Northern Knights have given themselves an outside chance of sharing the RSA inter-provincial 50-over title after a three wickets victory over the previously all-conquering Leinster Lightning. The winning margin was three wickets, with 11 balls to spare.

There was no official man of the match award but, while the individual analysis might indicate otherwise, the deserved recipient was Peter Eakin.

The North Down all-rounder had just returned from Holland on Friday, and the disappointment of failing to reach the Under 19 World Cup finals with Ireland, but it did not affect his performance at The Lawn yesterday. He took the big wicket of Max Sorensen, his third of the innings, with the first ball of the 43rd over and, in the absence of someone who could have wreaked havoc in the final eight overs, Lightning's last two wickets could manage only 41 runs.

It proved the difference between victory and defeat because after 42 overs of the Knights innings, the home team were actually four runs behind but, cruciall, their No 9, Eakin, saw the job through - in a hurry. He scored 28 not out from 15 balls with four fours and a six and shared an unbroken partnership of 43 in 29 balls with Greg Thompson who was the third of the four Knights batsmen who made significant contributions.

Nick Larkin set up the successful chase with 61 and Lee Nelson went one run better in the middle of the innings at virtually a run-a-ball to keep the Knights up with the run-rate. The Waringstown batsman, after an increasingly confident innings, which included six fours and two sixes, got out at the ‘wrong time' with the NCU side still 55 short of victory but Thompson, his Waringstown team-mate batting at seven, underlined the depth of talent in this line-up.

Thompson's unbeaten 38 came off just 41 balls and on the day he knew too much for a Leinster side which had only four internationals - compared to the nine they fielded in the opening game of the tournament.

The Knights should have won that game as well but Kevin O'Brien was playing that day and was, ultimately the difference between the teams, hitting an undefeated century. This time, with O'Brien playing in the Caribbean League, Alex Cusack and Fintan McAllister on the injured list, Andrew Balbirnie unavailable and player/coach Trent Johnston taking a watching brief, Leinster were forced to rely on their in-form club players. The big-match experience, though, was lacking and the Knights took full advantage.

Nigel Jones bowled an inspirational first seven overs up front, finishing with figures of two for 10 and although Phil Eaglestone proved expensive he did get the wicket of John Anderson, Merrion's match-winner in their Irish Cup semi final at Stormont last week, before he could reach 30.

John Mooney, captain in place of O'Brien, came into the match after scoring an astonishing 79 not out from 22 balls in a Twenty20 match for North County on Thursday, and after continued where he left off by hitting a six and a four in his first 10 balls but was then caught on the boundary as Eakin made his entrance.

If Eddie Richardson had stayed to the finish, it could all have been different, but a poor call by Stephen Moreton saw the in-form batsman run out for 74 and gave up the initiative to the Knights.

The final game of the tournament is at Strabane Park between the North West Warriors and Lightning and while an away win would appear a certainty, for six weeks the Knights will be deservedly be at the top of the table.