It was not quite as easy as Lisburn might have expected but they still got the job done in some comfort to make it six Premier League wins out of six and now the only undefeated team in the league.

North Down arrived at Wallace Park on Saturday on a run of three league defeats, the latest the most disappointing of all when they failed to chase down Muckamore’s 151 two days earlier.

After a delayed start, because of rain – repeated throughout the NCU programme – which reduced the game to 37 overs, the visitors collapsed to 64 for seven and everyone assumed we would be in for an early finish.

Not quite everyone. Peter Davison and Regent House schoolboy Jaxon Dines had other ideas and for the next hour they added 76 in 14 overs with the former captain hitting a 49-ball 50, bringing up his personal landmark with his fifth six, to go with three other boundaries.

His departure, just three balls later, caught at long-off to give Ryan Macbeth his fourth wicket precipitated a quick finale with just six runs added before Josh Manley wrapped up the innings with successive balls.

With a target of 147, the sweepstake at the interval was how long it would take Lisburn to claim the four points, but the 29th over was at the high end of the guessing game. They lost the wickets of Johnny Waite and Faiz Fazal, surprisingly caught at short mid-off in Mickey Copeland’s first over for just three (from 20 balls) and it could have been much worse for the league leaders if North Down had not dropped three chances.

Waite was missed in the first over on two – he was caught on the boundary for 16 – Adam Berry was dropped at short mid-off on 31 – he finished 87 not out – and even captain Neil Whitworth, enjoying a superb run of form, gave a chance on 25 to Davison who actually did well to reach the ball but dropped it when his arm hit the ground. Whitworth duly finished 36 not out in an unbroken third wicket stand of 105, dominated by Berry, who nine fours and three sixes.

Ominously for Lisburn’s title challengers this year, they were missing Ross Adair and Matthew Humphreys, not allowed to play by Cricket Ireland, but Mark Adair finally made his first appearance of the season, specifically to get some overs under his belt ahead of the T20 international series against West Indies, in Bready, starting on Thursday.

Encouragingly, for both club and country, Adair got through five overs – his maximum allowed was six – and he took one wicket for 13 runs.

While he was in the field, walking Mark’s dog around the boundary was Ben Calitz, the Ireland Wolves batter who should be in the starting line-up for Sunday’s Irish Cup tie against Civil Service North after his departure from Muckamore and, of course, moving forward another powerful addition to an already formidable squad.

Indeed, Lisburn’s next league match, in two weeks’ time, is against Waringstown in the Park and with Ireland commitments on hold for three months, Lisburn, with perfect timing will have a full squad to choose from for the first time. With Waringstown also at maximum strength, it promises to be a classic.

Before that, Lisburn have a Challenge Cup quarter-final against Section One side Donaghcloney Mill and a likely T20 Cup semi-final next Sunday. Their final group game is on Thursday at The Lawn but even if they lose, CIYMS still need to beat Instonians, almost certainly qualified because of their run-rate, the following night to pip Lisburn for the last four place.

North Down, meanwhile, look to be facing a tough fight to avoid a bottom four (relegation) battle after the split. They have to go to Waringstown, sandwiched by games at home to Templepatrick, who will be on a high next week after recording their first ever top flight win on Saturday, and Woodvale away.

Despite Ryan Haire top scoring for North Down on Thursday night, he was not on the team-sheet at Wallace Park, because he stayed in Comber to play in their Junior Cup match against Ardent Blues – a game that was actually abandoned without a ball bowled because of a wet square.

Dixon, who was 17 not out from 46 balls, proved that their perseverance with youngsters can pay off but they are relying on their more experienced players to come off and while Craig Young looks to be a long-term absentee, captain Tyron Koen is due back next Saturday, if only as a batter.