Instonians moved a step closer to the Premier League title with a thumping 9-wickets win over a North Down side that included Irish internationals Paul Stirling and Craig Young.

Cade Carmichael (2-42) git the big scalp of Stirling for just 7, and it took a hard-hit 48 from just 29 balls (4 fours, 3 sixes) by Ryan Haire and 27 from Jacob Mulder to get the Comber side to 166 for 9 in a game reduced by rain to 31 overs.

Andrew White was best with the ball taking 4 for 36, while there was two wickets also for Daniel Rose.

Tom Mayes bowled Robert McKinley first ball of the reply, but after that it was one-way traffic. Shane Dadswell hit 8 fours and thumped 7 sixes in an unbeaten 113 from only 78 deliveries.

He shared an unbroken second wicket stand of 173 with Jack Dickson, whose 59 not out included 4 fours and 2 sixes.

Defending champions Lisburn stay second after a nervy two-wicket win over CSNI at Wallace Park.

The Stormont side made a challenging 211 for 8 in a game gradually reduced to 32 overs. New Zealander Ryan Harrison hit 115 in 95 balls (9 fours, 4 sixes), sharing stands of 109 in 13 overs with Stuart Thompson (31), and 58 in 6 with Harry Dyer (19).

The chase ebbed and flowed with Nigel Jones' 53 from 51 balls (5 fours, 1 six), and an even time 38 from Adam Berry keeping Lisburn in the hunt.

The decisive intervention though came from Matthew Humphreys who clubbed four sixes in a match winning 33 from 19 balls, before being dismissed for obstructing the field!

That could have proved a turning point, but Mark Berry struck a crucial last over boundary, while David Simpson got the winning two from the fourth ball of Ryan Harrison's over to seal victory to the unbridled joy of the home support.