NORTHERN Knights are the Inter-provincial one-day Cup winners after the North West Warriors stunned hot favourites Leinster Lightning in the final game of the season at Strabane Park yesterday.
The team that had not won a game in 11 previous attempts across all three formats came good to trounce the side that were chasing a hat-trick of inter-provincial trophies - the three-day title and the Twenty20 Cup both won with a game to spare - by 79 runs.
It was a Lightning team featuring eight internationals against a Warriors side which boasted just 12 caps between them - and 10 of them were by one player - but when it mattered most, the visitors didn't turn up.
Maybe it was a case of feeling they just had to turn up which ultimately proved their downfall but from the first ball it was the Warriors who were the team fired up, undoubtedly feeling they had so much to prove.
And no-one rose to the occasion more than Andrew Riddles, the Warriors' man of the series. First he scored 38, from No 8, to help the home side to 230 for eight, comfortably their highest total of the summer, and then took four for 31 to rip through the formidable Lightning middle-order - internationals John Anderson, Andrew Poynter and, crucially, Kevin O'Brien among his victims.
When the captain was seventh out, top scorer with 39 and Leinster still requiring 84 from the last 10 overs, the happiest man on the ground was Eugene Moleon, coach of the Northern Knights who was only at the match because he was attending last night's Cricket Writers' of Ireland Dinner in the Strabane club. Five overs later he was receiving the trophy from Cricket Ireland president Robin Walsh moments after O'Brien had collected the Man of the Series award.
The same Strabane pitch will be used today for the final club action of the season when Bready host Championship runners-up St Johnston in the promotion/relegation play-off. Bready are the odds on favourites to retain their place in the North West Premiership but, after yesterday, they will be taking nothing for granted.