LEINSTER Lightning hold the upper hand over the North West Warriors after a rain-interrupted day one of their Newstalk inter-provincial championship game at Bready.

A total of 144 for seven may not be as bad as it sounds on a pitch which was still offering help to the bowlers at the end of the day but the big disappointment for the Warriors will be the number of soft dismissals.

Niall McDonnell was confidence personified as he raced to 46 off 59 balls with six boundaries against an all-international Lightning attack but when he lost his captain, Andy McBrine, to a poor shot, last season's batsman of the year went into his shell and the next seven runs used up 27 balls. Inevitably, his wicket followed as well, frustration getting the better of him as he drove straight to extra cover.

It was reward for Eddie Richardson who provided excellent back-up to Max Sorensen and John Mooney, the bowlers of the day who shared five of the wickets and always had the Warriors batsmen under pressure.

Yet, it had all started so promisingly for the home side with David Barr and Jason Milligan showing grit and determination in the early stages after Mooney had won a big toss. They may have scored only eight runs in the first eight overs but it was a major improvement on last season when early wickets were a recurring feature.

Unfortunately for Milligan, after taking 28 balls to get off the mark, he was caught behind two balls later, but Barr did everything asked of him by coach Bobby Rao as he left the ball well and reached a well-constructed 30 in 78 balls before he fatally played across the line to Sorensen.

Stuart Thompson was another Sorensen victim before he had faced 10 balls and although Andy Riddles scored 31 in the only way he knows how, attacking from the off, he will have to show more patience if he is to go on to a really big score in the three-day game.

Ernest Kemm, the South African professional on his new home ground, showed glimpses of the early season form which has impressed the selectors and survived to the close and today could be batting with Fox Lodge's new overseas star Tabish Khan, who looks to be a strong No 10.

He has been picked primarily for his bowling, however, and along with Ireland international Craig Young will come under minute scrutiny against a formidable batting line-up today.