Ballyspallen had a hard-fought 13-run victory against Ardmore in the revamped seven-team T20 Championship.

The competition has been reduced following the withdrawals of Glendermott and Burndennett, while the continued absence of official umpires has further diminished the stature of a tournament that appears increasingly in need of a major rethink.

On the field, runs proved difficult to come by in a low-scoring encounter as Ballyspallen posted 114 for 8 from their 20 overs. Pushpender Singh was the one batsman to truly master the testing conditions, making 44 from 28 deliveries with three fours and three sixes in a commanding innings.

Ardmore's bowlers shared the wickets around, with Matt Cuffe (2-15), Muhammad Edrees (2-18) and Vimal Dwivedi (2-29) all claiming two wickets apiece to keep the target within reach.

However, Ardmore never quite managed to gain momentum in reply and closed on 101 for 8. Vivek Sheoran top-scored with 31, while Kasun Aberatne contributed 21, both men striking four boundaries.

The chase was effectively strangled by Ballyspallen's spin attack. Raveen Yasas and Graham Kennedy delivered seven overs between them for just 13 runs, applying relentless pressure as the required rate steadily climbed.

With wickets falling at regular intervals, Stuart Kennedy (2-14), Dylan McElhinney (2-26) and Michael O'Brien (2-26) capitalised to ensure Ballyspallen secured the points in a contest dominated by disciplined bowling rather than explosive batting.