Waringstown showed neighbours Lurgan no mercy as Steve Stolk powered the holders into the semi-finals of the Challenge Cup. The last time the teams met in a competitive match was in this competition 12 years ago, when Waringstown won by 10 wickets. History repeated itself as the South African professional scored a remarkable 110 of the Villagers' 119, winning the match by scoring 34 in the sixth over! Stolk faced just 32 balls and hit all but six of his runs in boundaries (14 sixes and five fours). Adam Dennison faced just five balls in the partnership. Stolk’s opposite number, Liam Doddrell, conceded 52 runs in his three overs after being dismissed by Stolk for 12 from 30 balls as Lurgan were bowled out for 113. Callum Grieve top scored with 28 before becoming one of Tom Mayes' four wickets.

CI eased into the last four after dismissing Laurelvale for 123, exactly half of the visitors’ total. Jake Egan showed why he was picked in the Ireland 14 for last month’s Test match with 36 off 90 balls, hitting just one boundary, but it laid the platform for a winning total. Chris Dougherty, not for the first time this season, top scored with 77 from 68 (four fours and five sixes) as CI plundered 58 from the last five overs despite losing four wickets. None of the Laurelvale batters reached 30 as left arm spinner Alex Armstrong ended with four wickets, the home side bowled out in the 44th over.

An astonishing innings of 182 by Sully Gould almost single-handedly settled this quarter final against Carrickfergus, the last remaining Section One team in the competition. Opening the batting, he faced just 71 balls, hitting 32 boundaries, exactly half of them clearing the rope, and when he was caught at the end of the 26th over, Instonians were 262 for four and the possibility of a 500 total was still on the cards. If new captain Shane Dadswell had got going it may have happened but fortunately for the visitors Elliott Parkhill dismissed him for eight. Instonians still topped 400 inside 46 overs, thanks to Jack Dickson, Cian Robertson and James Lambert. Carrick made a dashing start, Michael Gilmour second out for 51 with the total on 72 in the eighth over but it didn’t last, although Alex Haggan hit 79 from 59 balls with six sixes and four fours. Andrew White took four overs and David Agnew bowled 10 overs, taking two for 39.

It was always likely to be the closest match of the round but in the end, Civil Service North had 41 runs to spare when they beat Muckamore at Moylena, the home side bowled out in the 43rd over for 153. Interim professional Michael Rae was the man of the match for outstanding bowling figures of four for 12 from 8.3 overs – he took the last two wickets with successive deliveries – but it was his opening partner Adam Leckey who claimed the huge wicket of Neil Brand, forcing him to play on for just three. While Jason van der Merwe was in the middle, Muckamore still had hope of chasing down CSN’s 194 but Leckey bowled him as well for 41 to settle the contest. The visitors were in control from the start with Ryan Hunter and Mark Ellison putting on 101 for the first wicket in 23 overs and although they lost all 10 wickets for 93, their total was still more than enough as the bowlers won the day. Brand and van der Merwe each took three wickets for Muckamore at less than three runs an over.

Laurelvale will host CI in the Challenge Cup quarter-finals after knocking out Section One side Bangor on their own patch at Upritchard Park with exactly 100 runs to spare. Adnan Malik top scored with 81 in Laurelvale’s 232, bowled out in the 48th over but second top score was the 45 extras which included 37 wides. Malik was out hit wicket to Campbell College student Seb Yeates who also had Daryl Henry stumped for 44. Christoher Pyper was the most successful bowler with three for 27. Only Ireland international Mark Hutchinson got past 25 for Bangor, he scored 41 from 69 balls before becoming one of Michael Burns four wickets. Bangor’s highest partnership was 30 between Hutchinson and Ian Butler and they lost their six wickets for 22 runs with captain David Sinton taking the last wicket in his only over.

Civil Service North’s temporary professional Michael Rae and Adam Leckey ripped through the Woodvale top order to make victory a formality in the second round tie against Woodvale at Stormont. Rea, an unused member of New Zealand’s Test squad in Belfast last month, is filling in while Ashwin Hebbar is back in India for three weeks, took three for nine in his first five overs and Leckey took the other two wickets as Woodvale collapsed to 19 for five in reply to the home side’s 163. Only Ludwig Kaestner held up the procession, with 44 from 64 balls, and he was still unbeaten as Rae added two more wickets to finish with five for 25 from seven overs, Woodvale bowled out for 79 in the 24th over. Only Harry Dyer, at No 5, stayed for any length of time in the first innings, scoring 45 from 82 balls and he was last man out at the start of the 49th over, giving Kaestner his fourth wicket, while Evan Carlisle and Aswin Shetty shared the other six.

Muckamore continued their impressive start to the season with a convincing eight wickets victory over Cliftonville Academy at the Castle Grounds. The summer’s leading run-scorer extended his advantage with 80 not out and shared an unbeaten partnership of 103 with Jason van der Merwe who won the match with his fourth six while also bringing up his 50 at exactly a run-a-ball. He also hif five fours. Brand’s boundary count was precisely the same but his runs came from just 59 balls. Brand and Aditya Adey equally shared six wickets as CA were bowled out for 168 in the 43rd over, professional CJ Klijnhans top scoring with 57 from 48 balls (eight fours and a six). Chris Whitten picked up the baton with a patient 43 but wickets continued to fall at the other end and when he was eighth out, the end was nigh.

CI booked their place in the last eight of the Challenge Cup with a six wickets victory over North Down at Comber. A typical rearguard innings of 67 balls by Chris Dougherty won the tie in the 37th over while wickets fell around him, in their chase for a victory target of just 145. The one-time Ireland international won the match with his second six but although they had slumped to 101 for six, captain John Matchett had held himself back to No 8 and finished 24 not out. In contrast to CI’s strong finish, North Down lost their last seven wickets for 41 runs after the dismissal of professional Mike Erlank for 39, the first of four dismissals for Carson McCullough. He was on a hat-trick when he bowled captain Tyron Koen for 31 with the first ball of his next over. Tom Crothers denied him that but he got his man in the next over and international Craig Young made it a four-for. There was an identical scenario in the CI innings when McCullough was lbw to his first ball from Jacob McClure-Dalzell but Satish Suresh foiled the hat-trick.

An undefeated 87 by Jay Parkhill eased 2023 finalists Carrickfergus into the quarter-finals of the Challenge Cup, as they beat Section One rivals Derriaghy by seven wickets at Middle Road. After dismissing the visitors for 176 inside 39 overs, Parkhill came to middle in the second over after the dismissal of his younger brother and saw the job through, facing 118 balls and hitting eight fours. Ben Martin stayed with him for the last 96 runs but needed to score only 27 runs. It was Martin who removed Derriaghy captain Ross Bailey for just four and the only major contributors to their total were Matt Scobie who was run out by Atish Varape, for 41 and Ross Glover bowled by Ellliot Parkhill for 32. Varape came on to clean up the tail, taking four for 21 in his 3.4 overs.

The last match to be called off was at the Castle Grounds with no fewer than six rain delays but when time ran out after a frustrating day, Muckamore had faced only 8.3 overs in reply to Cliftonville Academy’s all out total of 172. The home side were well placed after 30 overs on 117 for two but in the rush for quick runs between the showers they added only 55 more runs and were bowled out with four balls unused. Only Anwar Khan with 24 off 20 balls reached double figures as Neil Gill and Neil Brand shared seven wickets. Brand hit 42 of Muckamore’s 59 runs, from 22 balls with four fours and three sixes but was caught in the deep from what proved to be the last ball of the match. The teams must do it all again on Saturday.

Only 31 overs were possible at Upritchard Park with Bangor on 147 for five when the second rain interruption was too heavy and prolonged for the game to continue. Mark Hutchinson hit 45 and shared a fourth wicket stand of 84 with Adam McCusker who was out immediately after reaching his 50. But that proved to be the last over of the day.

Frustration was the overriding feeling at Middle Road as Carrickfergus and Derriaghy saw their tie abandoned by rain, meaning both sides must do it all again in a replay. After a delayed start reduced the match to 46 overs per side, Derriaghy posted 230 in 39 overs. Captain Ross Bailey provided early momentum with a brisk 45 from 37 balls, including four fours and two sixes, before Craig Lewis dominated the middle order with a superb 73-ball 80 featuring six fours and five maximums. Suprith Chandrashekar added 30. Professional Atish Varape and Carrick skipper CJ van der Walt both claimed three wickets. In reply, Carrickfergus were well placed on 89-2 after 15.1 overs, with Eian Marillier making 37 and Varape unbeaten on 35 when rain ended play.

The NCU Challenge Cup tie between CSNI and Woodvale fell victim to the weather after only 15 overs at Stormont, forcing the teams into a replay. CSNI had reached 61-2 when conditions brought proceedings to an early end. Woodvale made the early breakthroughs thanks to Ruhan Pretorius, who struck twice in an impressive spell of 2-12. He removed both James West and Adam Leckey to leave CSNI under pressure. However, opener Marc Ellison helped steady the innings with an unbeaten 19, while Jake Collingwood was alongside him on 17 not out when the abandonment was confirmed. The match also marked the debut of New Zealand international Michael Rae for CSNI. The pace bowler has joined the club as a replacement professional while Ashwin Hebbar returns to India for a short T20 tournament.

The weather had the final say at Comber as North Down's NCU Challenge Cup second-round clash with CI was abandoned, forcing the sides to meet again in a replay. After rain delays reduced the contest to 48 overs per side, CI posted a competitive 220-7 from 44.4 overs before further interruptions ended any chance of a result. Chris Dougherty anchored the innings with a fluent 50, striking eight fours, while Sathish Suresh provided a powerful finish with an unbeaten 52 that included four fours and three sixes. Carson McCullough made a valuable 38 and Jack Beattie contributed an important 25 as CI built a strong total. For North Down, Jacob McClure-Dalzell and Craig Young claimed two wickets each. However, with North Down unable to begin their reply, the weather emerged the only winner.

Lurgan's impressive season continued as they secured progression to the next round with a seven-wicket victory over Cregagh at Pollock Park. A disciplined bowling performance laid the foundations for success, with Liam Dodrell and Iqbal Khan claiming three wickets apiece as Cregagh were dismissed for 135 in 42.5 overs. Alastair Watt top-scored with 37, but Lurgan's attack kept the scoring in check throughout the innings. The chase proved a routine affair as openers Jack Harrison and Jaydee Oliver dominated proceedings with a partnership of 103. Harrison struck 30, including four fours and a six, before Oliver continued the charge with a superb 62 from just 60 deliveries, hitting nine fours and two sixes. Captain Stephen Johnston then finished the job in style with an unbeaten 18 from only nine balls as Lurgan reached their target in just the 19th over.

Instonians, last year’s beaten finalists, eased past Templepatrick, shuffling their batting order after captain Nikolai Smith surprisingly chose to bat first. Matthew Humphreys opened but was out for three, David Agnew at No 3 hit 34 in a third wicket partnership dominated by Sully Gould who crashed 37 off 19 balls, with five fours and two sixes. Andrew White, survived a huge lbw shout to top score with 80 (11 fours and a six) and Shane Dadswell, coming in at No 8, ensured a big finish with an unbeaten 51 from 24 balls, including two fours and six sixes. The third rain interruption ended the innings after 42 overs and Templepatrick’s target was 277. But when the rain arrived again, the visitors were 66 for six and although the teams got back on the field, with only five overs lost, the new target of 273 was out of sight. George Craigan wrapped up the tail, finishing with four for 14 from his four overs.

A devastating bowling spell by Ireland international Graham Hume ensured a comfortable passage into the Challenge Cup quarter-finals for Waringstown, and Lisburn’s first 50-over defeat of the season. Hume, bowling his 10 overs straight through, took six for 20 as the home side collapsed to 54 for seven, with only David Millar of Lisburn’s top six getting into double figures. Late runs from Ewan Wilson and Mike McComish got Lisburn into three figures but Callum Atkinson was immediately caught behind to end the innings after 39 overs, and give Ross Allen his second wicket.He conceded just six runs in 35 balls. With rain during the interval, the Waringstown target was revised to 95 off 42 overs, and Steve Stolk wasted no time in getting the runs, hitting 71 off 32 balls, with three fours and eight sixes. Adam Dennison survived a straightforward chance at point so it was a 10 wickets win in less than eight overs.

Brodie Harrison and Andy Kirkpatrick saw Bangor safely negotiate the challenge from Saintield with an unbroken fourth wicket partnership of 87. Earlier three wickets for just six runs in a five over spell from Ian Butler ensured his side's chase was well within reach, their reward, another home tie against Premier League new boys Laurelvale.

Cooke Collegians hustled out for just 96 with Danny Cooper claiming a five-for. Two wickets for Aidan Savarimuthu and two also for Peter Davison on his Cregagh debut. A shaky start to the chase by Cregagh, losing three wickets for just 12 runs, two of them to seamer Reneesh Hassanar but a 66 run partnership for the third wicket between Aaron Johnston and Craig Boultwood saw the hosts safely through to the next round where they will face Lurgan at Pollock Park.

A hard hitting 119 run partnership between Matt Scoble and Craig Lewis the highlight of a high scoring Derriaghy innings. Scoble's 121 ball innings contained 16x4 and 4x6 while Lewis was in brutal form with 12x6 in his 37 ball innings of 94. The 'Aghy 300+ total more than enough to see them through to a second round tie away to Carrickfergus.

A massive contribution from Liam Doddrell who came to the wicket with Lurgan 5-2 in the third over and proceeded to smash 12x4, 9x6 in a 129 ball innings of 153. Arnie Wright providing the only defiance as the Armagh chase stuttered along, Nithin Babu claiming five wickets and John Guy a brace. Lurgan at home to Cregagh in the next round.