NCU

MTB Northern Knights lost their final Inter-Provincial Cup match of the summer against Munster Reds by nine runs at Stormont on Wednesday. 

Munster Reds captain PJ Moor won the toss and elected to bat under grey skies in Belfast and it turned out to be the right call as Munster Reds posted 309-4 in their 50 overs; the largest total in the competition this year.

Murray Commins led the way for Munster Reds, scoring 125 off 130 balls in an innings which contained 13 fours and two sixes. He had support from Jack Carty, who scored 97, as the pair scored 220 runs for the second wicket.

Matt ford (26 not out) and Fionn Hand (25) both contributed too as Munster Reds posted their highest-ever List-A score.

There was a wicket each for Mark Adair, Luke Georgeson and Ruhan Pretorius.

In the chase, MTB Northern Knights lost James McCollum (1), Paul Stirling (20) and Jeremy Lawlor (21) inside the powerplay and found themselves 49-3 in the ninth over.

A 133-run partnership between Harry Tector (57) and Luke Georgeson (128) – who struck his maiden List-A century – steadied the ship and reached 182 before losing the fourth wicket in the 35th over.

Neil Rock (39) and Georgeson added 63 for the sixth wicket to keep the hosts in contention, but in the end, through a steady loss of wickets and a lack of time remaining, MTB Northern Knights fell agonisingly short. 

MTB Northern Knights v Munster Reds, InterProvincial Cup, Stormont, 30 June 2021 
Munster Reds 309-4 (50 overs; Commins 125, Carty 97) 
MTB Northern Knights 300-8 (50 overs; Georgeson 128, Tector 57; Manley 3-51, Cawley 3-60) 
Munster Reds won by 9 runs