Young guns out Knights as Warriors go top

CricketEurope



Craig Youngs five wicket haul led the NW Warriors to a maximum points win over the Northern Knights at Comber to leapfrog Leinster Lightning at the summit of the Championship table.



They were made to battle all the way for the win on an excellent Comber track, only securing victory in the dying embers of another scorching day.



The Warriors added a further 22 runs in the morning session, allowing David Scanlon (62*) his maiden first-class half-century, which included one audacious hooked six out of the ground off Mark Adair.



The last wicket stand was ended on 123 when Graham Kennedy (63)  9 short of the record held by Max Sorensen and Albert van der Merwe at Malahide  which meant the Knights needed 196 to make the warriors bat again.



Scanlon struck twice early dismissing Marc Ellison and first innings centurion James McCollum, lbw offering no shot which always makes the umpire more inclined to adjudicate in favour of the bowler.



Any thoughts the Knights would lay down were quickly dispelled as Chris Dougherty and Harry Tector dug in.



The pair defied the Warriors for 181 balls before Stuart Thompson (2-38) ended their resistance, as Tector (22) edged behind to Niall OBrien.



That breakthrough lifted the Warriors spirits and with a fired-up Young backed by some excellent catching, they chipped away at the Knights line-up.



Cameron-Dow and Matchett went in quick succession, and Doughertys 181-ball defiance was ended just after tea, again well caught behind off Young for 74 (10 fours) leaving the score 133 for 7.



Neil Rock (19) stayed for 54 deliveries, and with Mark Adair looking solid, time began to come into the equation with overs running out. Graham Kennedy produced a peach of a delivery to bowl Rock.



The new ball was to prove crucial in capturing the last two wickets, with Mulder gloving a Young snorter to OBrien, and after some lusty blows from Adair and Chinese cuts from Phil Eaglestone, a miscued pull from Adair was brilliantly caught at mid-on by a diving Kennedy.



That left the Warriors with the formality of knocking off 14 runs in 7 overs, taking just nine to seal the 10-wicket win.



The teams meet again in the Championship at Bready in two weeks where another full points will give the NW side the title.



Before then, its a switch to T20 mode with the teams taking part in the T20 Blitz at Pembroke starting on Friday. The games are being live streamed  full details on this excellent initiative plus further details on arrangements for the weekend are available on the Cricket Leinster website  www.cricketleinster.ie

