THE sun shone at College Park for the start of a new era in Irish cricket as Leinster hosted the North West in the first ever three-day inter-provincial. What could possibly go wrong?

Well, if you were a North West cricketer, quite a lot! Put into bat with the ball moving around, they slumped to 12 for three, 54 for five and 89 for seven before recovering to post a respectable if not competitive 191.

But when the Lightning side went into bat, it got even worse for the visitors. The bowlers, now in sunny conditions, failed to get the same movement, and the in-form home batsmen had cut the first innings deficit to 86 by the close for the loss of just one wicket.

Captain Ifti Hussain claimed the wicket but that was about all that went right for his side as Bill Coghlan, on his representative debut, showed not a hint of nerves to carry on what he had started the season with Clontarf.

He starts day two 71 not out, with the resolute John Anderson for company, and ominously for the Warriors, the next three batsmen out of the pavilion will all be internationals.

It is a very difficult team to get into to - certainly at ODI level - but if Coghlan keeps this form up he could leapfrog the other hopefuls and become a new cap, in the Intercontinental Cup, before the season is out.

Peter Connell, hoping to consolidate his Ireland place, did himself no favours last night and was outbowled by Johnny Thompson who had earlier been one of the two shining stars in the Warriors' batting line-up with 45, in a eighth wicket stand of 73 with Andrew Riddles who ran out of partners before he reached a deserved 50.

Max Sorensen and O'Brien, predictably, were the best of the Leinster bowlers, although Eddie Richardson bowled well with the new ball.