(Cricket News) The second match of the day encountered a disruption after ten overs of the first innings when a swarm of bees descended upon the pitch, causing spectators, players, and umpires to seek cover. The bees proceeded to build a hive on the fence near the pavilion. Eventually, a local beekeeper was summoned, who safely removed the bees after securing the queen and waiting for the rest of the colony to join her.

Regarding the cricket itself, the North West Warriors continued their winning streak with a comfortable victory over the Leinster Lightning, marking their second win of the week. Similarly, the Northern Knights also secured their second win of the week by triumphing over the Munster Reds in the delayed match due to the bee incident.

Match 1: North West Warriors vs. Leinster Lightning

Led by captain Shane Getkate’s impressive half-century, the North West Warriors enjoyed an 81-run triumph over the Leinster Lightning. Opting to bat first, the Warriors made a solid start with Stephen Doheny and Aaron Gillespie forming a 41-run opening partnership. However, both batsmen were dismissed within six balls, leaving the Warriors at 49-2 after seven overs.

Getkate and Jared Wilson then combined for a valuable 65-run partnership for the fourth wicket. However, a crucial double-wicket maiden by Barry McCarthy in the 15th over, which accounted for the dismissals of Wilson and Cameron Melly, left the Warriors at 120-5 with five overs remaining. William McClintock joined Getkate at number seven and blazed a quick-fire 34 off just 13 balls, contributing to a 46-run partnership. The Warriors concluded their innings with a competitive total of 180-7. McCarthy’s exceptional bowling performance of 4-12 from his four overs set the record for the most economical four-wicket haul in Inter-Provincial T20 history.

In response, the Leinster Lightning struggled to find their footing against the dominant Warriors’ bowlers, losing wickets at regular intervals. Except for McCarthy, who put up a solid all-round display by scoring 27 runs, the Lightning’s batsmen failed to establish any momentum. They were eventually bowled out for 99 in less than 14 overs, with only three players reaching double figures in the run column.

MATCH SUMMARY

Warriors v Lightning, Inter-Provincial T20 Trophy, The Mardyke, Cork, 7 June 2023

Warriors 180-7 (20 overs; S Getkate 55, W McClintock 34; B McCarthy 4-12)

Lightning 99 (13.5 overs; B McCarthy 27, S Harbinson 19; C Robertson 4-20)

Warriors won by 81 runs

Match 2: Munster Reds vs. Northern Knights

In a bee-interrupted game at The Mardyke, the Northern Knights emerged victorious against the Munster Reds in a 12-over contest, with Ruhan Pretorius delivering a standout performance and earning the Player of the Match accolade. Pretorius contributed 44 runs and took 3-31 with the ball as the Knights clinched a seven-wicket win according to the DLS method.

The game experienced an interruption during the 11th over when the Reds were at 91-2. Prior to the break, partnerships between Nicolaj Damgaard and Gareth Delany (31 runs) and Delany and Murray Commins (42 runs) had put the Reds on track to achieve a substantial total.

Following a delay of 112 minutes, play resumed with the game reduced to 12 overs. In the immediate aftermath, Connor Fletcher fell victim to a catch and bowled dismissal by Matthew Humpheys as the Reds managed to reach 106-5 by the end of their allotted overs.

Chasing a revised DLS target of 129 for victory, the Knights’ opening duo of Pretorius and Ross Adair combined for an impressive partnership of 96 runs before Pretorius was bowled by Ben White in the eighth over.

Despite losing the wickets of Adair (39) and Neil Rock, the Knights successfully secured the win with eight balls to spare.

MATCH SUMMARY

Reds v Knights, Inter-Provincial T20 Trophy, The Mardyke, Cork, 7 June 2023

Reds 106-5 (12 overs; G Delany 32, M Commins 28*; R Pretorius 3-31)

Knights 131-3 (10.4 overs; R Pretorius 44, R Adair 39; B White 2-22)

Knights won by 7 wickets (DLS)

Also read: Australia completely dominate day 1 of the WTC final