William Porterfield batted Leinster Lightning into submission and earned North West Warriors a second draw of the season against the inter-provincial championship holders.

Porterfield’s career-best 207 was the solid backbone of Warriors second innings total of 460-9 and brought their tally of runs in three first class innings against the best bowling attack in the competition to 1,049. And this after being bowled out for 80 in the first innings!

The Bready pitch, which had seamed and turned for much of the first day, was dormant for the second half of the match and yesterday the bowlers would have had as much success if they had been playing on the adjacent Keery Road.

It allowed Warriors, resuming on 214-3, to bat out the day and Porterfield to complete a marathon eight hours, five minutes stay at the crease, proving the Test match captain will be around for many more matches as Ireland begin their hectic Future Tours Programme.

His main partner yesterday was David Rankin who also comfortably passed his previous highest first class score of 52 not out and the only excitement at the end of the day was if he would reach his century.
But trying to get into the 90s in the grand manner, the Bready man holed out to long-on and left Davy Scanlon and Craig Young to bat out the remaining six minutes before Andy McBrine could declare.

Missing from the Lightning bowling attack was Josh Little with a side strain but he will still travel to Arundel for tomorrow’s Ed Joyce Testimonial game against Sussex.

But they were hardly short of quality bowlers – six internationals plus Jarred Barnes who was best with the new ball and deservedly ended the overnight partnership with Niall O’Brien only able to sky a short ball to wide mid-on.
Skipper George Dockrell was the pick of the slow bowlers, continuing his impressive form with both bat and ball for province but he was upstaged by both Simi Singh and Andrew Balbirnie who each finished with three wickets, Singh finally tempting Porterfield to pick the wrong ball and find a leading edge to slip, where John Anderson held a sharp catch.

The innings is the second highest in the championship, behind Nick Larkin’s 247 for Northern Knights in 2013 but he faced 93 balls less than Porterfield’s 442, a monumental effort of skill, concentration and discipline, so fitting for the Ireland captain at the start of a Test career.
He hit 25 fours and two sixes.