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Leinster Lightning wrapped up the Hanley Energy Inter-Provincial Trophy with three hugely convincing wins in the 50-over format, with the silverware secured long before their final game was abandoned without a ball being bowled.
Two early wins for the Northern Knights against the North-West Warriors saw them top of the pile during the month long break in Inter-Provincial action during July, but when the action resumed in August the Lightning took control of the table and secured the title with two comprehensive wins over the Knights on consecutive weekends.

The Knights could not have made a better start to the season winning their opening game against the Warriors by over a hundred runs after clinical bowling from Gary Kidd (4-26) and Phil Eaglestone (3-20) saw the Warriors bowled out for just 105, despite being 74-2 and looking like likely winners chasing just 209 to win.

The second match between the two sides was a frustrating affair for both teams, with frequent interruptions from rain meant the game was constantly stopping and starting and new versions of Duckworth-Lewis-Stern calculations being printed at every delay.

Batting first the Knights had set a modest total of 182-5 in their allocated 39 overs before the Warriors were eventually set a final target of 167 in 35 overs after another rain delay cost them four overs of their reply.

Andrew White finished with figures of 2-22 as the Knights suffocated the Warriors with spin, consistently increasing the required run rate and putting the game out of reach. In the end, a six from the final ball of the innings reduced the winning margin to just three runs for the Knights, but they looked more assured than that on the day.

The Warriors were not enjoying themselves in the 50-over format and will have been happy for the month-long break in July after the Lightning imposed a third straight defeat on them in June.

Max Sorensen took 4-44 as the Warriors were bowled out for 211 in 41 overs, before Dom Joyce (86) and Andrew Poynter (61) shared a 116-run partnership at better than a run-a-ball to see the Lightning power their way to a bonus point victory, reaching their target with 20 overs to spare.

After the month long break in Hanley IP50 action, brought about by the ICC World T20 Qualifiers being held in Ireland, the Lightning faced the Knights on consecutive weekends with both sides unbeaten so far in the tournament.

The first game between the two, at Merrion, the Knights managed to bowl out the Lightning just before they used their full allocation of overs, but by that time they had racked up a record high score for the Hanley IP50, making 320 thanks to 76 from John Anderson and a 33-ball 57 from Tyrone Kane.

In pursuit of the mammoth score, the Knights never threatened, with skipper Andrew White doing his best to add some respectability to the score with a half century after the side found themselves 19-3 in the early stages of the reply.

Wickets fell at regular intervals throughout the innings as Eddie Richardson finished with 3-26 to bowl the Knights out for 162, giving the Lighting a 158 run win, and their second bonus point in as many matches.

Facing the same side just seven days later would always be a tough ask for the Knights, especially knowing they would now need to win to keep their title hopes alive. Add to that the fact that the Lightning knew a win for them would see them secure the title with a game to spare, it was always going to be a tough task bouncing back from such a heavy defeat.

But in the early stages of the game the Knights did just that, dismissing the Lightning top order cheaply with none of the top four passing 20. The middle order trio of Dom Joyce (36), Eoghan Delany (48) and Max Sorensen (39) brought the Lightning back into the game scoring 123 runs between them before Andrew White accounted for all three of them on his way to figures of 4-44.

The Lightning were again bowled out in the final over, but had only made 217 this time, although the feeling was that the Knights had let them escape a little and could well have restricted them to under 200.

Although their batting had not been as impactful as seven days earlier, the Lightning bowling certainly was, and they once again took wickets at regular intervals, once the opening partnership of 42 was broken, to see the Knights bowled out for 138.

The win meant the Lightning won the title with a game to spare, and it was just as well they did, as three weeks later their final match against the Warriors in Strabane was abandoned the night before the game due to the incredible amount of rain the North-West region had seen. With no play possible the points were shared between the Warriors and the Lightning, meaning the Lightning finished the season on 17 points, eight clear of the Knights in second place.

Most Runs: Dom Joyce, 158
Highest Score: Rassie van der Dussen, 93
Most Wickets: John Mooney, 7
Best Bowling: John Mooney, 4-25
Player of the Series: Dom Joyce

John Mooney collecting the trophy from Clive Gilmore of Hanley Energy
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