The Hills suffered their first defeat of the season on Saturday as Clontarf won an RSA Cup thriller by seven runs at Castle Avenue.

In a low-scoring game, the unbeaten Division Two leaders defended 189 with Andrew Poynter running out last man Archer on the fifth ball of the penultimate over to give the cup holders a dramatic victory.

On a day of shocks there was an even bigger one at Anglesea Road where Malahide beat Merrion by 41 runs after scoring 283 for nine in their 60 overs and Pembroke gained revenge for their league defeat by Railway Union 12 days earlier with an emphatic nine wickets success at Park Avenue. Needing only 139 to win, Theo Lawson and Robin Russell put on an undefeated 107.

Best bowling of the day was at Balrothery where YM�s Robbie Garth took for five wickets for 10 in nine overs as North County were dismissed for 124. Former Ireland captain Alan Lewis made a mockery of that total with an unbeaten 76 as the visitors won by eight wickets in the 33rd over.