CIYMS confirmed their place in the top six ahead of the split in the NCU Premier League with a crushing eight wickets win over rivals Civil Service North.

Put into bat on a green Belmont pitch, CSN, without leading scorer Marc Ellison, were bowled out for 79 inside 26 overs with Harry Dyer scoring more than half the runs off the bat, a run-a-ball 36 which included five fours and a six.

Hermann Rolfes, Mark Best and Ben Snell each took three wickets before the under-strength CSN attack, missing the injured trio of Matthew Foster, Finn Lutton and Jordan Neill, were put to the sword, CI reaching their target in just 68 balls.

The shock of the day came at Moylena where Jason van der Merwe produced a man of the match performance for Muckamore as they condemned Lisburn to their second consecutive league defeat.

Van der Merwe hit 135 from 95 balls (12 fours, nine sixes) in a club record stand of 213 for the third wicket with Sathish Suresh, who scored 95 as Muckamore finished on 298 for nine. VdM then removed Lisburn captain Neil Whitworth and professional Faiz Fazal in the space of four balls to halt the morning co-leaders’ charge. They were bowled out for 231, with Luka Bates taking the last four wickets to claim the match ball.

Instonians had no trouble claiming their seventh win of the season, by eight wickets, at Templepatrick. Ben Rose finished with three wickets including top scorer Charles Swart, who hit 59 of his side’s 129. Rob McKinley made light of the chase with 61 off 73 balls and Sully Gould saw the leaders home with 47 not out.

Waringstown remain level on points with Instonians after a 103 runs victory over North Down at The Lawn. Graham Hume, James McCollum and captain Greg Thompson all scored half centuries in the Villagers 333 for eight which was always out of sight for the visitors, who may have to beat Woodvale next Sunday to confirm their top six place.

Cliftonville Academy left Woodvale firmly rooted to the bottom with a 152 runs hammering at the Castle Grounds. The home side piled up 247 for five in just 35 overs, after a delayed start, with Varun Chopra and John Glass putting on 117 for the third wicket. Captain Matty McCord followed up his 24 off 16 balls with three wickets for 14 as Woodvale were bowled out for 95.