Waringstown bounced back from their shock defeat by Civil Service to keep their place at the top of the Premier League table with a 29 runs DLS victory over North Down at Comber. They were on the receiving end of a superb century by home professional Mike Erlank but when he was caught on the boundary with 38 needed off the last two overs the game was up for North Down. James McCollum had scored the first century of the day, exactly 100 from 98 balls with 11 fours and three sixes as Waringstown recovered from losing Steve Stolk and Adam Dennison with just five on the board to post 233 for seven in their innings which was reduced to 40 overs after a rain interruption of almost two hours. The bulk of the runs came in a fourth wicket stand of 129 between McCollum and Graham Hume whose 69 included five fours and two sixes. Harry Zimmermann was the stand-out bowler, following up his two early wickets with three more in his second spell. North Down’s slow start – they were 22-1 after 10 overs ultimately left them with too much to do but they gave Waringstown a scare during a second wicket stand of 160 between Erlank and Mo Aahil who finished with 72 from 91 balls; his last 30 coming off just 20 balls.

CSNI stunned NCU Premier League leaders Waringstown by three runs in a rain-reduced 10-over thriller to blow the title race wide open. CSNI posted 89 for six, built around captain Stuart Thompson’s unbeaten 38, with Ryan Hunter adding 15 and Jake Collingwood 16. Tom Mayes and Ross Allen claimed two wickets apiece. Waringstown looked on course after Steve Stolk made 25, Morgan Topping 23 and Mayes 21, but CSNI struck back late. Needing eight from Collingwood’s final over, the leaders managed just four, finishing on 86 for four as CSNI boosted their top-six hopes and gave hope to the chasing pack.

Another Saturday and another century for Waringstown professional Steve Stolk. This time Cliftonville Academy were on the receiving end but they had the satisfaction of getting him out, albeit just eight runs short of the home side’s victory target of 186. Stolk hit 105 from 48 balls with nine fours and nine sixes after sharing an opening partnership of 140 with Adam Dennison who scored 61. CA skipper Matthew McCord top scored with 47, from 35 balls (six fours, two sixes) while there were good contributions also from Adam Kelso, Dawood Khan and David Reid. Five Waringstown bowlers shared the wickets with fourth change Dennison the most successful with three. The Premier League leaders won by eight wickets at the start of the 22nd over.

A towering partnership of 215 unbeaten for the fourth wicket between Morgan Topping and Graham Hume condemned Lisburn to their first league defeat of the season as Waringstown swept to a 170 runs victory at The Lawn. Coming together in the 27th over, with the score on 139 for three, the pair batted through the rest of the innings, Hume finishing on 126 from just 75 balls with eight fours and nine sixes, while Topping brought up his century in the last over from 103 balls with nine fours and two sixes. Lisburn then crashed to 70 for five with two wickets each for Steve Stolk and Tom Mayes and Ross Allen and Greg Thompson finished the job with only Nigel Jones delaying the inevitable, his 77 from 79 balls including six fours and four sixes.

Waringstown joined Lisburn at the top of the Premier League table with a huge victory over defending champions Instonians at The Lawn. James McCollum proved to be the match-winner with his 118, more than twice as many as the next best batter in the match. The Ireland Test player faced 129 balls but hit only five fours and four sixes as he built his crucial innings. Coming to the middle after Ross Allen, replacing the holidaying Adam Dennison at the top of the order, was out in the fourth over he stayed until the start of the 47th over, when he gave Andrew White his third wicket. Tom Mayes, with whom he had added 73 for the sixth wicket, was there until the end, hitting a vital 51 not out from 35 balls with two fours and three sixes. Neil Rock started in a hurry, with six fours and a six in his 38 from 27 balls but he played one rash stroke too many and skied a return catch to Steve Stolk. The Waringstown professional then forced Cade Carmichael to play on, just after bringing up his half-century and when Shane Dadswell was run out by Stolk in the next over, Instonians were struggling on 157 for five. But Instonians, as befitting the champions, bat deep and despite Greg Thompson taking the next three wickets, Cian Robertson (32) and George Craigan (20) got the visitors within 20 runs before Stolk had Craigan caught in the deep to complete victory. Next Saturday, Lisburn visit The Lawn.

Laurelvale felt the full force of Steve Stolk’s bat at The Lawn, the Waringstown professional hurrying his side to an emphatic nine wickets victory with more than 41 overs to spare. After bowling out the visitors for 91, Stolk hit 85 not out from just 35 balls, an innings which included six fours and eight sixes. After the early loss of Sam Topping, the 20 year-old South African shared a second wicket stand of 85 in 33 balls with Adam Dennison who faced just five of them. Adnan Malik scored 40 for Laurelvale but after he was fourth out, the last six wickets fell for 13 runs, Waringstown captain Greg Thompson finishing with six for 18 from nine overs.

An unbroken second wicket stand of 115 between Neil Brand and Jason van der Merwe eased Muckamore to victory in a rain-shortened game at Moylena and inflicted Waringstown’s first league defeat. Brand finished 73 not out from 40 balls, finishing the match with his 10th four and third six and Van der Merwe was 47 not out when their revised target of 145 was reached with eight overs to spare. Sam Topping returned to the Waringstown team and top scored with 54, which included eight fours, but older brother Morgan was the only other batter to reach 20 in an innings twice interrupted before being finally reduced to 24 overs

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.

Waringstown enjoyed a winning start but the worry was the retirement of Sam Topping with a twisted knee. Despite the early setback, the Villagers totalled 313 for five with every batsman reaching double figures, although new professional Steve Stolk was run out for 10. Morgan Topping top scored with 71 from 78 balls. In Woodvale’s reply, Graham Hume struck two early blows but professional Ludwig Kaestner and captain Ruhan Pretorius added 102 for the third wicket, Pretorius the first to go for 53, from 50 balls. With Kaestner’s dismissal, leg before to James Mitchell for 80, Woodvale’s hopes faded – as did the light and the umpires took the teams off at the end of the 45th over with the visitors on 248 for nine, giving Waringstown victory by 57 runs (DLS).