, neither of whom are qualified for Ireland. Craig Young did look threatening at times but has yet to convince that he is capable of hostile spells throughout a match. The Warriors cause was not helped by an injury to their young skipper Andy McBrine which prevented him bowling in the final innings. McBrine will be doubly concerned as apart from the Warriors he will not want to jeopardize his place in the Ireland squad.
The other three overseas born Knights players who are trying to convince the Ireland selectors of their talents all made decent contributions in the match. Australian native Nick Larkin made 40 and 37 in his two innings but will be disappointed not to have kicked on in either innings to a significant score. The tall left arm spinner James Cameron-Dow continues to impress with his ability to really give the ball a tweak and will be pushing hard for a place in the Ireland team for next month’s matches against Sri Lanka A particularly as George Dockrell is unlikely to be released by Somerset.
The last of the trio, Nathan Waller, got both runs and wickets. His height enabled him to generate disconcerting bounce and as he is just back from injury, full match fitness should allow him to add extra pace to his bowling.
The next match in this championship will be a better test of the trio’s abilities as the Knights take on defending champions Leinster Lightning at Trinity’s College Park from the 17th-19th June in a game that will go a long way in determining which captain hoists the trophy aloft at the end of August.
NEWSTALK INTER-PROVINCIAL CHAMPIONSHIP, DAY 3 CLOSE
At Stormont,
NORTHERN KNIGHTS 187 (N Larkin 40, N Waller 38, A White 35, Tabish Khan 6-55, J Thompson 2-37) and 157-2 (C Ervine 72*, N Larkin 37, A White 31*)
NW WARRIORS 190 (S Campbell 51, J Thompson 40, S Getkate 4-25) and 150 (RL Dougherty 41, N McDonnell 37, E Kemm 24, G McClintock 23, N Waller 4-24, A Coulter 2-17, S Getkate 2-25, J Cameron-Dow 2-32)
Northern Knights beat NW Warriors by 8 wickets
