EXCITING 2021 AHEAD FOR LIGHTNING UNDER NEW SPONSOR

Cricket Leinster is pleased to confirm that Leinster Lightning will commence their 2021 campaign with a home fixture at YMCA Cricket Club, Claremont Road, Sandymount on 4th May when the team will host the Northern Knights.

This will be a fitting curtain-raiser for the new Lightning sponsorship under the brand – LHW Financial Planning – which is owned and managed by YMCA stalwart, Alan Lewis. LHW Financial Planning recently signed a 2-year deal to sponsor both the Lightning and Bolts programmes which is a huge boost for Cricket Leinster and reflects LHW’s unstinting and enduring support for cricket in Leinster over many years.

Notwithstanding some reallocation of players since 2020, it is pleasing to see that the Lightning squad still retains most of its established and proven performers together with some very exciting young prospects. The team will be captained once again by George Dockrell who has enjoyed significant success as Lightning captain over recent seasons.

The squad will be looking to build on its success in 2020 when the team completed the Double (IP50 and IP20 titles) whilst remaining unbeaten throughout the season.

One of the show-piece events of the season will be a T20 Festival at Pembroke Cricket Club (Sydney Parade, Sandymount) in the middle of June. Pembroke has hosted many Lightning victories over recent years and was the host venue for the first such T20 Festival in 2018 which was fully live-streamed by Cricket Leinster.

Cricket Leinster is hugely appreciative of the support it receives from Pembroke which will again host most of our home IP fixtures this year. Thanks in advance to Barry Tucker, Dale McDonough, Philip Byrne, Amanda Dunlop, Niall Walsh and all the team at Pembroke for their support.

As Head Coach & Pathway Manager, Nigel Jones will continue to be supported by Brian O’Rourke who has worked with most of the players since they first featured in the Leinster Underage Programmes.

CORE LIGHTNING SQUAD

George Dockrell (capt), Rory Anders, Andrew Balbirnie, Peter Chase, JJ Garth, Josh Little, Barry McCarthy, Kevin O’Brien, Simi Singh, Jack Tector, Tim Tector, Lorcan Tucker.

INTERPRO HOME 50-OVER CUP FIXTURES

May 4: Leinster Lightning v Northern Knights (Claremont Road)

May 20: Leinster Lightning v Munster Reds (Sydney Parade)

August 30: Leinster Lightning v NW Warriors (Sydney Parade)

INTERPRO HOME T20 FESTIVAL

June 18-20: Leinster region (Sydney Parade)