Belfast Wolves and Rotterdam Rockers had to be content with one point after the second match of the day in Voorburg was abandoned just one over into the second innings.

They are still the top two in the fledgling ETPL table after their opening round win and at halfway it was still everything to play for after Belfast had totalled 156 for nine. But there was only time for Mark Adair to bowl one over, before the rain returned and prematurely finish the match.

As a result there  was no player of the match but if there had been it would have been a simple decision. Anrich Nortje in a memorable four-over spell took his first five-wicket haul in T20 cricket - in his 173rd game -  at a cost of just 11 runs, and the five wickets were Belfast’s top four and then their captain Glenn Maxwell.

With his fourth ball, he tempted Tim Tector into a big swing and he was caught at mid-off for 14. When Nortje returned for a second over, his pace was too much for Devon Conway, who had scored 41 of the first 64 runs, and the New Zealander pulled it straight to Jai Moondra at deep fine leg.

Lorcan Tucker then edged his first ball to the keeper, for his second successive golden duck and although Mark Chapman survived the hat-trick ball, after two overs Nortje had figures of three for four.

Skipper Faf du Plessis not did use his South African team-mate until the 17th over but it took him only three balls to claim the huge wicket of Maxwell, bowling him in his crease, and he had his five-for with the last ball of the over when Harry Manenti ramped him straight to Moondra at thirdman.

The only surprise was that he didn’t get any wickets in his last over, foiled by Chris Jordan and Adair but Mark was out to the first ball of the final over to a brilliant catch by du Plessis, over his head at extra cover.

David Wiese, the only other wicket-taker, got his third with the penultimate ball of the innings, with Jordan skying it straight to long-on and the innings ended with Matthew Humphreys run out by a direct hit as he came back looking for a second run.

Belfast are straight back into action in the first match on Sunday, against Amsterdam Flames and it is followed by Dublin Guardians against the other co leaders, Edinburgh Castle Rockers.