Chris Dougherty celebrated a landmark day in style, hitting 125 to pass 10,000 runs for CI as they beat Cliftonville Academy by 13 runs at Belmont. Dougherty shared a match-defining 225-run third-wicket stand with skipper John Matchett, who also made 124, helping CI recover from 34 for 2 to post 308 for 6. Cliftonville Academy almost pulled off a remarkable chase thanks to CP Klijnhans’ brilliant 165 from 116 balls, supported by Dawood Khan’s 62. However, Jacob Mulder’s 3 for 28 proved crucial as CI held their nerve to restrict the visitors to 295 for 9.

Civil Service North, playing their third game in three days, followed up their 10-over victory over Waringstown with an impressive 50 runs win over CI at Stormont. The result condemns CI to six games in the bottom four after the split. It was a steady rather than spectacular batting display by CSN as Ryan Hunter top scored with 37 and useful contributions by Jake Collingwood, Harry Dyer and Andrew Cowden. The home side won the game with just 10 men because returning professional Ashwin Hebbar went down with food poisoning and failed to make it to the ground. Sathish Suresh and Jacob Mulder each took three wickets for CI. Jake Egan led the reply with 64, including just five boundaries, but he still dominated the scoring, fourth out with the score on 116. Only Charles Swart with 36 gave him any support as all five bowlers CSN bowlers shared the wickets and they can now look forward to a game against the rest of the top six.

Chris Dougherty continued his impressive form as CI finally got their second win of the season, defeating Laurelvale by 70 runs in a game reduced to 39 overs after a delayed start and a further rain break. There was still time for Dougherty to score 80 not out, from 63 balls, with eight fours and three sixes and with Carson McCullough adding 47 from 38 (two fours, four sixes), CI finished on 253 for six. Laurelvale needed a similar innings in their reply but opener John Speers with 40 was their top scorer and they never threatened a first Premier League win, finishing on 193 for seven.

Most exciting game of the day was at Belmont were Instonians held on to beat CI by nine runs on a slow pitch. The visitors, without captain Nikolai Smith who was playing for the Seconds, despite being put into bat made a good start reaching 97 for one, but Jacob Mulder ended the stand by trapping Sully Gould lbw for 30 and when Carson McCullough had Jack Dickson caught by Mulder for 38, Instonians collapsed from 99 from three to 159 all out in the space of 16 overs, McCullough finishing with four wickets. In contrast, CI had a nightmare start, losing their top five for 48 – captain for the day Shane Dadswell taking three of the wickets for just 11 runs in nine overs - with Paddy Beverland the only batter in double figures. It looked game over at 79 for seven but first Adam McCormick and then Mulder edged them closer but when the last pair came together Alex Armstrong and Ben Snell still needed 35. They had got the target down to 10 off 10 balls when Andrew White tempted Snell to lob one back to give Instonians the victory which keeps the defending champions just four points off the lead.

Neil Brand powered Muckamore to a nine wicket victory at Moylena, hitting an unbeaten 74 from 41 balls, with seven fours and six sixes. The CI bowlers were helpless to contain him as the home side reached their target of 133 in just 16 overs. Marko Bates also reached his 50 in a first wicket stand of 130 but couldn’t quite see the job through. Brand and Aditya Adey each took three wickets as CI were bowled out in the 39th over, with only three CI batters getting into the 20s. Their last six wickets fell for 22 runs.

Rain won the day at Comber to render North Down’s impressive 335-6 meaningless. Kian Hilton with 93 off 76 balls and Steven Saul (83) were the top scorers with Mike Erlank (53 off 44) and Tyron Koen (42 off just 28) piling the agony on the CI attack. Only 3.4 were possible in the CI reply and time ran out before they had a chance to get back on the field to complete the necessary 20 overs to obtain a result.

A century from Morgan Topping and six wickets by Tom Mayes ensured Waringstown made it two wins out of two to start their Premier League game campaign. Topping made up for the absence of his brother Sam – ruled out by a knee injury – with 105 (nine fours, two sixes) to steer the Villagers to a total of 267 for nine. When Waringstown lost three quick wickets to collapse to 159 for eight, such a total seemed out of reach but James Cameron Dow – Sam Topping’s replacement – hit an unbeaten 45 in a ninth wicket stand of 106 to give the visitors a competitive total. When Mayes and Hume reduced CI to 21 for three, they were in control but Chris Dougherty’s 70 (six fours, three sixes) kept the hosts in touch. A seventh wicket stand of 50 between Satish Suresh and Jack Snell got them to within 61 runs of victory but Mayes cleaned up the tail.

A century from Neil Whitworth steered Lisburn to a comfortable seven wickets victory over CI at Belmont. Chasing 232 for victory in 49 overs – one over was lost to rain - the captain finished 109 not out as the visitors won with 50 balls to spare. Ross Adair got them off to the usual fast start with 47 from 33 balls (six fours, three sixes) and Whitworth then put on 112 for the third wicket with James Hunter. After deciding to bat first, CI made the perfect start, Jack Egan and new signing Paddy Beverland putting on 110 for the first wicket. But they then lost six wickets for 32 runs and despite 38 from Carson McCullough they were bowled out for 230, new Lisburn professional Jon Hinrichsen taking an expensive three wickets and Whitworth the same number at almost half the cost.