NCU

MTB Northern Knights finished the second IP20 festival with a 23-run win over Munster Reds at Bready on Sunday. 

Munster Reds captain PJ Moor won the toss and asked MTB Northern Knights to bat.

Moor would have been ruing his decision as MTB Northern Knights managed to score 72 runs in the powerplay. Paul Stirling (46) scored 40 of those before falling soon after.

Jeremy Lawlor (81) continued his onslaught and shared a 63-run stand for the third wicket with Harry Tector (24) as MTB Northern Knights moved to 144, before the latter got out.

Mark Adair (1) was dismissed four balls later, but Lawlor continued to score runs. He was eventually out in the 17th over, however, the damage had been done.

There was some late power-hitting from Ruhan Pretorius (15) and Ross Adair (20) and MTB Northern Knights finished their 20 overs on 221-6 – their highest-ever IP20 score.

In the chase, Munster Reds went at 10 an over initially, despite the two early wickets for Mark Adair.

Tector then turned to the spin of Stirling and Ben White. The run-rate began to decline; both Matt Ford (57) and Greg Ford (26) fell inside the space of two overs to White and Delany respectively.

Jack Carty (33) was dismissed as White grabbed his second wicket.

Fionn Hand and Alistair Frost finished not out on 44 and 9 respectively as Munster Reds also hit their highest-ever IP20 score (198-5) in vain.

MTB Northern Knights and Munster Reds will meet on Wednesday at Stormont in the final match of the Inter-Provincial Cup.  

MTB Northern Knights v Munster Reds, Inter-Provincial Trophy, Bready, 27 June 2021 
MTB Northern Knights 221-6 (20 overs; Lawlor 81, Stirling 46; M Ford 2-31, Manley 2-56) 
Munster Reds 198-5 (20 overs; M Ford 57, Hand 44; Adair 2-34, White 2-36) 
MTB Northern Knights won by 23 runs