Ardmore need 24 points from their final two Premiership games to win their first senior league trophy after a remarkable last over yesterday in Donegal saw Brigade lose three wickets and the match to St Johnston.
Brigade needed just four off the last six balls with three wickets left but after skipper Andy Britton took a single from the first ball, Hayden Melly failed to score off the next two and was caught off the fourth. Britton was then run out off the next ball and Nathan Cole hit Nick Gray’s stumps from the last to give Saints a two runs victory.
With Brigade picking up just five points they trail Ardmore by two with only a home game against Killyclooney to come. But Ardmore have two games left, at Donemana on Saturday and then at home, in the final game of the season, against Fox Lodge on Sunday.
The Foxes, though, are still chasing a place in the top eight after beating Coleraine yesterday in another dramatic finale. Marcus Poskitt’s century looked to be winning the game for the Bannsiders but with 11 needed from seven balls he was bowled by Adam Walker and Gayan Maneeshan took the last wicket to give Fox Lodge a nine runs win.
In the NCU Premier League, CIYMS confirmed runners-up spot behind champions Instonians after beating Waringstown yesterday.
Cara Murray claimed career best figures of seven for 34 yesterday as Dragons kept alive their hopes of winning the Super 50 Cup with a 67 runs victory over Typhoons at Stormont. Amy Hunter had set up the win with a century off 87 balls.