Ross Adair picked up where he left off at Eglinton last week to help power Northern Knights to an eight wickets victory in their T20 Trophy game against Munster Reds in Cork.

Building on the confidence of his record score of 116 against North West Warriors, the Ireland international smashed a 25-ball half century – just three balls slower than last week -  but although he was dismissed eight balls later for 64, the Knights were just 40 runs short of Munster Reds’ modest 152 with still half of the overs remaining.

James McCollum, who is not even considered for international T20 action, finished the job in double quick time, finishing 58 not out from 35 balls, and matching Adair almost boundary for boundary, hitting five fours and four sixes. Adair hit just two extra fours.

Paul Stirling, however, is still waiting for an innings of substance. At least Ireland’s white-ball captain found the boundary four times yesterday, including one maximum, but he holed out to mid-on from his 13^th ball.  

Knights, though, were just delighted to be chasing a below-par total. It was looking ominous at halfway with the Reds on 86 for one, thanks to Cork County’s South African professional Mark Andrianatos’ 48 from 38 balls. But a superb fightback which resulted in two wickets in an over four times in the last 10, saw the home side bowled out from the last ball of the innings.

Skipper Neil Rock, standing in for the injured Mark Adair, entrusted half of the overs to spin and Matthew Humphreys, who took the new ball, and Cian Robertson shared  four of the wickets.

The Mardyke: Munster Reds 152 (20 overs, M Andrianatos 48, L McCarthy 31; C Carmichael 3-18, M Humphreys 2-19, C Robertson 2-28, J Neill 2-35) Northern Knights 158-2 (14.4 overs, R Adair 64, J McCollum 58 not out, P Stirling 22). Knights won by 8 wickets.