It was ‘only’ a regular Premiership programme in the North West but the action was just as exciting with a victory for Coleraine over champions Newbuildings by one wicket, helped by the home side’s slow over rate.
Needing 18 to win from two overs, 12 penalty runs were then applied reducing the target to just eight and Patrick Carson then hit two fours to win it for the Bannsiders.
Mark Pollock took a hat-trick for Burndennett but in another dramatic finish he was upstaged by St Johnston’s Ireland international Graeme McCarter.
Chasing 206 for victory, the Saints were 67 for seven and 141 for nine but McCarter finished 124 not out from 89 balls (11 fours, 10 sixes) and dominated the strike in the last wicket stand with Scott Devenney who faced only eight of the 39 balls as the Saints won with seven balls to spare.
Brigade won the big game at Beechgrove, to inflict a first defeat on Donemana, by 10 runs. Ryan Macbeth was the hero, dismissing professional Geeth Kumara for 96 after captain Andy Britton had claimed the prize scalp of opposite number Dwayne McGerrigle for just five.