Lisburn, one of the title favourites for the NCU Premier League, made a winning start yesterday but only after a thrilling end to their game against CIYMS.

It looked a straightforward chase for the All-Ireland T20 champions after they bowled out their visitors for 103. When Lisburn got to 102 for five, it was effectively game over, but then the drama started.

Young left arm spinner Alex Armstrong, just back from Ireland Under 19s tour of Zimbabwe, bowled David Miller with the last ball of his first over – he was CI’s fifth bowler. With the fourth ball of his second over, and the score still on 102, he had Matthew Humphreys caught by new professional Hermann Rolf.

A wide tied the scores but with the first ball of the next over, Jacob Mulder bowled Lisburn’s top scorer Nigel Jones for 29 and with the last, he had Adam Kennedy caught for a duck.

Armstrong, signed from Carrickfergus, unsurprisingly, was entrusted with a third over but Ryan Macbeth took a single off the first ball to win the game.

Macbeth had sparked the CI collapse with two wickets in two balls, including Rolf for a golden duck, but it was new NCU chief executive Callum Atkinson who finished as the leading taker with figures of three for 33. Jake Egan, another of the new faces at CI this season, was top scorer with 44.

Templepatrick’s first ever match in the Premier League ended in defeat at Moylena. Batting first, the new boys were restricted to 126 for seven in a match reduced by a rain interruption to 28 overs.

South African Neil Brand, playing as a temporary professional, and opener Jack Smyth, who scored the first run of the season, both scored 30 for the visitors after Allen Coulter had impressed in his opening spell for his new club, taking the first wicket of the season, at a cost of just 10 runs in six overs.

 Muckamore’s target was upgraded to 152 but 47 not out from Mark Gleghorne saw them home with five balls to spare. New professional Randeera Ranasinge, batting at No 7, hit 26 off 18 balls.

Captain Tyron Koen and new professional Mickey Copeland eased North Down to a seven wickets victory over Cliftonville Academy. In a match delayed until 1.50pm and reduced to 37 overs, the visitors were bowled out for 99 with Copeland taking four for 17 in 6.2 overs.

The South African then showed off his all-round talent with an unbeaten 35 in an undefeated partnership of 48 with new signing Koen, another former CIYMS player, who won the match with a six.

The other two scheduled opening day games were both postponed, including the game between last year’s top two, champions Waringstown and Woodvale, probably much to the relief of both clubs. The Villagers would have been without seven players, including three of the Wolves squad who only finished their Tri-Series in Abu Dhabi on Friday, while last year’s player of the season, Ruhan Pretorius, is on Woodvale’s injury list.

The big match in the North West, however, did go ahead and it resulted in a four wickets win for champions Donemana against great rivals Brigade.

English county player Xavier Clarke top scored with 72 on debut for Brigade, adding 114 for the fourth wicket with Cameron Melly (67). But from 195 for three they collapsed to 219 all out.

Andy Britton took three wickets for four runs in his first six overs to reduce Donemana to 32 for three, but Andy McBrine, who is set to be available for the vast majority of the season, hit 74 before David O'Sullivan (58 not out) and captain Gary McClintock shared an unbroken stand of 72, O’Sullivan winning the match with his fifth six.