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Strong displays with bat and ball from Leinster, including an unbeaten century from wicket-keeper Fintan McAllister, saw the Lightning take control of the final Hanley Energy Inter-Provincial Championship match of the season.
After starting the day already in a strong position, Leinster Lightning took complete control of their Hanley Energy Inter-Provincial Championship match at Rathmines, bowling out the Knights for 174 before smashing 191 runs in just 30 overs before declaring with a lead of 354.

The star of the show was undoubtedly the Lightning wicket-keeper and opening bat Fintan McAllister, who smashed 16 fours and a six on his way to an unbeaten 105 in just 95 balls.

Before McAllister had his chance to bat it was the Lightning bowlers who had work to do, with the Knights just one wicket down overnight. Eddie Richardson (1-33) got the initial breakthrough when he bowled James McCollum for 30, before Max Sorensen (3-49) took care of both Jordan McClurkin (4) and James Shannon (8).

James Cameron-Dow, who came in at number three towards the end of the first day proved to be difficult to dismiss, as he made 21 in 60 balls before the economical George Dockrell found his edge and McAllister took the catch.

Dockrell, who bowled 13.1 overs for just 21 runs in his first game of the season for the Lightning, also picked up the wicket of Stephen Bunting (3) to finish with 2-21.

Shane Getkate and Peter Eakin provided some stern resistance in the lower middle order with the pair facing well over 100 balls between them as the Lightning applied pressure and tested their patience without result until Eakin (22) was not quick enough to get his bat down to a Sorensen yorker and was bowled.

Getkate (36) followed a few overs later, when he gave Tyrone Kane (2-25) half a chance, the Merrion bowler diving forwards to take an excellent caught and bowled to dismiss the CSNI man. Whilst the remaining two wickets took ten more overs to fall, the Lightning did not allow them to score many more, with just eight runs added in that period.

Although the Knights were short of the follow-on target the Lightning captain John Mooney chose not to enforce it and sent his openers McAllister and Jack Tector out to increase the lead. The pair batted conservatively to reach 48-0 at tea, increasing the lead to 211.

Returning to the crease after tea however, the pair immediately went after the Knights bowling attack and within a matter of overs had the field spread to all corners. Tector hit three sixes and four fours on his way to 57 on his debut, bringing up his half century with a six over deep backward square.

When Tector was caught at long-off from the bowling of Getkate, the Lightning already held a lead of over 300 on the Knights, but in the next four overs McAllister gave a masterclass in improvisation, moving around the crease and playing all around the ground to add 43 more runs to the score and pass 100 himself.

Once McAllister reached his century, Lightning captain Mooney called his side off, setting the Knights a target of 355 to win and the awkward prospect of facing 15 overs before the close of play.

As they did in the closing stages of day one, the Lightning attacked and looked for a breakthrough, which looked like it would not come when Simmi Singh put down a change in the gully from James McCollum. Unfortunately for the Knights McCollum was unable to take advantage of the mistake, and was trapped LBW for 21 by Max Sorensen a couple of overs later.

With five overs left in the day, and the Knights on 33-1 the umpires decided that the light had deteriorated sufficiently to make conditions dangerous, a decision they came to after Sorensen struck James Cameron-Dow with a vicious bouncer.

Play will resume at 10.30am in the morning, with a minimum 104 overs remaining in the game and a result seeming almost certain. Should the Lightning get the remaining nine wickets, then they will win the title, with the Knights taking the title if they reach their target of 355.

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