Instonians are in pole position to complete the Premier League leg of a possible quadruple this season after winning the top of the table clash with Waringstown.

Back at the scene of their T20 triumph six days earlier, and six days before the teams meet again in the Challenge Cup final, Instonians hold the upper hand on the Villagers and have a four points advantage in the league with two games to play.

However, they will be taking nothing for granted. Pembroke beat Clontarf in the Leinster League back in June; next day Clontarf defeated a full-strength Pembroke in the Irish Cup. (On Saturday, Pembroke won the Leinster Senior Cup final – against Clontarf).

It has been just as fierce a rivalry in the NCU this season and the fact there were only 10 runs between the teams at The Lawn shows there is little to separate them. Both have still to play Lisburn who can beat anyone on their day.

This victory, however, seems significant to the destination of this year’s League title. It should have been a lot more convincing margin for Instonians yet Waringstown could also say they should have won it.

Instonians were on course for 250 but lost their last six wickets for 28 runs and didn’t even reach 200 to put Waringstown in the favourites' position at halfway. Yet again, however, the top order lost their way and they slumped to 75 for five with Cian Robertson, like James Cameron-Dow before him, turning the ball square.

Andrew White, had dismissed pinch hitter Daniel van der Merwe, caught off the top edge at cover for 34 off 25 balls, and when he returned for a second spell he took the big wicket of Tom Mayes, leg before, although from side on it looked too high.  

That reduced Waringstown to 108 for six but this team never gives up – there is invariably one batter who sees the job through – and this time it was Morgan Topping. The Ireland squad member kept ticking off the runs despite continuing to lose partners and when last man James Mitchell came to the middle with 55 still required it seemed only a matter of time before Instonians took the last wicket.

Topping did not agree and took it upon himself to score all the runs. Indeed in the 51-ball partnership, Mitchell had to face only nine balls with Topping so confident he could see his side home he was turning down singles as late as the 48th over.

It should have been game over with the total on 171 but Nikolai Smith dropped the sixth catch of the day and Topping promptly hit Shane Dadswell for six in the next over to edge Waringstown closer.

Just 11 runs short of victory and with still nine balls left, however, Topping tried to clear mid-on but this time Smith not only judged his jump but held on and Instonians could celebrate a huge win.

“It is always nice to win at Waringstown, it was a big game and could have gone either way so it’s nice to come out on the right side of it,” said Smith.

Instonians will certainly need to be more consistent in the field if they want to claim their second trophy of the season on Friday. Van der Merwe, Mayes, Cameron-Dow were all dropped, as well as Topping, as yet Rose, Rob McKinley and Neil Rock all produced catches deserving to win any match.

The catch of the day, however, was taken by James McCollum, albeit instinctively, holding on at slip to a well-timed reverse sweep by Cade Carmichael just as Instonians were picking up the pace after their lowest powerplay of the season – just 29 runs.

After Carmichael’s wicket, however, Instonians went back into their shell, with the normally electrifying Rock facing 39 balls for 22 with just one boundary. Indeed, in the six overs before he was caught at deep mid-wicket, Instonians scored 11 singles and a two. Nothing else.

To be fair this was the best bowling attack they had faced and Waringstown bowled 26 overs (out of 45) of spin on a turning pitch but more intent would surely have given the home side a bigger target.

However, Instonians were able to trump that with a quartet of slow bowlers and on the day Waringstown had no answer, in the end only getting so close because of those dropped catches. Robertson and White had identical figures of three for 26 from their 10 overs, young David Agnew went for less than four an over and Rose, trusted with the 49th over, took the last wicket.

It’s now Instonians’ title to lose.