Rankin out of Warriors’ clash as teams try again in Malahide

BOYD Rankin has been ruled out of North West Warriors’ opening T20 Trophy clash with Northern Knights on Thursday.

The loss of the Ireland strike bowler from the game, at his home ground in Bready, is a huge loss for his provincial side but was hardly unexpected news as he missed all three of Ireland’s World Cup Super League games against England because of a back problem, and he has yet to make his debut for Lisburn, who signed him during the winter.

There is still no indication when Rankin will be available, although the Warriors have a 12day break after this week’s game, with their second not until September 1 — the return fixture at The Lawn — although that would be too late for Lisburn to see their high-profile signing in action; their final Robinson Services League Cup game is two days earlier.

Warriors have been forced to make another change to their original 13-man squad, Bready’s Conor Olphert having suffered a torn quad muscle which forced him out of the North side for the Development game against the

South at Wallace Park last Thursday.

Olphert, due to play in the return fixture at Malahide yesterday, has been replaced by Rush batsman Nathan Mcguire, who is set to make his senior representative debut for the Warriors on Thursday.

The North West selectors were still finalising replacements last night but scares that William Porterfield and Graham Kennedy would also miss the game were discounted.

Heavy rain ended any hope of play yesterday — the action was called off more than four hours before the scheduled start — but the game has been rearranged for this afternoon, again with a 2pm start.

With a better forecast, it should go ahead on this occasion, if the ground survives the predicted overnight and morning rain.

The North have had to make one further change to yesterday’s named line-up with North Down’s Carl Robinson unavailable because of work commitments today. CIYMS leg spinner Jacob Mulder, who took two of only three South wickets to fall in last week’s game in Lisburn but was due to sit this one out, replaces him.

Missing out: Boyd Rankin is struggling with a back injury