Lightning Singh on Final Day but Can’t Force the Win Against the Knights

Simi Singh was the star of the day with an unbeaten century and a five-wickets in the second innings, but the Leinster Lightning had to settle for a draw with the Northern Knights on the final day at Pembroke.

Resuming on 159/3 overnight, Cormac McLoughlin-Gavin was unbeaten on 82 and favourite to make a century. Unfortunately for The Hills’ opener he only added four before mistiming a pull shot to Ellison at mid-wicket.

Tyrone Kane (28) provided good support to Singh who had resumed on 26* as they added 53 for the 7^th wicket.

However, it was the eighth wicket stand of 94 with Barry McCarthy (44) that brought the Lightning close to parity at the end of the first innings. Singh went to his hundred off 124 balls with 13 boundaries, but the very next ball McCarthy fell, caught at leg slip.

The Lightning declared eight runs behind looking to bowl the Knights out cheaply and chase down the target.

With McCollum unable to open after taking a blow on his foot yesterday, Murray Commins was promoted. The home side made an immediate breakthrough when he was trapped LBW by McCarthy.

George Dockrell (2-32) ensured Harry Tector (12) wouldn’t repeat his first innings ton, before Ellison and Wilson fell with the score on 78 and the Knights’ lead just 86.

Singh was in the middle of bowling 25.5 overs in succession and picked up the key middle order wickets of Getkate (7) and Adair (17). Stephen Doheny then took his first-class wicket when he bowled James McCollum who had come in at 7 and the Knights were seven down, with the lead just 122.

James Cameron-Dow proved a stubborn obstacle scoring just 12 runs off 54 balls in over an hour’s play.

Entering the final hour of play in the match, Dockrell believed that taking the final wickets quickly would allow a quick chase of roughly 130 in 10 or 12 overs.

The lower order held out just long enough for the Knights as by the time Singh picked up his fifth wicket by dismissing Foster, there were just eight overs left in the day and the deficit was 139.

Initially, Lightning skipper Dockrell considered taking the chase on, however, after reflection it was decided to shake hands on the draw and move on to next Tuesday.

These two sides meet again in the reverse fixture at Stormont from Tuesday 6^th August to Thursday 8^th August. Fingers crossed the weather doesn’t interfere in what should be a cracking match.

Day 1 of the Inter-Provincial Championship match gets underway at 11am on Tuesday August 6^th from Stormont. There will be live ball-by-ball scoring on the Match Centre on www.cricketleinster.ie and updates on @cricketleinster and @lcu_lightning on Twitter.

InterProvincial Championship, Leinster Lightning v Northern Knights

At Pembroke Cricket Club;

Northern Knights 332 106.5 overs (H Tector 146, S Getkate 56; S Singh 10.5-1-24-3, G Dockrell 17-3-48-2)

Leinster Lightning 324/8 dec 76.3 overs (S Singh 100*, C McLoughlin-Gavin 86, B McCarthy 44; D Delany 14-1-63-3)

Northern Knights 131 60.5 overs (G Wilson 36, M Ellison 27; S Singh 25.5-7-38-5, G Dockrell 15-4-32-2)

Match Drawn:

Leinster Lightning 10 points

Northern Knights 10 points