There was a remarkable encounter at Phoenix Park where the home side recovered from 18 for 7 to beat Merrion by 12 runs.

Max Sorensen's five wicket haul looked to be taking Merrion through before a counterattacking 52 from home skipper Adam Chester gave them home.

Chester thumped 6 sixes and 3 fours in a whirlwind 52 from 32 balls, as he and Devender Ranolia (13*) added 73 for the 8th wicket.

A total of 96 shouldn't have been enough but the dismissal of John Anderson sparked a dramatic collapse as Merrion slumped from 43 for 2 to 55 for 8 with four wickets for Tyrone Kane and three for Amish Sidhu.

They eventually were bowled out for 84 in a game that will live long in the memory for the hosts - not so much for the visitors.

Holders Clontarf crashed out of the Senior Cup after a four wicket loss to Railway Union in the penultimate over.

The Castle Avenue side had recovered from 69 for 5 to post 238 thanks primarily to a top score of 73 from Irish youth international John McNally (3 fours, 3 sixes).

There were late runs too down the order from Andrew Delany (34) and Andrew Poynter (33). With the ball Sean O'Brien took three wickets, while there were two apiece for Zaman Safi, Hamza Maan, and Liam McCarthy.

The target was a tough one for Park Avenue, but thanks to a fine 69 for Liam McCarthy (5 fours, 3 sixes), and a nerveless unbeaten 41 from Zaman Safi they prevailed to make it to the last eight.

An unbroken 6th wicket stand of 68 between Nick Stapleton (47*) and Joe Prendergast (21*) ensured Pembroke made it through after they would have been slightly worried at 74 for 5 chasing 140.

The pair had earlier taken a combined five wickets as Rush were bowled out for 140 - two wickets apiece also for Paul Lawson and Olly Riley.

It was a tale of two innings at Inch, where Leinster chased 158 to beat North County by three wickets at Inch. Suliman Safi's even time 90 (9 fours, 3 sixes) was the bedrock of the home side's 158 - two wickets apiece for Joey Carroll, Jai Moondra, Mark Tonge and Luke Callanan.

A second wicket stand of 84 between Bilal Azhar (37) and Monil Patel looked to be ensuring a one-side win, but three wickets for Tanvir Hasan and two for Abdul Ghaffar had the Rathmines side a little worried at 113 for 6.

Monil Patel though ensured progress to the quarter-finals with 96 not out from just 74 balls (14 fours, 2 sixes) as they passed their target in the 26th over.

Dublin University bundled The Hills out of the competition winning by five wickets in a match switched to Milverton.

Matthew Humphreys and Gavin Hoey took a combined 7 for 26, with David Vincent and Yash Balasubramanium taking the other three scalps as the hosts were skittled for 83.

The chase wasn't straightforward as the students wobbled at 48 for 4 with three wickets for Matthew Weldon. Gavin Hoey soothed any nerves with a quick 25 as Trinity passed their target in the 16th over.

Malahide strolled into the next round with a 10-wicket demolition of North Kildare at The Village.

The visitors were bowled out for just 98, with three wickets apiece for Mohit Sane and Jeremy Martins and two for Andrew Sheridan.

Sometimes chasing a low target can be tricky, but not this one. Younas Ahmadzai clubbed 14 fours and 3 sixes in his unbeaten 80 from just 39 balls, sharing a century stand with Cormac McLoughlin-Gavin (21*) as they passed their target in the 15th over.

Terenure beat Civil Service in an entertaining game by 24 runs. Seamus Lynch was a man in a hurry as he thumped 5 fours and 3 sixes in an entertaining 29-ball 47, while Raghav Grover (44) and Darshit Shetty (33) added 62 for the 4th wicket in a home side total of 236.

The chase was always a little behind after Mark Thomas took 3 for 33, but a quickfire 56 from Asadullah Ahmadzai and 38 from Digamber Mishra kept CS in contention before being bowled out for 212 in the 43rd over.