CSNI captain James Kennedy keeping feet on ground after impressive start

After losing to CIYMS on the opening day of the season, the Stormont side have beat Instonians, Lisburn and Carrick but come up against a side in equally good form today in North Down.

Both sides sit in the play-off spots with North Down third and CSNI one place behind on net run-rate after they chased 166 in just 14 overs last weekend.

Ross Adair (92 from 38) and Marc Ellison (59* from 37) put on a first-wicket partnership of 156 before Irish international Stuart Thompson came to help finish the job off on his club debut.

Their opening duo struck 25 boundaries between them in a one-hour frenzy to put their side in a strong position to make the semi-finals.

“It was frightening,” said Kennedy.

“There was some good clean ball-striking. They complement each other very well at the top of the order and they score their runs in very different areas. As the scorecards have proven, they are a handful for most bowlers. If you bowl it in their area they are going to punish you.”

Adair joined the club during the close season from Section One side Holywood and has wasted no time in showing just what he’s all about.

The 26-year-old has been rewarded with a call-up to the Northern Knights 16-man squad for their Inter-Provincial Twenty20 campaign which gets underway next Thursday against the North West Warriors.

It’s never a guarantee that a player will successfully settle into their new surroundings but Kennedy knew from very early on just how good Adair was going to be.

“We knew straight away before a ball was struck that Ross has the quality to do that,” he added.

“He hasn’t let us down at all. His ball-striking was as clean as I have witnessed in a long time.

“He hit some which weren’t just sixes they were definitely worth 12!”

They welcomed Ireland duo Thompson and Gary Wilson back into their side for the weekend and the pair are now set for a run of club fixtures.

“It’s good to get the guys who are international standard back into your team,” said Kennedy.

“It just proves the depth that we have that we didn’t need to rely on either of them and they could have a comfortable welcome back with not too much to do.”

CSNI become the latest team that have to solve the Paul Stirling puzzle after the Irish international made his debut last Sunday in a LVS Twenty20 Cup semi-final victory over Waringstown.

Kennedy is all too aware of what he’s capable of having come up against him in June 2009 when he played for Carrickfergus.

“North Down are a very, very good side,” he added.

“They’ve obviously been strengthened by Paul coming into the ranks as well but they are a fantastic side even without him.

“I played against Paul a long time ago when he played for Carrick against Ballymena and he scored 150 against us. “Fingers crossed he doesn’t do that this time!”