Knights ace McCollum has an Ireland call-up in his sights

LEINSTER Lightning may have lost their Inter-provincial Championship crown for the first time but they are determined to finish the season on a high.

George Dockrell will lead a virtually full-strength line-up, missing only the rested Kevin O’Brien, for this week’s finale against Northern Knights at Pembroke, starting today (10.30am).

Opening batsmen Jack Tector and Stephen Doheny are the only non-internationals in the team with Eddie Richardson called in for his first three-day game of the season.

Northern Knights welcome back Nathan Smith after his long-term injury and Carrickfergus’ Matthew McCord, who made such a promising debut in the last Championship game against champions North West Warriors, retains his place in a side which shows three changes.

James Shannon, who resumes the captaincy, and Waringstown slow left-armer Gary Kidd, who both missed the game at Bready through injury, also return with Aaron Wright and Phil Eaglestone missing out.

The game is the last first-class match before Ireland play their second Test match, against Afghanistan in March, and Jack Tector, John Anderson, James McCollum and even Harry Tector, all currently outside the senior squad, will hope to make an impression on head coach Graham Ford, who will be watching all three days.

McCollum would appear to be the next cab off the rank for promotion and having already scored two 80s in the first match between the teams at Comber he followed up with 116 against the Warriors and was top scorer in the second innings at Bready.

The Waringstown batsman put his name in the frame when he scored 170 for Ireland Wolves against Scotland ‘A’ in July and one more big innings could book his ticket for India.

He also comes into the game in form, having scored one of Waringstown’s three half centuries to help the Villagers win the Irish Cup final on Saturday, albeit facing a white ball.

Josh Little is in pole position for a pace bowling slot in the absence of the more experienced but injured David Delany and his head-to-head with Smith could be revealing.

Smith is the man in possession having been named in Ireland’s inaugural Test squad but was forced to pull out three days before the match, with the injury which has kept him out for three months.

Tyrone Kane took his place against Pakistan and will always be one of the first Irish XI to receive a Test cap, but he will need a big performance this week to be handed a winter call-up.

Lightning are favourites to return to winning ways after their second draw of the season against Warriors and a max- imum points success will leave them one point behind Warriors in the final table — having had a point deducted for a slow overrate in their opening game.

However, the head-to-head points in the games between the teams (18-17) would still have given Warriors the title if Lightning had finished level.

The Leinster side need only four bonus points to condemn Knights to bottom place in the Championship table.

Teams: Leinster Lightning: J Tector, S Doheny, A Balbirnie, J Anderson, S Singh, G Dockrell (capt), L Tucker, T Kane, E Richardson, J Little, P Chase. 12th man: G Delany

Northern Knights: J Shannon (capt), M Ellison, J McCollum, C Dougherty, H Tector, N Rock, M Adair, S Getkate, M McCord, G Kidd, J Cameron-Dow, Nat Smith. In frame: James McCollum is hoping to catch the eye