Building on the confidence of his record score of 116 against North West Warriors, the Ireland international smashed a 25-ball half century but although he was dismissed eight balls later for 64, the Knights were just 40 runs short of Munster Reds’ total of 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, his 58 not out from 35 balls, and matching Adair almost boundary for boundary, hitting five fours and four sixes. Adair struck 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 on Wednesday, including one maximum, but he holed out to mid-on from his 13th 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.
James McCollum of Northern Knights in action against Munster Reds
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.
Meanwhile, England are in a strong position at the end of the first day of the opening Test against Sri Lanka at Old Trafford.
They were 22 for no wicket, in reply to the tourists’ 236, which included 70s from Dhananjaya de Silva and Milan Rathnayake. Chris Woakes and Shoaib Bashir each took three 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.