CIYMS confirmed their place in the top six ahead of the split with an eight wicket trouncing of an under-strength Civil Service North. After asking their visitors to bowl first on a green Belmont pitch, Hermann Rolfes, Mark Best and Ben Snell each took three wickets as CSN, without top runs scorer Mark Ellison, were bowled out for 79 inside 26 overs. The game was over before tea as CI romped to victory in the 12th over with Chris Dougherty batting through for 25 not out.

Instonians continued their winning ways at the top of the Premier League with an eight wickets win over Templepatrick. The home side chose to bat first but only Charles Swart put up any resistance, facing 102 balls for his 59 as they were dismissed for 129. Ben Rose wrapped up the tail, including the wicket of Swart, to finish as the most successful bowler with three for 20. Instonians needed only 25 overs to reach thgeir target with 61 off 73 balls from Rob McKinley and an unbeaten 47 from Sully Gould.

Woodvale remain rooted to the bottom of the Premier League table, on run rate, after a 152 runs hammering by Cliftonville Academy at the Castle Grounds. The home side piled up 247 for five in their 35 overs, after a delayed start, with Varun Chopra and John Glass, who each hit three sixes, putting on 117 for the third wicket. Abhi Raut and captain Matty McCord then added 51 from the last 26 balls. Woodvale lost Ruhan Pretorius and Ludwig Kaestner in the first eight overs and their last six wickets for 23 runs, with McCord taking three for 14 from five overs.

Half-centuries from Ireland internationals Graham Hume, James McCollum and Greg Thompson paved the way for Waringstown to post 333 for eight against North Down. Hume’s 76 came off 61 balls with nine fours and captain Thompson had seven fours and a six in his 51 from 34. North Down never threatened to overall the total but Stevie Saul and fit-again captain Tyron Koen responded with 50s of their own but they fell 103 runs short and may need to beat Woodvale next week to book their top six place post-split.

Jason van der Merwe produced a man of the match performance to condemn early pacesetters Lisburn to a second successive Premier League defeat. First, he hit 135 from 95 balls (12 fours, nine sixes) in a club record stand of 213 for the third wicket with Sathish Suresh, who hit seven fours and five sixes in his 95. Van der Merwe then took the big wickets of Lisburn captain Neil Whitworth and professional Faiz Fazal in the space of four balls to halt the visitors’ charge. Teenager Luca Bates then finished them off and claimed the match ball by taking the last four wickets to give Muckamore a 67 runs victory and a place in the top six post-split.