North Down lost to Cliftonville Academy by 139 runs
Cliftonville Academy 337/5 (50 overs: Kian Hilton 122, Varun Chopra 85, Jared Wilson 55*, Matty McCord 32*; Craig Young 2-63)
North Down 198 (30 overs: Alistair Shields 87, Tom Crothers 40; Matthew McCord 4-46, Jared Wilson 2-30, Abhishek Raut 2-26)

Kian Hilton scored a century (CricketEurope)

Cliftonville Academy piled on the runs at Comber to win a high scoring game by 139 runs. Kian Hilton thumped 16 fours and a six in his better than even time 122, adding 183 for the third wicket with Varun Chopra, who made 85 (9 fours, 3 sixes). If the hosts thought getting rid of the pair and overseas professional Abhishek Raut would calm the jets of CA, then they were sadly mistaken as the runs kept coming, Jared Wilson thumped a 17-ball unbeaten 55 (4 fours, 5 sixes) adding 87 in 32 balls for the sixth wicket with Matty McCord, whose 16-ball 32 (2 fours, 3 sixes) took the total up to 337 for 5. Alistair Shields 63-ball 87 (11 fours, 3 sixes) saw him and Tom Crothers (40) put on 81 for the 3rd wicket, but they fell well short on 198 - four wickets for Matty McCord, and two each for Wilson and Raut in what was in effect a rout.

Woodvale lost to Lisburn by 48 runs (DLS)
Lisburn 257/8 (50 overs: Faiz Fazal 94, James Hunter 49*, Glenn Halliday 38, David Miller 32; Ruhan Pretorius 3-42, Aditya Adey 3-53)
Woodvale 170/9 (32 overs: Ruhan Pretorius 32, Harry Warke 25, Ludwig Kaestner 24, James Rose 21; Josh Manley 3-29, Matthew Humphreys 3-44, Adam Kennedy 2-25) (Rain interrupted - Woodvale target 226 off 38 overs. Further reduced to 32 overs - target 219)

Faiz Fazal scored 94 (CricketEurope)

Faiz Fazal was again in the runs as Lisburn dented Woodvale's title ambitions with a 48-run (DLS) win. The Indian opener top-scored with 94, helping the Wallace Park side recover from 26 for 3 - all three to Ruhan Pretorius - to post 257 for 8. Faiz added 99 for the fourth wicket with Glenn Halliday (38), with runs too for James Hunter (49*) and David Miller (32). Matthew Humphreys claimed the scalps of three of Woodvale's main men - Ruhan Pretorius, Ludwig Kaestner, and Harry Warke as the hosts ended 170 for 9 in a rain-affected innings that saw their target eventually reduced to 219 in 32 overs.

Waringstown beat Muckamore by 73 runs
Waringstown 336/3 (50 overs: Morgan Topping 103*, James McCollum 86, Graham Hume 77*, Adam Dennison 40)
Muckamore 263 (44.2 overs: Ben Calitz 65, Mark Gleghorne 49, Kyllin Vardhan 47, Jason van der Merwe 34; James Mitchell 3-48, Bilwal Bhatti 2-60)

Morgan Topping (CricketEurope)

Morgan Topping's century was the highlight of a statement win that took Waringstown to the top of the table with a 73-run win at The Lawn over Muckamore. James McCollum's 86 (9 fours, 1 six) in a second wicket stand of 124 with Adam Dennison (40) laid the perfect platform for the hosts, and there are few better placed to take advantage of that than Topping. The Ireland A batsman was at his destructive best, hitting 9 fours and 5 sixes in his 66-ball unbeaten 103, sharing an unbroken fourth wicket stand of 174 in 18 overs with Graham Hume - the left-hander no slouch either in his 77 not out (9 fours, 1 six). A total of 336 for 3 was an imposing one, but to their credit the Moylena side made a brave fist of it - Ben Calitz (65) adding 95 for the second wicket with Kyllin Vardhan (47). Mark Gleghorne (49) and Jason van der Merwe (34) chipped in but three wickets for James Mitchell ensured a 73-run win that cements their title favourites tag.

CIYMS beat Instonians by 82 runs (DLS)
CIYMS 299/7 (50 overs: Ross Adair 89, Chris Dougherty 66, Carson McCullough 63*, Adam Heasley 24*; Andrew White 3-35, Cade Carmichael 2-59)
Instonians 198 (41.1 overs: Ollie Metcalfe 54, Andrew White 35, Neil Rock 29, Cade Carmichael 23; Ross Adair 3-46, Jacob Mulder 2-18, Allen Coulter 2-34, Carson McCullough 2-36) (Rain interrupted - Instonians target 281 off 45 overs)

Ross Adair was in the runs again (CricketEurope)

It's been a good week for Ross Adair who once again unleashed his 'Hammer of Thor' bat onto the bowlers, with Instonians this time bearing the brunt of his pyrotechnics. Adair didn't get many steps in as he crunched 78 of his 49-ball 89 in boundaries (9 fours, 7 sixes) sharing an opening stand of 108 in 13.3 overs with Chris Dougherty (66). Three wickets for Andy White set up an opening at 220 for 7, but an 8th wicket stand of 79 between Carson McCullough (63*) and Adam Heasley (24*) took the target to 300 and out of Instonians reach. Ollie Metcalfe made an even time 54 (8 fours) but in truth CIYMS were always comfortable - three wickets for Adair, plus two apiece for Jacob Mulder, Allen Coulter and McCullough clinching the 82-run win.

Carrickfergus lost to CSNI by 9 wickets (DLS)
Carrickfergus 117 (32.2 Overs: Michael Gilmour 28, Iain Parkhill 21; James West 3-27, Harry Dyer 2-0, Adam Leckey 2-16, Colin Archibald 2-34)
CSNI 91/1 (18.1 overs: Jordan Neill 50*, Marc Ellison 31*) (Rain interrupted - match reduced to 47 overs. Further reduced to 29 overs - CSNI target 86 off 29 overs)

James West (CricketEurope)

Carrickfergus are running out of games as they look to avoid relegation, slipping to a 9-wickets (DLS) loss at home to CSNI. Teenagers James West, Harry Dyer and Adam Leckey took a combined seven wickets as Carrick slipped from 70-2 to 117 all out - Michael Gilmour's 28 their best effort. Rain showers meant an eventual target of 86 in 29 overs, and another teenager Jordan Neill made sure of a stress-free chase, hitting 8 fours and a six in his unbeaten half century, adding 78 for the second wicket with Marc Ellison 31* (who tells me his teenage years are long behind him). Carrickfergus need in all probability at least two wins from their last two games to have any chance of avoiding the dreaded drop, with their home match next week against CIYMS a 'must-win'.