Ross Adair shows his class once again as smashes 186

Adair, who joined the Belmont club from CSNI during the winter, has made an immediate impact and recorded a second century of the season against the Shaws Bridge side with 146 of his runs on Saturday coming via boundaries – 14 fours and 15 trademark maximums.

Sharing partnerships of 108 and 155 with Chris Dougherty (22) and John Matchett (67) respectively during a blistering two hour, 135-ball stay at the crease, Adair set the platform for CI to post a mammoth 367/6 which was finished off in style by captain Nigel Jones (51*).

The 28-year-old’s brutal ball-striking has come off with remarkable consistency this season, scoring 484 runs in six innings across the Robinson Services Premier League and Gallagher Challenge Cup at a strike-rate of almost 122.

74% of that run tally to date has come directly from boundaries, giving an insight into Adair’s mindset and intentions, and not many other batsmen in the region have the ability to do what he does, how he does it.

He also picked up figures of 2-49 as Instonians finished on 225/9 after contributions from Cade Carmichael (61), James Hunter (38) and skipper Andrew White (34) as Graeme Kennedy (3-33) starred with the ball to help limit their opponents.

Derriaghy created a bit of history by progressing to their first ever Challenge Cup semi-final after Morne Venter (81*) inspired them to a tense two-wicket victory at Cregagh.

Curtis Moorhead’s men are the first Section One side to book their spot in the last four since Downpatrick in 2014 and it was club legend Craig Lewis (5-34) that played a key role in bowling their Premier League opponents out for 214, despite a half-century from Sathish Suresh (58).

The visitors were in early trouble as Ross Boultwood (4-32) struck to leave