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The 2014 Newstalk Inter-Provincial Series gets underway tomorrow when the Leinster Lightning entertain the North West Warriors in the IP50 at The Hills Cricket Club in Skerries at 10.45am.
The opening encounter is a repeat of last year’s final IP50 match where the Warriors recorded their only win in the competition at Strabane which denied the Lightning a clean sweep in all three formats in the inaugural series.

Both teams have named strong sides for the series opener, with both sides laden with representative honours; six of Phil Simmons’ squad to take on World Twenty20 Champions Sri Lanka at Clontarf will be in action at Milverton tomorrow: George Dockrell, Kevin O’Brien, Max Sorensen and Andrew Poynter for the Lightning and Andy McBrine and Stuart Thompson for the Warriors.

Andy McBrine has been named as for skipper the North West Warriors. The Irish international took over the captain’s armband from Iftikhar Hussain towards the culmination of the inaugural campaign, and led the side to their only win in the competition.

“Andy retains the captaincy and his desire to train hard and play hard rubs off on the team,” said Warriors coach Bobby Rao.

“The boys have put in a lot of work over the past 12 months and they have deserved better than the results we have had,” added the former Indian Test star.

“We’re now starting to get the balance right although we know we have to perform much better with the bat this time”.

“We have tried to keep changes to a minimum but both Johnny Thompson and Ricky-Lee Dougherty come into the squad that won at Strabane Park to replace Ross Allen and Gareth Burns”.

The Warriors had a number of star performers in league action last weekend, with David Rankin scoring a match winning hundred for Bready at Donemana, and Johnny Thompson an unbeaten 95 which helped Brigade to victory.

There were also many fine individual performances over the opening weekend of the Leinster League, with John Mooney, who takes over the captaincy for the 2014 season, scoring 86 for North County in their loss to YMCA, while Pat Collins helped Railway Union to victory over The Hills with 76.

The Lightning selectors have also named Somerset’s George Dockrell and Middlesex’s Andrew Balbirnie among their line-up, as the home side look to avenge the defeat by the Warriors in the final game of the 2013 season which denied Trent Johnston’s charges the Inter-Provincial treble. There’s one late change for the Lightning with Ben Ackland called into the squad in place of the Alex Cusack who is rested ahead of next weeks Sri Lanka series.

The action gets underway at The Hills at 10.45am.

North West Warriors squad:
Andy McBrine (captain) (Donemana), Brian Allen (Fox Lodge), David Barr (Bready), Ricky-Lee Dougherty (Donemana), Iftikhar Hussain (Fox Lodge), Niall McDonnell (Coleraine), Jason Milligan (Fox Lodge), David Rankin (Bready), Andrew Riddles (Ardmore), Johnny Thompson Brigade), Stuart Thompson (Eglinton), Craig Young (Bready).

Leinster Lightning Squad:
John Mooney (Capt-North County), John Anderson (Vice- Cpt-Merrion), Andrew Balbirnie (Middlesex/Pembroke), Pat Collins (Railway Union), Alex Cusack (Clontarf), George Dockrell (Somerset), Tyrone Kane (Merrion), Fintan McAllister (Malahide), Kevin O’Brien (Railway Union), Andrew Poynter (Clontarf), Eddie Richardson (North County), Max Sorensen (The Hills).

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