Northern Knights head coach Simon Johnston expects his side to be 'challenging on all fronts' this season

​The Knights finished bottom of both the Trophy and Cup standings last year, winning three of 12 matches across Twenty20 and 50-over formats, but Johnston believes he has a squad capable of ascending the table this time around.

James McCollum will captain the team at Pembroke in the absence of Irish international Mark Adair while CIYMS all-rounder Tyron Koen could make his Knights debut.

"We have 19 guys that I think are capable of playing Inter-Pro cricket and putting in match-winning performances,” he told Cricket Ireland’s ‘Green Ball’ podcast.

“I've challenged the guys where we've had two or three years where things happened off the field where we've been rebuilding, I would expect us to be right up there this year.

"I've laid down that marker with them - I would expect to be challenging on all fronts.

"It's up to them. You can put all these plans in place but they are crossing the white line and have to deliver.

"There's talent and ability there and it does make a difference when you have strength in depth at this level.

"I'm going to be in the very difficult position this year where I'm leaving out players who should be playing Inter-Pro cricket even with the guys away. That stands us in really good stead."

With Ireland’s summer schedule, Adair and star batsman Paul Stirling are expected to miss a number of Inter-Pro fixtures, but Johnston says the team are prepared for that outcome.

"Heinrich (Malan, Ireland head coach) told us from early on that there's a fair chance with the World Cup events and qualifiers coming up the need for the key players to be rotated and rested,” he added. “I just plan not to have them and have drawn a bit of a line through their name.

"It's a bit like the England set-up coming back into County - if a Paul Stirling or Mark Adair is available then fantastic, but we have planned and trained hard throughout the winter to be without them so we are prepared for that.

"If they come back in you have two world class performers and we would be delighted to have them. We're prepared and ready.

"We appreciate it can be a bit frustrating but I think that's the nature of Inter-Pro's and where they are going.

"With Test, ODI and T20 cricket we're realistically going to see these guys less and less so it's a really good opportunity to increase your squad size and give some younger guys a run.

"Planning wise in T20 and 50 overs, we have two very separate methods and there's a slight change in personnel with three or four people.

"We've worked hard on that so we're hopefully as prepared as we can be."

Knights squad to face Leinster: James McCollum (C), Ross Adair, Cade Carmichael, Matthew Foster, Matthew Humphreys, Tyron Koen, Josh Manley, John Matchett, Tom Mayes, Neil Rock, Morgan Topping, Ruhan Pretorius.