Fascinating Festival Weekend Ahead
With three rounds of T20 cricket to be played over three days this weekend at Pembroke CC, the inaugural IP20 Festival, hosted by Cricket Leinster promises to be a most entertaining and exciting event.
After two comfortable bonus point victories against the Reds and Knights, the Lightning produced a fantastic bowling display to defend 99 against the Warriors in Bready, last time out.
Peter Chase’s final over of 2 for 6 set the seal on a low-scoring but no less thrilling victory for the men in blue.
“Those two yorkers were pretty good, if I do say so, probably the best two I’ve bowled to be honest. There’s always a margin of error, that’s quite small, when you’re bowling them, but I backed myself,” he said after the game.
Chase has been working hard with Ireland bowling coach Rob Cassell on his death bowling skills. While Skipper George Dockrell has hit unbeaten scores in the nineties in his last two IP50 matches and new call-up for this weekend, North County’s Fionn Hand, scored 156 for Queen’s College, Taunton earlier this week.
All these talents will be on display not to mention, Andrew Balbirnie and Simi Singh, who will line up in the Lightning blue having faced India for Ireland last week, and the big hitting opener Gareth Delany.
The Lightning face the Knights, Warriors and Reds on consecutive days from Friday to Sunday July 6th – 8th at 4pm each day preceded by an IP20 match at 11am.
All six matches are being live streamed on Cricket Leinster TV with thanks to Cairn Homes but as Philip Smith, Cricket Leinster General Manager, wished the squad well he had this to say:
“This promises to be one of the most exciting weekends of InterPro cricket in the history of the competition. With all four teams, great weather, live streaming and entertainment, Pembroke CC is the place to be this weekend.”
The Leinster Lightning Squad that will take part in the Inaugural IP20 Festival is;
Leinster Lightning
George Dockrell (captain) (Leinster)
Gareth Delany (Leinster)
Peter Chase (Malahide)
John Anderson (Merrion)
Tyrone Kane (Merrion)
Tom Stanton (Merrion)
Lorcan Tucker (Pembroke)
Andrew Balbirnie (Pembroke)
Simi Singh (YMCA)
Eddie Richardson (North County)
Fionn Hand (North County)
Andrew Sheridan (North County)
The Lightning kick-off their weekend against the Northern Knights at 4pm following the opening match between the Munster Reds and the North West Warriors at 11am on Friday, July 6th.