WARRIORS BROUGHT DOWN TO EARTH BY DOMINANT LIGHTNING

The North West Warriors were the only show in town on Saturday afternoon, in the senior ranks at least, as Bobby Rao's charges ended their Interprovincial one-day programme with a fairly emphatic defeat at a soggy Strabane Park.

Leinster Lightning provided the opposition- the Warriors looking to spring a second successive surprise defeat on the Dubliners in this fixture although a seemingly endless run of rain interuptions took any real flow away from the contest early on.

The home side were forced into no fewer than five changes for the clash with Ricky-Lee Dougherty, Brian Allen, Andy Britton and Andrew Riddles all declared unavailable ahead of selection. Mattie Moran was forced to withdraw on the eve of the game due to work commitments meaning starting places for Rishi Chopra, Andrew Austin, Gary McClintock and Gareth Burns while Ross Allen came in as 12th man. It was an inexperienced looking side but one in keeping with Rao's clear youth policy and their was a familiar start to proceedings as Andy McBrine lost the toss for the 10th consecutive time. The Warriors skipper is absolutely at the top of his game at the moment but it's as well he isn't relying on his luck having failed to win a single toss since taking over the armband 12 months ago.

It was something of a surprise that John Mooney decided to bat first given the conditions but the North County man can claim justification given the solid start his top order gave him. The game was reduced to 49 overs per side after the elements delayed the toss by more than half an hour but Andrew Balbirnie and Fintan McAllister made light of the on-off-on saga to give the visitors their platform. Balbirnie was the agressor early on to the extent that of Lightning's 37 without loss after 10 overs, his partner's share was just 2. Once he didn't have to deal with any short stuff from Craig Young and Johnny Thompson however the wicket-keeper/batsman upped the ante a little, finally out top edging an attemped pull from Rishi Chopra for 24. Balbirnie and Stuart Poynter took the score to 103 for 1 half way through the 24th over before the rain came again, this delay the longest of the day seeing the contest now reduced to just 28 overs per side.

On the resumption, and with just 27 balls of their innings left, the Leinster batsmen teed off with Balbirnie taking 20 off McBrine's next over. Johnny Thompson went for 16 from the other end before Gary McClintock came back into the attack and removed Poynter with his first ball for a quick 30. Four deliveries later his partner had gone too, Balbirnie sacrificing his wicket in the chase for every available run hitting 7 fours and 4 sixes in an impressive 88. Young took the ball for the last over and removed the dangerous Andrew Poynter for 1 and then clean bowled Tyrone Kane for a "duck" as the home side fought back impressvely. The Bready man went for just 3 in the final over as Leinster closed on 158 for 5 but there was to be a real sting in the tail as Duckworth Lewis awarded the batting side a whopping 56 extra runs meaning a target of 214 from 28 overs for an unlikely home win. Craig Young with 2-22 from his 6 overs was the pick of the attack but Chopra with 1-16 from his 3 continues to impress at this much higher level.

David Rankin and Jason Milligan got the reply started but the latter fell to visiting skipper Mooney without scoring at the start of the second over. Stuart Thompson then entered the fray and he and Rankin settled down to get their side into the match with some excellent batting. Unfortunately for Andy McBrine's team however the introduction of Balbirnie brought a change of fortune for Lightning. Just as the batsmen had gone ahead on D/L, Balbirnie found the edge of Thompson's bat for a valuable 30 (2 fours and 2 sixes). The same bowler did for Johnny Thompson in the next over leaving the Warriors well behind the rate and in danger of being undone by a one-man show.

Skipper McBrine joined Rankin next and these two took the score to 87 before the opener was bowled by Eddie Richardson for a well played 44 (5 fours, 2 sixes) as Leinster assumed control. Albert van der Merwe then trapped the Warriors skipper in front of his stumps for 9 and it was fairly clear that the writing was on the wall from there on. Craig Young, Scott Campbell and Andrew Austin came and went and despite a fighting effort from Gary McClintock who made a very spirited 46 (3 fours 2 sixes) the North West lads came up short. Van der Merwe with 3 for 30 was the pick of the Lightning bowlers with two wickets apiece for Richardson and Balbirnie as the innings closed on 160 all out. A decent performance in difficult circumstances for the home side but a comfortable win for the southerners that sends them into battle with the Northern Knights in the final round of matches with the title in their own hands.