As Instonians captain Nikolai Smith said in the immediate aftermath of their 13th league victory of the season, it was quite fitting that they chased down such a big total with so many overs to spare.

Against any other side, Lisburn would probably have been confident of defending 306 but this year’s NCU Premier League champions are not just ‘any other side’.

Their aggressive style of play has been a winning formula all season and when Neil Rock hit the first two balls of Instonians reply to the boundary – six, four – the spectators were in for another treat. After three overs, Rock had faced only five balls but was on 23. The intent was there. This was a title they intended winning in style.

In the end, they didn’t even have to win because nearest rivals and outgoing champions Waringstown lost to CIYMS, something the players heard in the 13th over of their reply. But that only inspired them to finish the job with aplomb.

Although Rock was out immediately after a 24-ball  50, Shane Dadswell scored 96 off 47 balls – which included six sixes, the fifth of which was his 50th in the league - to leave his  side just 77 runs away from victory with 25 overs remaining!

His was the fifth wicket to fall, and when Rob McKinley followed four overs later, there was just a question that the wickets would run out before they reached their target. It was a question that never needed answering because Andrew White – who else – was still there and 50 not out from 60 balls, along with Cian Robertson’s unbeaten 24, ensured the title was confirmed with a four wickets victory.

It was also fitting that in Cade Carmichael they had the NCU’s leading run-scorer this season – he added another 22 here – and Robertson, the leading wicket-taker, took his 50th to end the blistering innings of Ben Calitz, his 63 at a strike rate just behind Dadswell and Rock.

Smith can look back on the season with a great deal of satisfaction, with Dadswell the common link between the two titles of 2023 and 2025.

“We wanted Shane back last year but it didn’t work out,” said his captain in his praise. “We always wanted him back because he is not only a fantastic cricketer, which everyone knows, but also a fantastic person. He makes everyone feel two feet bigger and gets the best out of everyone. When you know you have him in your team you know the game is probably in your favour because you know what he can do with both bat and ball. He makes everyone play better.”

Instonians’ only league defeat was a 20-over replay against Waringstown when they were bowled out for 81 and it is probably not a coincidence that Dadswell was out first ball when Instonians were denied a possible quadruple by their Challenge Cup final defeat to the Villagers, the team that has kept them focused all season. As NCU T20 champions, however, they can still complete the treble in the All-Ireland T20 final against Cork County at Stormont next Sunday when Dadswell will need 73 runs to join Carmichael in the 1,000 runs club in 2025..

As for Lisburn, they had  to be content with a distant third place in the final Premier League table – CIYMS’ victory not quite big enough to overhaul them on run-rate. After winning their first six games, they won only two of the remaining eight so there are plenty of questions to be asked for the team that won this title just three years ago.

It promises to be a busy winter because next year they will be without Josh Manley and Faiz Fazal, who played his final game yesterday. The popular Indian professional was given a guard of honour when he took to the Park for the final time after scoring 77 runs – bringing his tally to 5,944.

He celebrated with the wicket of Ireland international Carmichael in his first over while at the other end of the age and experience spectrum there was just as much delight in a wicket on his debut for 14-year-old Ethan Booth.

But this was the day that Instonians took over Wallace Park and despite his obvious allegiance to Lisburn, there were warm words from NCU chairman Michael Humphreys before he handed over the Premier League trophy to Smith.

After that, all roads led to the bunker at Shaw’s Bridge and a long night of deserved celebrations.