Life after Nikolai Smith at Shaw’s Bridge began with an emphatic seven wickets victory for the defending champions. Smith’s successor as captain, Shane Dadswell, was in a hurry to beat the rain, as Instonians chased their DLS victory target of 150 in just 10.3 overs. Dadswell hit 70 off 17 balls, with nine sixes and three fours after Neil Rock had hit 62 off 27 with seven fours and four sixes. Their second wicket partnership of 71 used up only 24 balls. Earlier Laurelvale, after being put into bat, totalled 179 in 46.3 overs, with 30s for Daryl Henry and Alex Webb. Dadswell was the leading wicket-taker with three for 22 while Andrew White and Ben Rose picked up two each.

Kian Hilton’s run-a-ball century dealt a major blow to Instonians’ title defence as North Down raced to a 136-run victory at Shaw’s Bridge. Hilton, on the fringe of the Ireland senior set-up, struck a run-a-ball 112, finding the boundary 11 times and clearing it twice, to anchor a commanding North Down total of 256 for seven. Hilton was well supported by teenager Tom Crothers, whose unbeaten 51 from 41 balls, featuring six fours and two sixes, ensured North Down finished strongly. Instonians’ chase never got going as opening bowlers Tyron Koen and Craig Young each claimed three wickets, while overseas professional Mike Erlank added two as the champions collapsed to 119 all out. George Craigan hit a defiant 48 but in an ever-evident losing cause as the Shaw’s Bridge side fell apart.

Half centuries from Cade Carmichael, Andrew White and captain Shane Dadswell laid the platform for Instonians’ crushing 180 runs victory over Lisburn at Wallace Park. Significant contributions from the lower order, George Craigan, Cian Robertson, David Agnew and Ben Rose then powered them to a total of 366 for eight as Lisburn’s limited bowling attack was brutally exposed. Dadswell top scored with 71 from 43 balls with three fours and six sixes and Craigan had four sixes in his 46 from just 29 balls. Neil Whitworth took four of the wickets but at an expensive cost. Jude Markham on debut for Lisburn hit three fours and a six in his 21 from 16 balls but they lost wickets at regular intervals and after the first wicket stand of 41, there was only one partnership of more than 20. David Agnew took four of the wickets, one of them thanks to a spectacular overhead catch from returning former skipper Nikolai Smith.

Most exciting game of the day was at Belmont were Instonians held on to beat CI by nine runs on a slow pitch. The visitors, without captain Nikolai Smith who was playing for the Seconds, despite being put into bat made a good start reaching 97 for one, but Jacob Mulder ended the stand by trapping Sully Gould lbw for 30 and when Carson McCullough had Jack Dickson caught by Mulder for 38, Instonians collapsed from 99 from three to 159 all out in the space of 16 overs, McCullough finishing with four wickets. In contrast, CI had a nightmare start, losing their top five for 48 – captain for the day Shane Dadswell taking three of the wickets for just 11 runs in nine overs - with Paddy Beverland the only batter in double figures. It looked game over at 79 for seven but first Adam McCormick and then Mulder edged them closer but when the last pair came together Alex Armstrong and Ben Snell still needed 35. They had got the target down to 10 off 10 balls when Andrew White tempted Snell to lob one back to give Instonians the victory which keeps the defending champions just four points off the lead.

Shane Dadswell ensured Instonians’ title defence remains on track with a one-man display in the champions six wickets win over Muckamore at Moylena. After bowling out the home side for 107 – Dadswell three for 25 – the South African professional hit 94 of the Instonians reply as he wrapped up victory in the 13th over. A superb opening spell by Muckamore captain Neil Gill claimed the wickets of Sully Gould, first ball, Jack Dickson and Andrew White, second ball, as the visitors slumped to nine for four. But Dadswell virtually single-handedly took them to victory – Nikolai Smith was 10 not out- when his 10th six, to go with five other boundaries, won the match. It was opposite number Neil Brand who carried the Muckamore innings with 43 (four fours and a six) but he faced only 32 of the 80 balls when he was in the middle as wickets fell around him. Indeed Muckamore were 56 for eight and it needed the last pair of Gill (18 not out) and Luka Bates (16) to get them into three into three figures with a last wicket stand of 32.

Waringstown joined Lisburn at the top of the Premier League table with a huge victory over defending champions Instonians at The Lawn. James McCollum proved to be the match-winner with his 118, more than twice as many as the next best batter in the match. The Ireland Test player faced 129 balls but hit only five fours and four sixes as he built his crucial innings. Coming to the middle after Ross Allen, replacing the holidaying Adam Dennison at the top of the order, was out in the fourth over he stayed until the start of the 47th over, when he gave Andrew White his third wicket. Tom Mayes, with whom he had added 73 for the sixth wicket, was there until the end, hitting a vital 51 not out from 35 balls with two fours and three sixes. Neil Rock started in a hurry, with six fours and a six in his 38 from 27 balls but he played one rash stroke too many and skied a return catch to Steve Stolk. The Waringstown professional then forced Cade Carmichael to play on, just after bringing up his half-century and when Shane Dadswell was run out by Stolk in the next over, Instonians were struggling on 157 for five. But Instonians, as befitting the champions, bat deep and despite Greg Thompson taking the next three wickets, Cian Robertson (32) and George Craigan (20) got the visitors within 20 runs before Stolk had Craigan caught in the deep to complete victory. Next Saturday, Lisburn visit The Lawn.

Shane Dadswell played what is sure to be one of the innings of the season but ended up on the losing side as Woodvale inflicted the first league defeat on defending champions Instonians. Dadswell was last man out for 137 – second top score was 17 – as he showed that class batsmen can play on any surface. Woodvale won a huge toss on an soft, uncovered pitch, and Instonians slumped to 139 for nine with Ashwin Shetty taking four of the wickets. But Dadswell had already taken control and with No 11 Freddy Pearson, promoted from the Seconds, added another 70 for the last wicket. Pearson faced eight balls, without scoring! Dadswell finished with 13 sixes and just three fours. With the pitch drying out all the time under the sun, Woodvale found it much easier to bat and lost only two wickets in the chase. Finn Restieaux, opening the batting, hit 62 (six fours and three sixes) and Ludwig Kaestner finished the job in style with 91 not out, from 78 balls, hitting five fours and seven sixes.

Instonians completed a double-quick 10 wickets victory to make it three league wins out of three, reaching their rain-affected target of 75 in just 31 balls. Neil Rock faced 26 of them and hit 59, with nine fours and three sixes as the Cliftonville Academy opening bowlers were put to the sword. CA professional CJ Klijnhans scored 37 off 40 balls but when he was third out with the total on 62, Cian Robertson and Andrew White ripped through the rest of the innings, the visitors bowled out for 80 in just 24.1 overs. Robertson, who is the North’s 13-man squad for the Emerald Challenge next week, finished with figures of 7.1-4-8-5 and White had 4-13 from his seven overs.

Instonians made an impressive start to the defence of their Premier League title, posting the highest 50-over total at Stormont. Sully Gould, batting at No 3, scored his first senior century as the visitors totalled 379 for eight. He was fifth out in the 27th over with the total already on 215 and Nikolai Smith and Andrew White then piled the agony on their hosts with a stand of 115 for the sixth wicket. Adam Leckey tried to keep Instonians in check and finished with five wickets but the total was always going to be too many for Civil Service North. They finished 101 runs short with new signing Jake Collingwood hitting an impressive 61 from 52 balls and a late rally from Harry Dyer who top scored with 73 from just 47 balls (seven fours, five sixes).