20 hours ago
Northern Knights implode against Leinster Lightning as Munster Reds leave it late to sink North West Warriors
Head coach Simon Johnston will be bitterly disappointed by a second batting failure in three matches this week as, chasing 151, they looked well on course to collect the points at 41 for one in just the fourth over with Paul Stirling (19) getting into his stride.
Even his dismissal by teenager Reuben Wilson didn't look to change the course of the game with Cade Carmichael (26) and Ben Calitz (19) taking them to 104 for four.
It was at this juncture that the Knights imploded, losing six wickets for 14 runs to be bundled out for 118.
Irish left-arm spinner George Dockrell claimed three for 22, while there were also two apiece for Barry McCarthy and Reuben Wilson.
Earlier, Harry Tector had top-scored for the Dubliners with a fluent 39-ball 56 that included five crunching fours as well as two maximums.
His younger sibling Tim chipped in with 21, while Dockrell was also in the runs, showcasing his all-round talents with 27 (three fours) in a total of 150 for eight. Waringstown seamer Tom Mayes was the pick of the bowlers with three wickets, while stand-in skipper Matthew Humphreys — Neil Rock missing the three matches due to a family bereavement — claimed two.
The win means Leinster now lead the table at the halfway stage with 25 points, 11 ahead of second-placed Knights.
In the bottom-of-the-table battle in the morning game, Liam McCarthy's smash-and-grab saw Munster Reds stun the North West Warriors in a last-ball thriller.
Jake Egan was the best of the Warriors' 138 for eight, making a 35-ball 40 (four fours, 1 six), while Scott Macbeth and Sam Topping each made 24.
Munster's bowling was disciplined with two wickets apiece for John McNally and Bakhtyar Nabi.
McNally's 37 and a run-a-ball 28 from fellow former youth international Philippe Le Roux laid the platform for the chase, but the contest seemed to be swaying in the Warriors favour with two wickets for Graham Hume and a brilliant spell of three for 17 by Eglinton leg-spinner Robbie Millar.
Hume took responsibility for bowling the last over with 19 required, and it seemed a wise move when he bowled two dot balls to left-hander Liam McCarthy.
Thereafter though, the Railway Union made solid contacts, thumping six, four, six, six to seal the win over a clearly shell-shocked North-West.
Munster leapfrogged the Warriors to leave Boyd Rankin's side rock bottom on net-run-rate. They will be hoping for better fortunes on home soil next week when the third of the scheduled four series takes place at Bready.
