STILL NO SHOCKS AS GULF IN CLASS REMAINS

Once again there was no sign of an upset as three of the four Division 2 sides still left in the Northern Bank senior cup failed to trouble the big boys on Saturday as all the matches went to form.

Sion will play Donemana this coming Saturday in the outstanding tie but the hosts will need a performance of epic proportions if they are to buck that particular trend and clubs can now look forward to the less demanding schedule of their own zone.

Drummond did best of the three teams to lose out at the weekend, Gordon Cooke's men shaking up fancied Coleraine before going down by 50 runs. Paul McIlmoyle and Stevie Moore offered stubborn resistance after the Bannsiders had made 214 for 7 in their 50 overs despite losing Ian McGregor to the first ball of the match.

Skipper Tim Chopra redeemed the situation for his side and young Paul Douglas led a middle order recovery as the Sandel Lodge side were just a bit too strong. Ardmore found runs hard come by at Eglinton and needed more than 41 overs to put together 118 of them as a combination of a low track and quality bowling took its toll.

The villagers look a different side this season and nailed the verdict pretty readily with skipper Andy Christie posting an unbeaten half century in a 7 wicket win.

Up at Ballymagorry it was an even more torrid time for struggling Killyclooney; Richard McMorris's side only managing 95 all out in a 9-wicket thumping by the Foxies.

It's proving slightly difficult to keep up with ongoing matches at present after the recent spell of indifferent weather however there are just two league games down for decision this coming Saturday before the Ulster Shield gets under way 24 hours later.

The big match of the weekend features Adrmore's trip to Drummond; two sides who will fancy themselves to be in the shake up for promotion come September. The hosts have won both of their league fixtures to date albeit against two sides to have struggled a little thus far- Killyclooney and Sion Mills and they are due to be playing their outstanding game at The Nedd this midweek.

Gordon Cooke has certainly brought about a change in fortunes over the past couple of seasons but the addition of former Ballyspallen pair Graeme Anderson and Clive Rodgers has definitely added some real depth this year. Realistically however the former Irish International will be fully aware that his side's promotion chances hinge on games against the likes of St Johnston, Creevedonnell and their visitors this weekend and he will have a better idea of how far they have come after this one.

Ardmore were due to meet St Johnston on Monday evening and George Brolly's outfit have looked pretty focused to date. They have plenty of quality in both batting and bowling and of course the very dangerous Adrian Murphy gives them a real cutting edge.

The other league match this weekend sees Killyclooney host The Nedd; two teams to have started quite slowly this season. The visitors looked like they could be the dark horses when they added the Mehaffey brothers from Burndennett and Jamie Millar from Ballyspallen but as yet the fireworks have been few and far between.

Killyclooney looked very ordinary in a 9-wicket defeat at Ardmore last midweek and they will be hoping to catch Vinny O'Hara's men off their guard but if the visitors are to mix it with the fancied sides this season they need to win matches like this.

Sunday sees the start of the very popular Ulster Shield competition where Division 2 sides get the chance to put one over on their Belfast counterparts and as always there are several with difficult looking encounters.

Creevedonnell will have their credentials fully tested as they head to Woodvale; a side who like their visitors have real designs on a return to top flight cricket this season. The hosts have won both of their league outings so far but Stephen Scroggie's boys are no mugs and make this the most difficult tie of the round to call.

Burndennett haven't had their sorrows to seek in 2011 and an away draw at Derriaghy, one of the few teams in the section with a professional, was hardly what they would have wanted.

Similar comments apply to Killyclooney but at least they will have home advantage over a Cliftonville side complete with their overseas man, the intriguingly named Sean Fitzgibbon.

Ardmore will start favourites away at Saintfield who have yet to win in the league although the Bleachgreen side can't afford to take their eye off the ball having played so much cricket in the past ten days.

Sion Mills host Templepatrick who actually play their cricket in the NCU's third tier but who come into this competition because Lurgan don't play Sunday cricket, however the Tyrone men have really struggled themselves so far.

The Nedd entertain Holywood in another contest that is close to call; the visitors also having lost several players in the close season while in Donegal, St Johnston should be too strong for newly promoted Millpark.