The visitors won the toss and invited Andy McBrine’s outfit to bat first but a 49-run stand between Stephen Doheny and Ani Chore helped the home side to start well.

After Chore (16) and then skipper McBrine fell in quick succession, Doheny and Scott Macbeth (23) repaired the damage to take the score to 103-2.

Lightning’s bowlers once again seized back the initiative however - Fionn Hand (3-51), Gavin Hoey (2-20), Samuel Harbinson (2-25) and Barry McCarthy (2-30) firmly pulling the brake on the Warriors’ innings.

The North West Warriors side which lost to Leinster Lightning, at Bready, on Tuesday.

Doheny was out for a well-made 46 (6 fours and a six) and after that, only William McClintock (23) offered much by way of resistance as the innings closed on 183.

It looked light at halfway, however a decent fightback with the ball kept the contest alive through the late afternoon.

Opener Jack Tector made 39 and Greg Ford 37, but wickets for Ryan Macbeth (2-45) and Craig Young (2-46) brought the hosts back into the contest.

From 83-2, Lightning found themselves 96-5, however Harbison was making his presence felt with the bat as well as the ball.

Hand added a valuable 24 but an unbeaten 48 from Harbison saw him and Barry McCarthy finally get their side over the line with those three wickets in hand.

This was a first win of the season for Nigel Jones’s charges and a result that sends Boyd Rankin’s team into Thursday’s home game with the Northern Knights needing victory there to take them back into contention at the top of the table.

The Warriors will be a much changed side for tomorrow’s encounter as skipper McBrine, Craig Young and Graham Hume all travelled to London today ahead of next week’s test against England, which gets underway at Lord’s on Thursday, June 1st.

Ireland will prepare for the test match by playing Essex in a first Class Match at Chelmsford, on Friday.

Disappointing day for North West Warriors as Leinster Lightning secure win