Lightning Blitz Puts Warriors On Back Foot

Leinster Lightning finished a dramatic final session very much in the ascendancy against the North West Warriors on day two of their Newstalk Inter-Provincial Cup contest at Bready.

The home side resumed on Wednesday on 144-7 and the overnight batsmen Ricky-Lee Dougherty and Ernest Kemm added 23 more before the former was bowled by Eddie Richardson for 18.

Kemm (19) followed soon after and proceedings were ended pretty quickly as the Warriors were dismissed for 176. Richardson (4-42) was top wicket taker for Leinster but got excellent support from John Mooney (3-21), Max Sorensen (2-52) and Tyrone Kane (1-30).

Any idea that the visitors would sweep past that target were soon dismissed however as Craig Young and Tabish Khan got among their top order. Young got rid of Ben Ackland without scoring and then broke a threatening partnership between Bill Coghlan and Patrick Collins, bowling the former for 33.

Khan got in on the act after a change of ends, seeing off John Anderson for 2 and Andrew Poynter for 18.

At that stage Lightning were 79-4 but the hosts were soon in command of the contest as Collins (30), Kevin O'Brien (18) and Eddie Richardson (0) all fell in fairly quick succession. The Warriors' tails were up -Tyrone Kane (8) and John Mooney (6) didn't get to hang around either and at 127-9 the southerners looked in big trouble.

They needed a break and they got one when Johnny Thompson dropped Max Sorensen at second slip minutes later and the Warriors made to pay for that.
Sorensen and Fintan McAllister- hardly your typical 10 and 11- settled down and played really sensible cricket and despite the fact that their side was still 40-odd behind, you could sense the shift in momentum.

With each passing over there was a spring in the step of the batsmen while the frustration got to Bobby Rao's men. Milestone by milestone the "tail enders" ate into the lead, not only eroding it but eventually helping their team to a very unexpected 44 run first innings advantage.

Sorensen was last out for 42 while McAllister was unbeaten on 48- a 10th wicket stand worth 93 priceless runs in the context of the match.

Craig Young bowled brilliantly to return figures of 5-37, while Kemm (2-22) and Khan (2-54) did what they were brought in to do.

With only 10 minutes to motivate his beleaguered troops between innings the Warriors coach did what he could but it was clear that the visitors had the bit between their teeth.

Skipper John Mooney took the new ball and in less than an hour of pure aggression he removed the Warriors top 4 batsmen- Jason Milligan, Niall McDonnell, David Barr and Tabish Khan while his opening partner Sorensen did for Ernest Kemm with the last ball of the day.

The Warriors therefore will start Day 3 on 20-5 and with a job to do to even make Leinster bat again.

The shell-shocked North West side will hope to salvage something from a game that they have, to be fair, been every bit as good as the visitors in large parts but in which they have been handed a tough lesson in finishing.