North West Warriors' batting woes continued on an abbreviated day two of the RSA inter-provincial championship game against the Northern Knights at Osborne Park.

The team, which has not totalled 200 in four previous innings in the three-day competition, were 69 for four when the rain arrived in Belfast at lunchtime and prevented any further play. 

Jason Milligan, on his championship debut, took 16 balls to get off the mark and survived a difficult chance to wicket-keeper McCann on just six, but has so far faced 66 balls with a patience badly lacking in his team-mates at the top of the order.

The Knights players believe he should have been given out, caught at short-leg to the last ball he faced, when he tried to get bat and gloves out of the way, but although two wrongs do not make a right, they appeared fortunate to get Warriors skipper Niall McDonnell six balls later, caught behind off his pad. But it did give North Down's left arm slow bowler James Cameron-Dow his first representative wicket.

But the other batsmen had no excuses, David Rankin and Andy McBrine both giving straightforward catches to McCann and Kamran Sajjid edged his fourth ball to gully which Craig Ervine took at full stretch diving forward.

At 69 for four, it marked a recovery from 23 for three but on past form it is not unfair to mention that the Warriors still need 83 to avoid the follow on, although time - or lack of it - is on their side.

The Knights resumed yesterday needing 41 from 10 overs to collect their maximum four batting points and McCann and Nathan Waller had knocked off 23 of them in six overs before Gareth Burns claimed his first wicket of the match.

Although Cameron-Dow was caught at deep mid-on going for the bonus point run, McCann made no mistake next ball and the declaration followed Allan Coulter's wicket which gave the Warriors their fourth bowling point.

Coulter and Phil Eaglestone then rammed home the Knights advantage with the ball, but it looks as if the rain could have the final say.