O’Brien stars as Lightning strike for Cup success

KEVIN O’BRIEN (right) took three wickets in an over at Rathmines yesterday to hurry Leinster Lightning to victory by 58 runs over the North-West Warriors in the deciding game of the 50-overs Hanley Energy One-Day Cup.

After claiming Lightning’s crown as four-day champions, the Warriors looked on course for an impressive Inter-Pro double as seam bowler Andy Britton ripped through the top order to reduce the home side to 34-5 as he returned superb figures of 5-23 from his 10 overs.

Opener Gareth Delany, the only uncapped player in the Lightning side, survived the mayhem and led a recovery on his Leinster club ground, adding 84 with skipper George Dockrell for the sixth wicket before he was stumped by Niall O’Brien for 69.

Meanwhile, Rush are one game away from returning to the top flight for the first time since 2008 after securing their place in next weekend’s Premier League promotion/relegation play-off.

They beat Railway Union by four wickets on Saturday thanks to an unbeaten 50 and four wickets by Shahid Iqbal as they passed the D4 side’s 203 with almost eight overs to spare. Their opponents will be last year’s Premier League winners Leinster, who lost a thriller at home to North County by just three runs.

Meanwhile, Alastair Cook can dream of a 33rd Test century in the final innings of his record-breaking career after steering England to stumps against India at The Oval.

Cook was still battling away unbeaten, on 46, as he so often has throughout his 161 Tests, in a total of 114 for two as England extended their overall lead to 154 after bowling India out for 292.