Stephen Doheny sent the watching Ireland selectors a message at Stormont yesterday with a match winning century as Munster Reds hammered the Northern Knights by six wickets.

The 26-year-old has only played twice in the last two years for Ireland, and was left out of the squad that will meet West Indies next week.

The swashbuckling opener played an innings that his Head Coach Jeremy Bray – Ireland’s first World Cup centurion – was justifiably proud of as Munster chased 274 to secure a bonus point win with ten overs to spare. Doheny top-scored with 129 from 111 balls (15 fours, 4 sixes), sharing a match-winning third wicket stand of 136 in 20 overs with Suliman Safi, whose even-time 68 included 5 fours and two sixes.

Matthew Humphreys with two wickets was the pick of a beleaguered Knights attack that clearly wilted in the afternoon heat.

Earlier, Cade Carmichael celebrated his maiden call-up to the senior ranks with a top score of 65 from just 56 balls, clubbling the ball to all parts, hitting 12 boundaries. There were half centuries too for James McCollum (58) and Neil Rock (50), but from 155 for two in the 29th over, the Knights lost their way and a total of 274 always looked vulnerable in ideal batting conditions.

Liam McCarthy – another who could be in line for a debut next week – claimed three wickets, as did Byron McDonough, while Lisburn’s Josh Manley picked up a brace.

Meanwhile at Oak Hill, the North West Warriors lost for the third game in succession, beaten by 44 runs against table toppers Leinster Lightning.

Ryan MacBeth had made early inroads into the much vaunted Leinster top-order, his four wickets included three internationals – Harry Tector, Lorcan Tucker, and George Dockrell. The Dubliners looked in serious trouble at 57 for four and 90 for five, but got out of jail thanks to a wonderful innings from Chris De Freitas.

The Balbriggan left-hander carried his bat in making an unbeaten 143 - the second highest individual score in the competition's history - that saw the ball disappear to all parts of the picture-postcard County Wicklow venue, thumping 19 fours and clearing the ropes four times. He found willing allies in Gavin Hoey (28) and Barry McCarthy (37) adding 159 with the pair as Lightning finished on 275.

Andrew Balbirnie passed 50 for the third game in a row, and skipper Andy McBrine made a defiant 63 that included ten fours, but the Warriors were always behind the required rate, finishing 231 all out in the penultimate over.