YMCA and Railway Union booked their places in the second round of the RSA Senior Cup next Saturday with comfortable wins against NCU opposition yesterday.

The Claremont Road side thrashed Lisburn by nine wickets, reaching their target of 179 in the 30th over. Reinhardt Strydom hit a run-a-ball 93, including 13 fours and two sixes and shared an unbroken stand of 129 with young Jack Tector, after Jeremy Bray had gone for just seven.

Railway Union, chasing just 112 to beat Downpatrick, brought up the 50 in the eighth over but they had already lost three wickets and two more in the space of four balls left them in a spot of bother. But a unbroken 49 runs stand for the sixth wicket between Josh Uddin and Abu Baker saw them home without further loss.

Cork County exited the cup at the first hurdle on Saturday, losing to Carrickfergus at the Mardkye by 121 runs.

Also on Saturday, Andre Botha single-handedly beat Phoenix as Clontarf won their delayed RSA Senior Cup tie by 168 runs at Castle Avenue.

The former Ireland international hit 166 – one more than Phoenix’s total – as Clontarf piled up 333 for seven. He scored 15 boundaries in his 112-ball century but then really powered on, scoring his remaining runs off just 39 balls with 11 more fours.

Phoenix who must try to pick up the pieces in their league game at North County today, were never in the hunt after slumping to 32 for four and 76 for seven but Conor Kelly, with an unbeaten 94 from 90 balls (7 fours and three sixes), brought some respectability to the visitors’ total.

There is a full programme of Division 1 and 2 league fixtures today with The Hills expected to retain the only unbeaten record in the top flight against bottom of the table Leinster at Rathmines.