The defending champions are on the charge. For the first time this season, Waringstown fielded their first choice XI and it was no coincidence that they inflicted on morning leaders Lisburn their first defeat of the season. Ominously, the top order batting didn’t even fire!

Indeed the Villagers didn’t even bat 46 overs at Wallace Park but still they totalled 293 as Matthew Halliday, Tom Mayes and Daniel van der Merwe piled on the runs to rescue their side from the depths of 75 for five.

Once, Mayes had Ross Adair caught behind and James Mitchell did likewise, with captain Neil Whitworth sandwiching two wickets from Ross Allen, Waringstown were firmly in the driving seat and they could even take their foot off the pedal when Greg Thompson came on immediately after drinks and needed two balls to claim the match-winning wicket of Faiz Fazal.

From 121 for five, Lisburn did double the score, mainly thanks to a last wicket stand of 48 between Adam Kennedy and Callum Atkinson but they never threatened victory and actually batted only five balls longer than their visitors.

Yes, the defending champions won a vital game, to make it a three-way tie at the top – both teams are behind Instonians on run-rate – but the stop-start nature of their innings leaves plenty to improve on.

Playing on the same pitch on which the Dragons scored 346 three days earlier in an SS50 game, Thompson had no hesitation in batting first but Josh Manley needed only eight balls to dismiss Adam Dennison and opening bowling partner Ryan Macbeth followed up with the wickets of the Topping brothers before Waringstown had batted 10 overs.

Adam Kennedy joined the party by trapping James McCollum lbw with his second ball and four balls later, Graham Hume called Thompson for a suicidal single straight to cover and Whitworth’s direct throw ran out the captain. He had scored five off just three balls and only 14 overs had been bowled.

It could be said, based on some matches this year, the best Waringstown batting had still to come and Matthew Halliday, in his new role at No 7, proved that with a classy 50, which included six fours and two sixes, dominating the liberating sixth wicket stand of 83.

Mayes then took over the big-hitting and although he lost Hume less than three overs later, there was no stopping him or van der Merwe, despite there still being nearly 20 overs left to bat and 200 runs on the board.

Van der Merwe scored 40 of the 50 runs in their partnership, facing just 22 balls and hitting three fours and four sixes culminating in a crazy over from Kennedy when, first ball, the South African was dropped at deep mid-wicket, then went 6 4 6 4 and out, caught round the corner by Adair. He wasn’t the first Waringstown batter to give up his wicket tamely and wasn’t the last.

Mayes reached 66 from 32 balls, with three fours and seven sixes, before he gave a return catch to Whitworth. The total was 273 for nine and still there were 10 overs left of the innings!

Manley came back to take the last wicket but Waringstown knew they had left runs and overs out there. They would have to take 10 wickets to win the match.

Lisburn were without Matthew Humphreys and, more crucially on the day as it proved, Ben Calitz who injured his ankle in the warm-up in Cork on Tuesday morning.

Johnny Waite was relegated to Junior Cup action so they were always a batter light although it did allow Fazal to return to his familiar opening slot and, uncharacteristically immediately took a liking to Mayes, hitting him a four and a six in his first over and with the help of four leg byes, 15 runs came off  the second over.

The surge didn’t last and with wickets falling regularly – Fazal's second wicket partnership with Adam Berry was the only one that lasted more than five overs until the last – Waringstown’s bowlers held control and assured the significant victory.

With Instonians still to play Lisburn before the split, Waringstown will be guaranteed at least a share of the lead going into the last five games if they beat North Down and Cliftonville Academy in their next two matches.

Lisburn, however, should bounce back at Muckamore next Saturday and although Mark Adair will not be available for the next few weeks, when they get the rest of their Galáctico team on the field, they will expect to come out on the winning side.