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PEMBROKE CRICKET CLUB – A brilliant hundred from Harry Tector ensured that the Northern Knights posted a highly competitive total, while Cormac McLoughlin-Gavin added 82* late in the day to get Leinster Lightning back in the hunt by the end of the day’s play at Sydney Parade.
After a weather-hit first day in Pembroke, the Knights resumed on 136-4 with Tector and Shane Getkate looking to cash in on the starts they had previously built the day before. Getkate was the more aggressive to start, getting a couple of early boundaries away while Tector was slightly more cautious during Barry McCarthy and Tyrone Kane’s opening spells. However, Tector was soon into his rhythm and brought up his fifty first, with Getkate reaching the same milestone an over later.

The pair brought the Knights past 200 and looked comfortable until Lightning captain George Dockrell struck, removing Getkate LBW to a ball that skidded through off the surface. This brought the Lightning back into the game and they struck again soon, with Kevin O’Brien’s tight spell rewarded with the wicket of Mark Adair.

Tector was losing partners but his quest for a maiden first-class century was getting closer and closer. He brought up the achievement when scraping a single through to mid-on three balls before lunch, reward for a fine innings full of effortless timing and shot selection.

After the lunch break, Cameron-Dow fell to Dockrell which brought David Delany to the crease. Delany and Tector batted gamely in an attritional afternoon session, where runs were hard to come by as the bowling was very tight. It was Simi Singh who eventually struck for the Lightning, when he claimed the final three wickets of Delany, Tector and Matthew Foster. This was just due reward for Singh, who had bowled well throughout. Tector departed for 146 to a fine reception from the local ground, and the Knights finished on 332.

It was a close call but it's a brilliant CENTURY for @harry_tector!

His 100 comes up off 152 balls with eleven 4's and three 6's.

We've gone in for Lunch with the Knights on 253-6. pic.twitter.com/68cdoGt30w

— Cricket Ireland (@Irelandcricket) July 31, 2019

With play entering its final session for the day, the Lightning openers would have been looking for a good start and they got exactly that. Jack Tector and Cormac McLoughlin-Gavin started with good intent and were quick to punish any bad balls in the early overs of the innings. They brought up a quickfire fifty partnership in the first eleven overs. However, the game was to enter an exciting phase due to the fast bowling of David Delany.

Delany bowled a very sharp four-over spell which resulted in taking the wickets of Tector and Stephen Doheny in consecutive balls. It was a hostile spell of fast bowling and showed glimpses of what might be to come from the young paceman. However, McLoughlin-Gavin and Lorcan Tucker stemmed the time, batting very sensibly to see off Delany and then a good spell of tandem bowling from the two spinners Cameron-Dow and Harry Tector. McLoughlin-Gavin brought off his fifty off 82 balls.

It’s FIFTY for Cormac McLoughlin-Gavin off 82 balls.

Leinster have now moved on to 97-2 with 13 overs left today. pic.twitter.com/kITlp8j5az

— Cricket Ireland (@Irelandcricket) July 31, 2019

The introduction of Matthew Foster brought about the end of Lorcan Tucker, when he removed his off stump for 13. Singh joined McLoughlin-Gavin, with the two looking to safely negotiate their side through to stumps. They did so very effectively, with both of them playing some fine shots on their way through to stumps, with the side finishing on 159-3. McLoughlin-Gavin is 82* and Simi Singh finishing on 26*.

>> Read scorecard here.

Play resumes tomorrow from Sydney Parade tomorrow at 11 am.

Andrew Blair White
Tector’s ton was the highlight on Day Two
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Connaught