Johnny Thompson hit unbeaten 74 as Newbuildings beat Ardmore, DD Barr claimed five wickets in Brigade win over Coleraine, Mark Averill went one better with six as Eglinton ousted Bready, while Levi Dougherty's century saw Donemana beat Glendermott.
Newbuildings beat Ardmore by 4 wickets
Ardmore 272/7 (50 overs; Dave Bezzant 76*, Rachit Gaur 54, Harry Zimmermann 49, Mark Chambers 24*, Dharm Singh 21; Ryan Hunter 2-32, Ross Hunter 2-36)
Newbuildings 278/6 (45.5 overs; Johnny Thompson 74*, Ryan Hunter 72, Ross Dougherty 52, Mark Hanna 23*; Dharm Singh 2-49, Rachit Gaur 2-55)
Johnny Thompson took the nail out of the boots for the second time this season and put a nail in Ardmore's hopes for cup glory. Batting first, Ardmore made 272 for 7, thanks to two significant stand. Skipper Rachit Gaur (54) and Harry Zimmermann (49) added 112 for the second wicket before they lost their way from 124 for 1 to 177 for 7. Dave Bezzant then pummeled the home side's attack hitting 6 fours and 7 sixes in a 27-ball unbeaten 76, adding 90 in 40 balls with Mark Chambers (24*) to get the Bleachgreen side up to a tough total to chase. Newbuildings - beaten finalists in the last two years - looked in trouble at 35 for 3 - but Ryan Hunter (72) and Ross Dougherty (52) added 112 for the 4th wicket to swing the momentum back. However, Ardmore kept chipping away and at 194 for 6 in the 37th over, the contest was in the balance. JT then took centre stage as he played some of his trademark lofted shots over midwicket and long-on and off, finding the boundary at will. He had a capable partner in Mark Hanna (23*) and the duo clinched the win with an unbroken 7th wicket stand of 84 in 9.3 overs - JT applying the killer blows with four consecutive sixes to end on 74 not out from 57 balls (4 fours, 8 sixes).
Brigade beat Coleraine by 6 wickets
Coleraine 191 (46.2 overs; Craig Averill 76, Scott Campbell 50, Marcus Poskitt 21; David Barr 5-20, Iftikhar Hussain 2-30)
Brigade 196/4 (36.5 overs; Scott Macbeth 64, Ifty Hussain 42, David Barr 38, Cameron Melly 30*: Cephas Zhuwao 2-39)
Holders Brigade eased into the last four, storming back after Coleraine threatened at one stage to set them a challenging total. Craig Averill's 76 (10 fours, 2 sixes) saw him and Scott Campbell (50) share a second wicket century stand to take the Bannsiders to 153 for 1 in the 30th over. They would have entertained hopes then of a total near 300, but in the end they didn't make it to 200 as they lost 9 wickets for 38 runs to be 191 all out. Ifty Hussain broke the stand with a diving return catch, and that opened the floodgates. DD Barr continues to be under-rated by many with the ball, but not by Coleraine as he took 5 for 20 - his second five wicket haul against them in two weeks. Hussain hit 8 fours and a six in a hard-hit 42, while Barr made a steady 38. Player of the Month Scott Macbeth continued his dream season with 64 (5 fours, 3 sixes) to take his season tally to 640 runs and remain on course to break the 1000-run landmark this month. Cameron Melly (30*) and skipper Britton (15*) ensuring the 6-wicket win in the 37th over.
Glendermott lost to Donemana by 166 runs
Donemana 277 (49.5 overs; Levi Dougherty 110, Andy McBrine 40, Raymond Curry 30, William McClintock 28, William McBrine 23; Ben Mills 5-54)
Glendermott 111 (27.1 overs; Alan Johnson 42, Ben Mills 23; Rumesh Buddhika 3-15, Gary McClintock 2-12, Raymond Curry 2-21, Gary Neely 2-54)
On paper, Donemana's 166-run at Glendermott looks the ultimate one-sided affair, but the Rectory side had their moments and there were a few furrowed brows as the Tyrone men were wobbling at 135 for 7. Crisis, what crisis, as there were shades of the Donemana of old as they launched one of their famous comebacks. Levi Dougherty counterattacked as he thumped 10 sixes and 6 fours in his 110 from just 61 balls, adding 72 for the 8th wicket with William McBrine - who made a run-a-ball 23, and rubbed further salt in the wound during a last wicket stand of 51 in 27 balls with Gary Neely. Ben Mills claimed a five-wicket haul but 277 looked too many for the Championship side and that's how it panned out. Mills made 23 and skipper Alan Johnson 42, but three wickets for Buddhika and two apiece for skipper Gary McClintock, Raymond Curry and Gary Neely ensured the victory as the hosts were dismissed for Nelson - 111.
Bready lost to Eglinton by 128 runs
Eglinton 189 (49.3 overs; Andy Millar 85, Lahiru Dilshan 25; Gavin Roulston 3-31, David Rankin 2-31)
Bready 61 (21.5 overs; Mark Averill 6-35, Jamie Millar 2-20)
Eglinton marched into the semi-final with a thumping 128 run win at Bready. Andy Millar curbed his natural aggressive tendencies to play a mature innings that ultimately laid the platform for the victory. His 85 (7 fours, 2 sixes) was the stand-out performance in the villagers total of 189, with only Lahiru Dilshan (25) chipping in. Gavin Roulston (3-31) and David Rankin (2-31) among the wickets. What transpired next though, few could have predicted as Mark Averill (6-35) and Jamie Millar (2-20) ripped through the normally solid Bready top-order to leave their cup hopes in shreds. The opening pair were backed up by some stunning catches on a day when everything went right for Eglinton as Bready were skittled for 61.