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The North West Warriors enjoyed a day to remember as the 2015 Hanley Energy Interprovincial Championship got under way at Clontarf on Tuesday as Bobby Rao’s charges ended the first of three days in total control against reigning champions, Leinster Lightning.
Few would have imagined that the home side would be going into Day 2 following on and still 157 runs behind after an extraordinary performance by the visitors.

A solid batting performance was the catalyst for the Warriors’ dominance having been put in by home skipper John Mooney. All bar one of the top seven made starts- with Marco Marais showing his quality at the top level- having already posted centuries in both of his opening matches for his club, Fox Lodge.

The South African looks every inch a class act and played some wonderful shots on his way to a top score of 66 (9 fours). While he and Stuart Thompson were together Rao’s men seemed certain to post their first ever 300+ total since the series’ began, before a late fightback by the home side slowed things down.

Thompson’s 41 (8 fours) was also a quality knock as was the 42 from skipper Andy McBrine (6 fours and a six). Those two shared in stands of 91 and 49 respectively with Marais as the visitors reached 214-5 however they had to settle for a best ever score of 260 after a flurry of late wickets.

Earlier, Scott Campbell (23), Craig Averill (22) and David Rankin (21) had set the Warriors on their way while Simi Singh (3-18), Tyrone Kane (3-54) and the impressive Eddie Richardson (2-48) fared best with the ball for the hosts.
Any thoughts that the Warriors would be stung by Leinster’s late resistance were soon blown away as Craig Young and Graeme McCarter found their range immediately.

They removed openers Bill Coghlan and Fintan McAllister between them before Thompson entered the attack and did for Andrew Poynter and Tyrone Kane with the fifth and sixth ball of his opening over.

At that point the Dubliners were 41 for 4 and although John Anderson resisted manfully, he was fighting a lone battle. Slipper Mooney, Eoghan Delany and Simi Singh came and went before Craig Young returned for a second spell and ended Anderson’s resistance for a spirited 37.

Not for the first time. Max Sorensen held the Warriors up late on but even his unbeaten 25 wasn’t enough to prevent the follow-on as the reply closed on just 101 all out.

Thompson (3-24), Young (3-29) and McCarter (2-20) bowled with great discipline and although the home side survived three nervous late overs, they need to do plenty more on Wednesday if they are to stave off defeat.

The Warriors will be hoping their triumvirate of Irish senior seam bowlers can once again exploit the conditions to give them their first ever victory in the longest format. They will be well aware that it certainly won’t be as easy second time around.

Hanley Energy Inter-Provincial Championship Day 1 close
At Castle Avenue,
North-West Warriors 260 all out (65.2 overs, M Marais 66, A McBrine 42, S Thompson 41, S Campbell 23, C Averill 22, D Rankin 21, S Singh 3-18, T Kane 3-54, E Richardson 2-48)
Leinster Lightning 101 all out (32.4 overs, J Anderson 37, M Sorensen 25*, S Thompson 3-24, C Young 3-29, G McCarter 2-20) and 2-0 (3 overs).

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Connaught