The Leinster Lightning are favourites to win the Hanley Energy IPC but the Northern Knights are looking to upset the defending champions at Clontarf this week.
Leinster Lightning go into the final Hanley Energy Interprovincial Championship match of the season knowing if they avoid defeat in Clontarf this week they will secure the title and with it a hat-trick of Inter-Pro trophies for the third season running.
Following last week’s comprehensive win over the North West Warriors, the Lightning sit in first place on the table, with a fifteen-point advantage over the Northern Knights.
The Northern Knights however, will travel to Dublin seeking to become Inter-Provincial champions for the first time. The Knights have four players unavailable for selection this week in Adam Dennison, Gary Kidd, Lee Nelson and Greg Thompson.
Leinster Lightning make just one change to the team which did battle in Bready last week, as Peter Chase is rested by Cricket Ireland in advance of Ireland’s clash with the West Indies. He’s replaced in the squad by Leinster’s Gareth Delany, who returns having played the first two Championship matches this season.
Going into the final fixture of the competition Leinster Lightning occupy top spot (44 points) after defeating North West Warriors at Bready by an innings and four runs. The Northern Knights (29 points) Leinster Lightning has won the IP Championship since its inception in 2013.
Hanley Energy Interprovincial Championship, Leinster Lightning v Northern Knights, Castle Avenue, Clontarf CC, Tuesday September 5th to Thursday September 7th, 10.30am
Leinster Lightning Squad
John Anderson (c) (Merrion)
Andrew Balbirnie (Pembroke)
David Delany (Clontarf)
Gareth Delany (Leinster)
George Dockrell (v/c) (Dublin University / Leinster)
Ed Joyce (Merrion)
Tyrone Kane (Merrion)
Kevin O’Brien (Railway Union)
Eddie Richardson (North County)
Jack Tector (YMCA)
Sean Terry (The Hills)
Lorcan Tucker (w/k) (Pembroke)
Northern Knights Squad
James Shannon (Captain)
Chris Dougherty
Shane Getkate
Graeme McCarter
James McCollum
Robert McKinley
Jamie Magowan (Wicket Keeper)
John Matchett
James Mitchell
Jacob Mulder
Nathan Smith
Nikolai Smith
Cricket Ireland
Lightning captain John Anderson will be hoping to lead his side to the Championship title ©INPHO/Ryan Byrne
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