Rain won the day at Comber to render North Down’s impressive 335-6 meaningless. Kian Hilton with 93 off 76 balls and Steven Saul (83) were the top scorers with Mike Erlank (53 off 44) and Tyron Koen (42 off just 28) piling the agony on the CI attack. Only 3.4 were possible in the CI reply and time ran out before they had a chance to get back on the field to complete the necessary 20 overs to obtain a result.

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

Civil Service North’s young guns Harry Dyer and Adam Leckey steered them to a six wickets (DLS) victory. Set 156 in 23 overs, the visitors slumped to 74 for four after 10 overs. But Dyer 44, with four sixes, and Leckey 36 from 30 balls would not be parted after Ruhan Pretorius had taken three early wickets. However the Woodvale captain and professional Ludwig Kaestner could score only 36 between them in their side’s total of 211 for eight from 46 overs. Francis Collins top scored with 55 and and James West took three wickets in an accurate 10-over spell.

An opening stand of 102 between Johnny Waite and David Miller all but settled this rain-interrupted match at Wallace Park in Lisburn’s favour. Waite hit eights fours and two sixes in his 49 but Miller went on to hit 72 off 59 balls with five fours and five sixes as the home side reached their revised target of 158 with more than nine overs to spare. Lisburn were short of six first-team players but they still restricted the Premier League newcomers to 141 for six when rain halted their innings after 31 overs. Adam Speers contributed to a fast start with 48 off 46 balls (nine fours) but after his dismissal to Ewan Wilson, Lisburn always had the innings under control.

Instonians completed a double-quick 10 wickets victory to make it three league wins out of three, reaching their rain-affected target of 75 in just 31 balls. Neil Rock faced 26 of them and hit 59, with nine fours and three sixes as the Cliftonville Academy opening bowlers were put to the sword. CA professional CJ Klijnhans scored 37 off 40 balls but when he was third out with the total on 62, Cian Robertson and Andrew White ripped through the rest of the innings, the visitors bowled out for 80 in just 24.1 overs. Robertson, who is the North’s 13-man squad for the Emerald Challenge next week, finished with figures of 7.1-4-8-5 and White had 4-13 from his seven 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.

Instonians made an impressive start to the defence of their Premier League title, posting the highest 50-over total at Stormont. Sully Gould, batting at No 3, scored his first senior century as the visitors totalled 379 for eight. He was fifth out in the 27th over with the total already on 215 and Nikolai Smith and Andrew White then piled the agony on their hosts with a stand of 115 for the sixth wicket. Adam Leckey tried to keep Instonians in check and finished with five wickets but the total was always going to be too many for Civil Service North. They finished 101 runs short with new signing Jake Collingwood hitting an impressive 61 from 52 balls and a late rally from Harry Dyer who top scored with 73 from just 47 balls (seven fours, five sixes).

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).

A century from Neil Whitworth steered Lisburn to a comfortable seven wickets victory over CI at Belmont. Chasing 232 for victory in 49 overs – one over was lost to rain - the captain finished 109 not out as the visitors won with 50 balls to spare. Ross Adair got them off to the usual fast start with 47 from 33 balls (six fours, three sixes) and Whitworth then put on 112 for the third wicket with James Hunter. After deciding to bat first, CI made the perfect start, Jack Egan and new signing Paddy Beverland putting on 110 for the first wicket. But they then lost six wickets for 32 runs and despite 38 from Carson McCullough they were bowled out for 230, new Lisburn professional Jon Hinrichsen taking an expensive three wickets and Whitworth the same number at almost half the cost.

A remarkable century by Matty McCord could not prevent defeat for Cliftonville Academy as North Down posted the highest total of the day. Set 384 for victory, McCord came to the middle at 49 for two in the fourth over and left in the 33rd having scored 168 off 94 balls with 14 fours and an incredible 15 sixes. New professional CP Klijnhans opened with a 19-ball half century but after his dismissal, at the start of the eight over, McCord scored all but 30 of the next 202 runs off the bat. Alfie Wylie’s contribution in the seventh wicket stand of 111 was nine. He was finally bowled by North Down’s new professional Mike Erlank and 10 runs later they innings ended, Cliftonville Academy bowled out for 290. Rain at the Castle Grounds had reduced the North Down innings to 42 overs but the visitors still crashed 383 for eight. Opener Mo Aahil top scored with 134 (13 fours, seven sixes), sharing stands of 101 for the first wicket with Kian Hilton and 146 with Stephen Saul for the second. Aahil was dismissed at the end of the 33rd over with 299 on the board. The result wasn't the only disappointment for captain McCord, his eight overs went for 90. But thanks to hitting Cliftonville Academy's highest individual score, he finished 78 runs in credit.

It was a brand new experience for all the Laurelvale players when they proudly took the field for their first match in the top section of the NCU for 54 years but it was Neil Brand who gave them a taste of what they can expect over the next four months. The South African scored 124 off 93 balls (11 fours, six sixes) as Muckamore piled up 344 for seven, although no other batter reached 50, which will be a disappointment. Babar Khan took four of the wickets. It was no easier when Laurelvale went out to bat. Mark Thornbury scored their first run off the bat, in the fourth over but they had already lost two wickets and they were bowled out in the 25th over for 57, Brand finishing with figures of 10-5-13-4 as Muckamore refused to take their foot off the pedal. Allen Coulter and Jason van der Merwe equally shared the other wickets. Captain David Sinton top scored for the new boys with 20.