CRICKET: Ed Joyce hits 100 before Leinster Lightning v Northern Knights abandoned

Joyce hit 8 fours and cleared the ropes twice in his 1116 from 124 balls, as Lightning racked up 299 for 8 before play was abandoned shortly before 4 o’clock.

Joyce becomes the fifth player to score a hundred in the IP50 format - joining fellow Lightning players Simi Singh, Kevin O’Brien, Andrew Poynter and Andrew Balbirnie.

He shared an opening stand of 131 with Jack Tector, who struck four boundaries in his 52 from 79 balls, which laid the perfect platform for the formidable Lightning line-up - which contained no fewer than nine senior internationals.

Tector eventually fell to Robert McKinley (1-57), but there was little respite for the beleaguered Knights attack as Joyce shared half-century stands with both John Anderson (31) and Andrew Balbirnie (35).

Shane Getkate did score a moral victory with his five-wicket haul for the Knights which prevented Lightning from passing 300.

The teams meet again today (MON) in the Championship - action at Stormont gets under way at 11am.

Meanwhile, it was a similar story in the Toyota Super 3 Series, where both the Dragons matches against the Typhoons and Scorchers were abandoned without a ball being bowled.

HANLEY ENERGY INTER-PROVINCIAL CUP

At Belmont,

Leinster Lightning 299-8 (50 overs: E Joyce 116, J Tector 52, A Balbirnie 35, J Anderson 31, S Getkate 5-43)

Northern Knights

Match abandoned