James McCollum was the Northern Knights’ unlikely bowling star as he chose the first day of the inter-provincial match against North West Warriors to claim his first wicket in first class cricket and turn it into a maiden five-wicket haul in senior cricket.

The Waringstown all-rounder, as we must call-him now, has been starring with the bat in recent weeks, scoring 170 for Ireland Wolves to put his name in frame for an international debut against Afghanistan next month, but to take five wickets in just 10 overs proves he has another string to his bow.

“I probably more bowled more overs in that one spell than I have done all season for Waringstown,” said McCollum last night. “But you come up to the North West, the softer wickets suits my dibbly-dobbly bowling which is hard to get away.  But to get Scra (Andy McBrine) caught at second slip, that will stick in the memory.”

The Warriors came into their final Championship game needing victory and five bonus points to win the title for the first time and despite McCollum’s heroics they are still on course having picked up two batting bonus points and need only five more wickets today to claim their required bonus points.

But, after closing the longest day of the season – stumps were drawn at 7.55pm, after an 11am start – on 96-2, the Knights are just 130 runs behind and McCollum believes they are in well ahead with two days to play.

Their last wicket partnership went for 30-40 which was frustrating, but we are in the box seat so it has been a good day for us,” he added.

It was always going to be an “insertion” day so it was first blood to Knights – who gave debuts to Carrickfergus opening bowler Matty McCord and Civil Service North batsman Aaron Wright - when Shane Getkate won the toss and had no hesitation in asking Warriors to bat, influenced no doubt by their recent batting travails which has led to four consecutive defeats this month.

It was nearly the worst possible start and best imaginable for McCord who with his first ball in first-class cricket almost held a return catch from Ireland Test captain William Porterfield. But it would not have counted as he had overstepped, the first of nine no-balls by the Knights bowlers.

At lunch, the Warriors could probably say they had just the better of the first session, having reached 103 for three – but McCollum had bowled only two overs and had already claimed Aaron Gillespie as his maiden first-class dismissal.

McCollum was only bowling because of the chronic list of injuries to Knights’ pace bowlers but seven overs later he had figures of 5-59 with three internationals, Niall O’Brien, who played on, Stuart Thomson, spectacularly caught in the gully by James Cameron-Dow and McBrine among his victims and when he ripped through the defences of Graham Kennedy he had better first class figures than anyone else in the match!

That “annoying” last wicket stand between Ross Allen and David Scanlon was actually 37 but it gave Warriors what could prove a valuable second batting point but hopes they were add to it in the 36 overs Knights faced last night were thwarted by Mark Ellison.

The CSN opener had scored only 15 runs in his previous four Championship innings but he resumed this morning 62 not out, having already hit the only three sixes of the innings and finally showing why the Knights have persevered with him.

McCollum couldn’t follow up his bowling heroics with the bat but he will have a second chance and has already put a dent in the Warriors’ title ambitions.